GEORGE WASHINGTON MASONIC NATIONAL MEMORIAL

(November 12, 2016) Last fall I returned to Northern Virginia and our Nations Capital for a quick weekend vacation.  Whenever I visit the Northern Virginia Area I always stay outside of the beltway and use the Metro Rail as my primary mode of transportation.

On this trip I opted to stay down in Fredericksburg and drive up Interstate 95 to the Springfield Metro Station. Traffic on Interstate 95 was still very heavy even for a weekend but nothing like weekday rush hour.  It's about 45-miles from Fredericksburg to the Springfield Station which has a large parking garage and parking is free on weekends.

It took me about an hour and 20 minutes to make the 45-mile trip. I had already loaded my Metro Smart Card so I proceeded straight to the platform and waited about 10-minutes for my train. The Metro Rail Service is undergoing a multi-million dollar upgrade and some service and stations are closed at various times. Today, I would be riding the Blue Line, which is running on time and not currently on the maintenance schedule.

I have ridden the Metro Rail service several time and have never had a problem. The stations and platforms are for the most part clean as are their trains. The only issue is some of the station employees are rather rude and abrupt when dealing with passengers.

About 10-minutes after arriving on the platform, my train pulled in and strange as it seemed I boarded and had the entire car to myself. There were only a couple of people on the platform waiting to board and they boarded the car in front of me.

It was just a short 15-minute ride to the King Street Station, where I left the train and made my way about a half a mile up the hill to the George Washington Masonic National Memorial.

This impressive structure dominates the area and sits atop Shooter's Hill in Alexandria, Virginia.  For George Washington, joining the Masons was a rite of passage and after becoming a Master Mason in 1753 and passed through a series of additional rites that would see him become the first Worshipful Master of the Alexandria Lodge Number 22 in 1788, just a few months before becoming the first President of the United States.

On May 7, 1909, The Grand Lodge of Virginia call for all lodges in the United States to meet in Alexandria. On February 22, 1910, which was Washington's 178th birthday, the George Washington Masonic National Memorial Association was formed for the purpose of constructing a memorial temple to honor "Brother" George Washington.

Over the next 12-years enough money was raised and construction began on June 5, 1922. It took more than 10-years to complete the building as construction could only continue as funds were raised. Finally after 10-long years of construction, the George Washington Masonic National Memorial was dedicated on May 12, 1932.

Washington's Statue in Memorial Hall

After spending some time walking around the grounds, I walked inside and signed up for one of the five daily guided tours. Having arrived right at 9 a.m. I was able to get into the first tour of the day at 9:30.

We began out tour in what is probably the Memorials most impressive rooms; the Memorial Hall. The hall features eight grand columns that stand more than 40-feet tall and are 4-feet wide. The hall also feature two giant murals showing Washington and is officers attending a service at St. John's Church in Philadelphia on December 28, 1778. The mural on the south wall shows President Washington laying the cornerstone of the U. S. Capitol on September 18, 1793.  The room is dominated by a larger than life statue of President Washington in his Masonic regalia. This statue was created by Bryant Baker and dedicated by President Harry Truman in 1950.

Strand of Washington's Hair

On the third floor we learned about the "Family of Freemasonry," with exhibits relating to many masonic organizations including The Order of the Eastern Star, The Tall Cedars of Lebanon and Grottoes of North America.  The exhibit also features the colorful robes and vestment worn by the various organizations.

Washington's Bible

Perhaps my favorite room was the museum, which is located on the 4th Floor. Exhibits include a strand of Washington's hair, his family bible that bears his signature and a candle carried at his funeral.

After touring the Replica Lodge Room and the Knight Templar Chapel, we packed ourselves into two

View from the Observation Deck

small elevators and made our way to the 9th Floor which opens up to the outdoor observation deck. All I can say is WOW!!!!!!, What a view. The day was clear and sunny and from the observation deck we could see the Capitol and Washington Monument in distance as well as seeing planes landing and taking off at Reagan
National Airport. The view itself is will worth the price of admission.

The guided tour ends on the observation deck and we were free to revisit the Memorial Hall and other areas of the memorial.  I really enjoyed my visit and would encourage anyone in the Northern Virginia area to make time for this wonderful memorial.

Here is a short Video from my visit to the George Washington's Masonic National Memorial