Masonic Design: The Expression of Masonic Ideals on the Landscape and Architecture of America

Masonic Design:

The Expression of Masonic Ideals on the Landscape and Architecture of America

By Hugo Lemes

ARCH 3819 – History of American Landscape Architecture, Spring 2011

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Prof. Leonard Mirin

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“If it were not for Freemasonry, the world would become a herd of savages; and more, if it had not been for Masonry it never would have been anything else but savages.”

Washington newspaper editor Anne Royall, the widow of a Freemason

“The Freemason sees with special sight, for the uninitiated are in darkness, and are blind.”

“With its commitment to ideals of equality, brotherhood, tolerance, reason, wisdom, benevolence, and a feeling for nature, Freemasonry satisfied a longing in many intellectuals to establish associations of the like-minded, and it sought that chimerical goal - the perfectibility of man.”

Curl and Kennon

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IntroductionSince its independence in 1776, the United States quickly became ubiquitous as a nation that has with it the connotation of freedom, equality, and other ideals set forth by the founding fathers, after a period in which the western world was heavily oppressed by monarchs and popes, from the Dark Ages all the way up to the Renaissance. Freemasonry, during the Enlightenment period, became a fraternity linked with freedom, equality, and brotherhood, and when one starts investigating its origins and intents, it becomes clear that the United States and Freemasonry stand for the same principles and ideals, and that both are, in fact, conceptually one and the same. Historically, as well-put by Jane Conner, Freemasonry has “always held ideals of religious toleration and basic equality of all people, [from] their beginnings [with the] building of King Solomon’s temple in 1030 B.C” (Conner) to the present.

Because the United States government and Freemasonry share many philosophical parallels, one can find not only immediate influences of the organization on early American presidents and politics, but also a direct physical manifestation on monuments, art, and architectonic symbols embedded across the American landscape and cities that reflect these ideals. Many of these artifacts and edifices, often found in public architecture, were dedicated with elaborate masonic ceremonies, and constructed during the early development of the country. Although the masonic dedication of buildings lost such power and significance in the present (Kennon), the artifacts from the past expressed through art and symbolism are everywhere to be seen and understood by those who become aware of their deeper meanings.

It is the goal of this paper to expose some of these artifacts that have been influenced by Freemasonry or that have been directly created to stand for masonic ideals; At the same time it is also the goal of this dissertation to investigate the reasons for the creation of these elements in both American landscape design and architecture, while trying to trace the philosophies of key American figures and international designers to a more ancient past.

Some of the earliest American masonic monuments and buildings can be traced back to Washington D.C., Boston, Philadelphia, and Virginia. However, the most prevalent occurrence of this typology, particularly on the landscape, happens in Washington D.C.

Marker StonesHistorically, the earliest manifestations of masonic ideals on the American landscape begins with to the surveying of Washington D.C. by Ellicott and the capital Commissioners, in 1791. At Jones

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Point, which is now Woodrow Wilson Bridge, the following events happened, according to Jane Hollenbeck Conner in her book Birthstone of the White House and Capitol:

Freemasons, in an elaborate ceremony, placed the first boundary stone on the southernmost corner. Its exact location was calculated by Ellicott’s assistant, Benjamin Banneker, a black astronomer. The Alexandria Gazette noted that during the ceremony, corn, wine, and oil were laid upon the stone to symbolize nourishment, refreshment, and peace. The Rev. James Muir, pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Alexandria, presented a prophetic oration about the infant nation. “From this stone,” he said, “may a superstructure arise, whose glory, whose magnificence, whose stability, unequaled hitherto, shall astonish the world....”

Here we get a sense that Reverend James Muir expressed the importance of impressing the world with a magnificent, colossal structure that would be in par with those found in the ancient democratic societies of Greece and Rome, as well as in the more monolithic and ceremonial temple-like complexes of more ancient civilizations. It is obviously implied that “The new Federal City was going to have its own temple, and that [the later] proposed Capitol was to be the largest and most important symbol of freedom for the nation. (Conner) In fact, Jefferson wrote that this future edifice was “the first temple dedicated to the sovereignty of the people,” which is, needless to say, a very republican, anti-monarchical, anti-church dominance statement that would forever haunt the sleep of future popes and the race of the Bourbons. The place for this temple structure, which was still in imagination, was marked with a ‘marker stone’ (Fig. 1), forty versions of which were also used to set the boundaries for the rest of the District of Columbia. (Fig. 2)

