George Washington Masonic National Memorial

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General information
Type	Museum, observation
Location	101 Callahan Drive, Alexandria, Virginia
Coordinates	38.80748°N 77.06598°W
Construction started	June 5, 1922[1]
Completed	1932
Opening	May 12, 1932[2]
Cost	$6 million[3]
Owner	George Washington Masonic National Memorial Association
Height
Roof	333 ft (101 m)
Technical details
Floor count	9
Lifts/elevators	2
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Harvey Wiley Corbett of Helmle & Corbett
Structural engineer	Osgood & Osgood, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Main contractor	Percy Cranford Co., Washington, D.C.
George Washington Masonic National Memorial
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark
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Coordinates	38.80748°N 77.06598°W
NRHP reference No.	15000622
Designated NHL	July 21, 2015[4]

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The George Washington Masonic National Memorial is a Masonic building and memorial located in Alexandria, Virginia, outside Washington, D.C. It is dedicated to the memory of George Washington, first president of the United States and charter Master of Alexandria Lodge No. 22 (now Alexandria-Washington Lodge, No. 22). The tower is fashioned after the ancient Lighthouse of Ostia in Ostia Antica (or Rome).^[5][6][7] The 333-foot (101 m)^[8][9] tall memorial sits atop Shooter's Hill^[10][11][12] (also known as Shuter's Hill)^[13] at 101 Callahan Drive. Construction began in 1922,^[1] the building was dedicated in 1932,^[2] and the interior finally completed in 1970.^[14] In July 2015,^[4] it was designated a National Historic Landmark^[15] for its architecture, and as one of the largest-scale private memorials to honor Washington.^[16]

The memorial is served by the King Street–Old Town Metro station on the Blue and Yellow Lines of the Washington Metro.^[10] The station is located about four blocks from the memorial.

The idea to construct a Masonic memorial for George Washington was first proposed in 1852 by the Washington area's "mother lodge," Fredericksburg Lodge No. 4 (located in Fredericksburg, Virginia).^[17] Funds were sought from Grand Lodges (state-level Masonic organizations) throughout the United States to construct a memorial Masonic Temple with a large statue in the vestibule.^[18] Enough funds were raised to commission a life-size bronze statue of Washington in full Masonic regalia from the famous sculptor, Hiram Powers who was living in Rome, Italy.^[19] The statue reached Alexandria in early 1861, just before the outbreak of the American Civil War.^[19] It remained on display in Alexandria until the summer of 1863, when it was moved to Richmond, Virginia.^[19] The statue was destroyed in the fire which occurred as Richmond surrendered to the Army of the Potomac on April 3, 1865.^[19]

Plans for a Masonic memorial moved forward again in 1909 after work on a competing memorial began. The proposed site for the new memorial was Shooter's Hill, which at one time had been seriously considered by James Madison and Thomas Jefferson as the site of the United States Capitol building.^[20][21] On May 8, 1900, citizens of Alexandria formed the "Washington Monument Association of Alexandria" (WMAA), a nonprofit organization whose mission was to build a memorial to George Washington in the city of Alexandria. Little was accomplished in the organization's first few years of life, but in February 1908 the WMAA purchased an option to buy a 50-acre (20 ha) tract of land on and around Shooter's Hill and the nearby Alexandria Golf Course.^[22] Most of the land immediately on either side of King Street was subdivided into housing tracts and sold, with 25 acres (10 ha) on top of Shooter's Hill reserved for a memorial.^[23] The sale of the housing subdivisions paid for the purchase of the entire tract, with enough left over to provide for construction of a memorial.^[23]

Within a month of the purchase of Shooter's Hill, the WMAA decided to build a park rather than a memorial.^[24] About 15 acres (6.1 ha) were set aside for the George Washington Memorial Park, while another 4.5 acres (1.8 ha) were set aside for a small memorial within the park.^[24] The new subdivision, named Fort Ellsworth (after an American Civil War fort which used to occupy Shooter's Hill), was platted in November 1908, and public streets laid out.^[25][26] The park was ready for dedication on April 30, 1909—the 120th anniversary of the inauguration of Washington as president. Alexandria-Washington Lodge No. 22 (George Washington's Masonic lodge, as well as the lodge he led as a Worshipful Master) was asked to preside over its dedication.^[27] President William Howard Taft, Vice President James S. Sherman, Speaker of the House Joseph Gurney Cannon, Virginia Governor Claude A. Swanson, Virginia Lieutenant Governor J. Taylor Ellyson, the Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia, Baltimore Mayor J. Barry Mahool, and numerous other dignitaries attended the dedication ceremony.^[28] (Shooter's Hill was incorporated into the city of Alexandria on April 1, 1914.)^[29]

There were several reasons why Masonic bodies finally began to build a memorial. The construction of George Washington Memorial Park sparked renewed Masonic interest in building their own memorial. But another reason was the safety of items owned or used by George Washington ("Washingtoniana") and which were now owned by the Alexandria-Washington lodge. The lodge had suffered several fires over the previous century, and a number of these historic items were destroyed.^[14][30] Constructing a fire resistive building which would more safely house these important items was a major factor in pushing the Masonic memorial forward.^[14][30][31]

In late 1907 or early 1908, Alexandria Commissioner of Revenue Charles H. Callahan (the deputy master of Alexandria-Washington Lodge No. 22) proposed to his fellow Masons that, at last, a memorial to George Washington should be built.^[2][32][33] Callahan proposed the construction of a $10,000 memorial temple.^[34] In early 1908, the Alexandria-Washington Lodge formed a "local memorial temple committee" to research the costs and obstacles involved in building a memorial temple.^[2] The committee passed a resolution asking Joseph Eggleston, the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Virginia, to approve the creation of a memorial temple and to assist in creating a national memorial association in which all Masons and Masonic organizations could participate.^[2]

On May 7, 1909, the Grand Lodge of Virginia called upon all grand lodges in the United States to meet in Alexandria on February 22, 1910, to discuss plans for organizing a George Washington Masonic National Memorial Association whose purpose would be to construct a memorial temple.^[34][35] President Taft, Representative Champ Clark, Secretary of War Jacob M. Dickinson, and Virginia Governor William Hodges Mann all spoke at the February 22 meeting.^[36] The George Washington Masonic National Memorial Association (GWMNMA) was formed at this meeting, and plans were adopted to raise $500,000 to go toward the cost of construction and another $500,000 for an endowment and maintenance fund.^[37] Thomas J. Shryock, Grand Master of Maryland (and a former treasurer of Maryland and brigadier general in the Maryland National Guard), was elected president of the GWMNMA.^[38]

At this point, the GWMNMA only planned to construct a Masonic temple, not a giant memorial.^[37] One floor was to be set aside for use by Masonic lodges, and one or more fire resistive, secure rooms in the temple were to be used for the display of Washingtoniana and historical documents owned by the Alexandria-Washington Lodge.^[37] By February 1911, the GWMNMA had ruled out all locations except Alexandria as the site for its memorial temple, and fund-raising activities were being planned.^[39] A more formal association structure was also adopted at this time.^[40] But except for fund-raising activities, little was done in the association's first five years of activity.