The cornerstone of the Washington Monument consisted of a block of Maryland marble weighing "twenty-four thousand five hundred pounds" and was presented to the Washington National Monument Society in 1848 by Thomas Symington from his quarry about eleven miles from Baltimore. The stone was shipped to Washington from Baltimore on the B&O railroad. Upon its arrival into the city of Washington, the stone was drawn to the site of the Monument by a large body of workmen from the Washington Navy Yard, assisted by other citizens.

On the 4th of July, 1848, under a clear sky in the presence of the President of the United States and virtually every notable of the government including former first lady Dolley Madison, the cornerstone was set with masonic ceremonies by the Grand Lodge of Masons of the District of Columbia. One of the principle addresses of the occasion was given by Benjamin B. French, Grand Master, who wore the masonic apron that Washington wore at the laying of the cornerstone of the U.S. Capitol. In his address French referred to the masonic master's chair used by Washington as Worshipful Master of Washington-Alexandria Lodge, and the gavel used by the first President to set the cornerstone of the Capitol, in the custody of Potomac Lodge #5 of Georgetown, D.C. Both of these were on display for the occasion along with other Washington masonic relics.

The Washington National Monument Society, in charge of fund raising of the Monument, sensed the importance of Washington's masonic membership and the great pride that masons felt across the country for their brother, Washington, the father of our country. The Society in 1851 and 1853 solicited members of the Masonic Order nationally through the Grand Lodges, to make contributions to the construction of the monument.

The Society in an effort to publicize the monument fund raising campaign solicited each state and territory to present a carved memorial stone to be placed in the interior of the monument walls. Stones began arriving from across the country in marble, granite and sandstone. Although the Society specified that the memorial stones be four feet long, 2 feet high, and 12 to 18 inches thick, the began arriving in all sizes, and all were placed within the Monument. By 1855 the Society had installed 92 carved commemorative stones within the walls of the Monument.

The Society solicited the Masons, the Odd Fellows, the Sons of Temperance and other fraternal orders as well. This action resulted in the contributions 22 masonic memorial stones, contributed by 14 Grand Lodges and 8 individual lodges.*

The first Masonic stone ascending the Monument is that of the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia at the 50 foot landing. This earliest Masonic contribution was no doubt tied into the cornerstone laying ceremony where the Grand Lodge of D.C. presided. Next to it is the stone of Naval Lodge #4 of the District of Columbia. Founded among workers at the Washington Navy Yard, Naval Lodge members doubtless participated in dragging the cornerstone to the Monument site and in the cornerstone ceremony. Both stones are marble.

By 1854, the Washington National Monument Society had exhausted its funds and all work stopped at the 150 foot level. Turmoil within the Society, bad economic times, and the fury of the coming Civil War and its aftermath would halt monument construction for 22 years. There is still a discernible line between courses of differing stonework indicating the resumption of Monument construction funded now by Congress on August 2, 1876, and spurred on by the centennial celebration of the Declaration of Independence. The Army Corps of Engineers carried on construction of the monument until its completion in 1885.

Whether or not Society Secretary John Carrol Brent was moved by the letter from the Lodge in Roxbury, Massachusetts, he began to again send another solicitations to Masonic bodies and other fraternal orders. Between July and September 1874 over two hundred pledges were received by the Society from every part of the country, chiefly from the Masons, Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, Red Men, and other fraternal bodies. On April 15, 1875, 211 Masonic lodges across the country responded to Brent's call including four grand Lodges of Florida, Illinois, Ohio, and Massachusetts, the last three named Grand Lodges giving $1000 each. The average lodge gave 10,20 to 50 dollars. Mithras Lodges of Perfection, A.A.S.R, Washington D.C. made a contribution as did 24 Royal Arch Chapters and 5 commandaries. The Odd Fellows had a equal number of participating lodges, and gave many Odd Fellow memorial stones.

The aluminum metal apex, representing a small pyramid, 5.6 inches on each base side and 8.9 inches high was set December 6, 1884 on top of the 3300 pound capstone. The apex was engraved with the names of the engineers and notables who completed the monument and on one side contained the words: LAUS DEO.

The dedication was held in cold winter on February 21, 1885. Again the Grand Lodge of Masons of the District of Columbia participated using an adaptation of the cornerstone ceremony they had used in 1848. Grand Master Myron M. Parker gave an oration, and again the Washington masonic relics were displayed and Washington's Masonic career was discussed. Naval Lodge #4, my own lodge was present, as it had been at the laying of the cornerstone thirty seven years before.

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* These stones today may be seen by the visitor who takes scheduled tours walking down the interior staircase of the Monument. The walk down is a bit long and tedious and suitable for the athletically inclined. Monument visitors may inquire about these walking tours by calling the Washington Monument Ranger Station at 202-426-6841. The National Park Service hopes to install a glass window elevator so that all visitors may view all 192 memorial stones as they make the five minute elevator ascension to the top of the Monument.

Harvey, Frederick L., History of the Washington National Monument and Washington National Monument Society, Washington, Government Printing Office, 1903.

Scott, Pamela and Lee Antoinette J., Buildings of the District of Columbia, New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993.

The Washington Monument, Washington, D.C.: The Society of American Military Engineers, 1929.

Torres, Louis, "To the Immortal name and memory of George Washington," The Unites States Army Corps of Engineers and the Construction of the Washington Monument, Historical Division, Office of Administrative Services, Office of the Chief of Engineers, Washington, D.C.: US Government Printing Office, 1985.

Wilcox, R.W., "Facsimiles and Descriptions of the Blocks Contributed to the Washington National Monument," unpublished manuscript, National Capital Area, National Park Service, n.d.

Gary Thomas Scott, 32o KCCH
1996 W. Master, Naval Lodge #4
Grand Lodge of D.C.
Chief Historian
National Capital Area
National Park Service