Figure 1. One of the original forty boundary markers (some placed with masonic rituals)

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Figure 2. Location of the forty boundary markers superimposed over Elicott’s map of the district (Conner)

Another fascinating masonic landscape intervention in Washington D.C. is to be found in the 1792 version of the plan of the city, modified by George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, featuring Patée Formée crosses typically associated with the Templars (the Maltese Cross) and with the Freemasons (the successors of the Templars in some theories). (Fig. 3)

Figure 3. White House(left), and the Capitol (right) featuring Maltese/Masonic/Templar Crosses/ Patée Formée as modified by George Washington and Thomas Jefferson

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The White House (President’s House)One of the first architectonic manifestations in Washington D.C. involving masonic ideals happened with the design and building of the White House. Similarly dedicated with Masonic cornerstone ceremonies, it went through a unique unveiling during Truman’s renovation, when numerous stones bearing masonic marks were found. These marks, geometric in design, stood for a mason that had worked on a particular wall or part of the building, as well as signatures of their work. Because of the existence of these marks, scholars have been able to see evidence that some artisans worked both at the White House and the Capitol building, to trace some masons back to Europe (from masonic lodges in Scotland in particular), as well as to have proof that many symbols are directly linked with Freemasonry. (Fig. 4)

Figure 4. Mason marks discovered in the White House during Truman’s White House renovation. More than forty marks were found. (See the Appendix for more information on Symbols and Masonic Marks)

Truman, the president at the time, was astounded by the discovery, and “set some of the stones in the kitchen on the ground floor, today’s curator’s office.” (Conner) The other stones were sent to Masonic Grand Lodges in all forty-eight states along with a letter that had the following message:

“I place in your hands…one of the…stones removed from the walls of the White House during its restoration and rebuilding. …These evidences of the number of members of the Craft who built the President’s official residence so intimately aligns Freemasonry with the formation and the founding of our Government that I believe your Grand Lodge will cherish this link between the Fraternity and the Government of the Nation, of which the White House is a symbol.”

Later a member of the fraternity, Truman recognized the influence of the Craft and was clearly proud of their involvement in the construction of the capital. Conner, in fact, observes that “virtually all building construction in the new Federal City proceeded only after Masonic cornerstone ceremonies were held.” The masonic ceremony for the White House, featuring an oration by the master of the Georgetown lodge, had the cornerstone laid on the southwest corner. A detailed report by a newspaper in Charleston, South Carolina, gives an idea of the procedure:

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Under the stone was laid a plate of polished brass, with the following inscription:

“This first stone of the President’s House was laid the 13th Day of October, 1792, and in the 17th Year of Independence of the United

States of America.

George Washington, President.

Thomas Johnson,

Doctor Stewart,

Daniel Carroll,

Commissioners

James Hoban, Architect.

Collen Williamson, Master-Mason.

Vivat Republica.”

Capitol Building

The Capitol building, the temple of the nation (also referred to as such by John Adams in his Union message), followed with even more elaborate masonic ceremonies. This time, the masonic manifestation happened with the dedication of a cornerstone placed at a southeast corner that had been kept vacant. The event, held on September 18, 1793, required that masons from both sides of the Potomac to be present (Conner). (Fig. 5)

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“Those of the Craft, however dispersed, are requested to join the work. The Solemnity is expected to equal the occasion.” (Published request)

Figure 5. Masonic Procession for the laying of the cornerstone of the Capitol

This cornerstone dedication, although similar to both the ceremonies for the district’s boundary stones and the President’s Mansion, was much more important, and great publicity was made for the occasion in several newspapers at the time. According to James Stevens Curl, this was also a way to promote the district and attract new inhabitants, since it was having trouble with the selling of land parcels. The ceremony started with a procession of Freemasons and a company of volunteer artillery starting at 10 o’clock from the southeastern shores of the Potomac. A very awe-inspiring oration followed, delivered by the Masonic grand master, who emphasized the accomplishments of Freemasonry from the collaboration of two states, adding how much more could be done if all fifteen state united their efforts:

[They would be contributing] “an universality of individuals, like innumerable hives of bees bestowing their industrious labor on this second paradise.”

Instead of the polished brass plate used for the boundary stones and the President’s House, a silver plate inscribed with the Year of Masonry 5793 was used. (Curl and Kennon) President Washington, wearing a ceremonial Masonic apron embroidered by Madame LaFayette, laid the cornerstone, pouring corn, wine, and oil as symbols for “nourishment, refreshment, and peace. (Conner)

The stone [was] laid with a threefold blow of the Mason’s mallet, indicating the union of the stone with the ground, or artifice with nature, and of architecture with the landscape. (Curl and Kennon)

The marble-headed gavel used by Washington is kept at the Potomac Lodge #5 of Georgetown, his silver trowel is on display at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial in Alexandria, and his apron is also property of Freemasons. Conner adds that “U.S. presidents have used them

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in the dedication of public buildings”, as well as in “the reenactment celebrations for the 200 th anniversary of both the White House and the Capitol.” (Fig. 6)

Figure 6. Reenactment for the 200th anniversary of the “Laying of the Cornerstone” on October 23, 1993

In the Capitol’s cornerstone ceremony it is interesting to point out two things: while Freemasonry was symbolically imposing its ideals on the laying of the capital building, it was also promoting the city to attract individuals. Therefore, while it was being metaphysical in its principles, it was also being strategic. In many ways, “it was clear that Freemasons were acting as mediators between the sacred values of republicanism and the profane everyday world.” (Travers, Curl and Kennon) This mediation, as we will see later, happened in other dedications and masonic influenced designs. In fact, the masonic ceremony led to the ‘blessing’ of nearly every public building, monument, bridge, and even church for the next several decades, and even to the publication of a handbook featuring a procedure for “The Ceremony Observed at Laying the Foundation Stone of Public Structures,” and other manuals. (Curl and Kennon)

From 1793 onwards, the construction and design of the capitol was superintended by the Irish Freemason and architect James Hoban. Later on, the masonic link to the structure was strengthened with the involvement of Benjamin Henry Latrobe, who, from 1776 to 1784, experienced the intellectual and aristocratic circles of Baron Karl Adolf Gottlob von Schachmann in Saxony, which at the time had a strong Masonic presence. Such experience clearly had substantial influence on Latrobe who, identified as a Freemason in the laying of the cornerstone of the Virginia State Penitentiary, devoted much of his time to the Craft, and to the creation of monuments for the expression of its ideals. Latrobe’s masonic devotion is exemplified by the fact that he immediately joined a Masonic lodge after his arrival in America, and in his design for the Masonic Hall in Philadelphia in 1803, four years after his appointment as the surveyor of the public buildings of the United States. (Curl and Kennon) His influence on the design of the capitol is tremendous, as he redesigned many of Thornton’s drawings, including the south wing plans. By 1804, he had also redesigned the House of Representatives.

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Capitol: Masonic Elements in DetailAlthough no historical record is available proving the intention of Freemasons to create Masonic programs or designs in the Capitol building, other forms of evidence have come to light in the Masonic affiliations of many of the organizations of the American Revolution, in the Great Seal of the United States, in the Constitution, and particularly in the masonic ceremony to lay its cornerstone. (Curl and Kennon) Also, physical evidence of masonic based geometries and symbols can be found in various places in the capitol building. The first obvious ones are: circles, half-circles, ellipses, rectangles, and squares recurring in various plans, as well as its tripartite form with the domed tomb (for George Washington) in the center, symbolizing the beginning and the end, the alpha and the omega, and the all-seeing eye. According to Curl and Kennon the dome is an emblem of the degree of master mason, for God is all eyes and is represented by T.G.A.O.T.U. (The Great Architect of the Universe).

Another more convincing manifestation is in the presence of the three classical orders (Fig. 7-9) (Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian), and the American orders proposed by Latrobe (Corn, Tobacco, and Cotton). In Freemasonry the three orders stand for various allegorical meanings: Doric for strength, Ionic for wisdom, and Corinthian for beauty. The three orders support the lodge, and in the Capitol this can be seen in the three main chambers: Supreme Court, Senate, and House of Representatives. It is also displayed through the arrangement of three columns on pedestals. (Fig. 10) In government, this ‘trinity’ aspect is expressed in the three branches of government.

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Figure 7. The old Supreme Court in the Senate wing located underneath the Senate Chamber features primitive Paestumesque Doric columns

Figure 8. The crypt under the rotunda (Intended to become Washington’s Tomb), by Latrobe, showing the primitive Paestumesque unfluted Greek Doric columns, based on Santa Constanza’s (Costantine’s daughter) tomb in Rome (also has significant in how it is related

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Figure 9. Latrobe’s House of Representatives with Greek Corinthian capitals based on those of the Choragic monument of Lysicrates in Athens

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Figure 10. Three columns set on a triangular pedestal with spiral garlands – a Masonic device (Curl)

Curl and Kennon also observe that Latrobe’s “choice of a Graeco-Egyptian style for the Library of Congress [is] no accident, no whimsical, arbitrary stylistic choice, but an allusion to the great lost library of the Serapeion at Alexandria and therefore to the lost knowledge that was associated with Egypt, Osiris, Hermes Trismegistus (Fig. 11), and the legendary beginnings of Freemasonry.” Curl and Kennon further extend on the importance of ancient geometric influences and Hermeticism and the ‘spiritual’ journey through the Capitol building one takes:

In this respect it is important to remember that Hermes was identified with the messenger, Thoth, and Saint John (with whom Freemasonry is closely connected), and also by Diodorus Siculus as the secretary of Osiris. The second Hermes was Hermes Trismegistus, the thrice great, thrice wise, who invented hieroglyphics and was identified with Euclid (and hence with Pythagoras), and therefore with geometry, architecture, Imhotep/Ptah, and, ultimately, with God, as the great geometer, architect of the universe. Hermeticism was partly concerned with a spiritual journey, and real routes or journeys through the Capitol (with winding stairs, circle, corn, allusions to degrees, and so on) would stimulate memory and reinforce Masonic values.

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Figure 11. Hermes Trismegistus/Thoth/Egyptian God or demigod of Medicine and Writing/First Alchemist

By featuring such mnemonic devices, the Capitol is then a temple not only to the sovereignty of the people, but also to the ‘initiation’ of the same into deeper mysteries.

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The Washington Monument

Figure 12. Washington Monument, D.C.

Perhaps the most evocatively Masonic and Egyptian landscape symbols in Washington D.C. is the Washington Monument. (Fig. 12) Its 12-ton block white Maryland marble cornerstone, donated by Thomas Syrmington, was dedicated with a ceremony on Sunday, July 4, 1848. President James K Polk and members of Congress and assorted artillery, cavalry, infantrymen, the Marine Band, and volunteer companies paraded under the watch of a crowd of fifteen thousand to twenty thousand people. (Langmead)

As with other cornerstone ceremonies, an oration or speech was followed by the House Speaker Robert C. Winthrop. After his two hour, Grand Master Benjamin B. French of the Grand Lodge of Masons of the District of Columbia , wearing George Washington’s masonic apron and sash, and using the same trowel used by the first president in the Capitol ceremony, formally set the cornerstone according to Freemasonic ritual. (Langmead)

Unlike the previous constructions, however, the ‘Society’ in charge of the monument faced several challenges in the fundraising for its construction. Although it solicited crash contributions from all Freemasons in America, the contributions were never enough, even after 1853, when other brotherhoods were also included in the effort to acquire stones: including the Oddfellows, and the Sons of Temperance. According to Langmead, an alternative to cash was the so called decorative stone initiative started by the State of Alabama, which led the Society to invite other states, and even other territories, to donate an inscribed “block of marble or other durable stone, a product of its soil.” (Fig. 13) However, this was not so successful, and was discontinued after March 6, 1854, when a block of marble from the ancient Temple of Concord in Rome, donated by Pope Pius IX, disappeared from the site, allegedly stolen by masked thieves. Although the American Party faction or the Know Nothings was/were blamed for this (because of their anti-catholic agenda), it would not be surprising if this was the work of Freemasons themselves, considering that some of the rituals and purposes of the brotherhood are anti-Catholic, and that the Catholic Church itself for ages has kept ‘bulls’, or official statements, against Freemasonry

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for its secretiveness and its anti-church conspiracies: The persecution and death of the French court-infiltrator and Freemason Count Alessandro di Cagliostro/Giuseppe Balsamo, a messenger of one of four* early masonic chapters in Europe, being perhaps one of the most notorious actions directly done against a Freemason by the Catholic Church, after the disbandment of the Knights Templar in 1314 (again, the predecessors of Freemasonry).

* James Molai, grand master of the order (Knights Templar), was thrown into the Bastille, and from the depth of his prison he created four mother lodges, viz. for the East at Naples, for the West at Edinburgh, for the North at Stockholm, and for the South at Paris. (Cadet de Gassicourt)

In 1874, another attempt at fundraising from Society Secretary John Carrol Brent was done, this time with more success. Masonic groups, other fraternities, and Congress then explored the idea of having it completed by July 4, 1876, at the Centennial celebration.

Figure 13. One of the 193 Commemorative Stones located in the interior of the Washington Monument: this one from the Freemasons of the State of New York

The Bunker Hill Monument to Joseph Warren

A procession was formed at the State House in Boston at an early hour, agreeably to a Programme, published in the newspapers, and marched to the summit of Bunker Hill in Charlestown. The van, composed of a large military escort in brilliant array, two hundred veterans of the Revolution in barouches, some wearing the equipments of their ancient and honorable service, a large body of the Masonic Fraternity in splendid regalia, and extended line of different societies with their badges and banners, and conspicuous among all, the honored guest of the Nation, General Lafayette, the streets thronged even to the house tops with a joyous multitude, all together presented a spectacle never before witnessed on this Continent. With appropriate solemnities the stone was laid in presence of the vast concourse by the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, assisted by Hon. D. Webster, President of the Monument Association, and General Lafayette. (History of the Bunker Hill Monument by…) (Packard)

Clearly, the Bunker Hill Monument has a Masonic significance from the passage above, which seems to predate the laying of any of the cornerstones in Washington D.C. But why exactly is it so important? The reason, mainly, is because of Joseph Warren, one of the most important and

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least known heroes of the American Revolution. The following 1994 account by Virginian Freemason George Pushee III describes how Joseph Warren became a Freemason and gives a hint as to his role in the war that liberated America:

On a quiet summer afternoon about 230 years ago, some Harvard college students shut themselves in an upper dormitory room to arrange some affairs pertaining to their class. Another class member desired to be with them knowing they intended to thwart some fondly cherished purpose of his own. They refused to admit him; the door was closed, and he could not gain admittance without violence, which he chose to avoid.

Reconnoitering the premises he discovered that one of the windows in the room was open and he noticed a nearby waterspout that extended from the roof to the ground. He climbed to the top of the house and slid down the eaves, then laid hold of the spout and descended until he was opposite the open window. With a prodigious physical effort he thrust himself through the window and landed in the room! Simultaneously, the waterspout crashed to the ground; had it fallen a moment sooner the boy would have been thrown to the pavement below and, undoubtedly, seriously injured. He coolly remarked to himself. "It served its purpose!"

That Harvard boy was Joseph Warren, later to be known as Doctor and General Warren, the martyr of Bunker Hill and the Grand Master of Masons, Massachusetts Provincial Grand Lodge, in North America. The boy had already given promise of the man in whatever he undertook. The fearless act of getting into that room was the swelling bud which opened and blossomed and bore fruit in his adult life.

Playing a significant role in the Battle of Bunker Hill, Joseph Warren perished in the conflict, but left a legacy of an unwavering hero, leading to the proposal for a memorial in his honor: the Bunker Hill Memorial. Even though it is obelisk shaped like the George Washington Monument, the memorial was initially designed as a Tuscan column by Somerville’s King Solomon’s Lodge (Pushee III). A model of the first monument is displayed inside the present obelisk, and a plate featuring a list of figures involved in the inauguration of the structure is to be found at the base. (Fig. 14) Also, an urn featuring the masonic emblem is located on the top of the column. (Fig. 15)

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Figure 14. Base of the Tuscan column housed inside the Bunker Hill Monument featuring a dedicated base by King Solomon’s Masonic Lodge

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Figure 15. Top of the Tuscan Column inside the Bunker Hill Monument (Notice the Masonic symbol carved on the urn)

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The Statue of Liberty

Figure 16.Edward Moran’s Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World

The Statue of Liberty (Fig. 16), designed by Bartholdi, is certainly a very explicit Masonic symbol on the American landscape, standing for one of its most cherished ideals: freedom. Langmead reveals that several Freemasons influenced the creation of “La liberté éclairant le monde”: Edmond and Oscar de Lafayette (grandsons of Washington’s comrade-in-arms), the Marquis de Noailles, the Marquis de Rochambeau, historian Henri Martin, and others. Laboyale is known to have sought Bartholdi to create what they “believed would be a powerful political machine for shaping French government and society”. (Langmead) In addition, Bartholdi himself supported republican ideals held by the early French and American governments.

The design of the Statues of Liberty itself, even though based on Bartholdi’s mother, is very allegorical of Isis or Athena, depending on the context in which one might interpret the symbol. The Lady of liberty enlightens the word with light from her torch, which can allude to the Masonic initiation that leads one from darkness into the light, or from ignorance to knowledge, which are

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Enlightenment ideals. As the Capitol is a temple of initiation for the American people, the statue of liberty is a monument that initiates the oblivious and confused masses coming into America seeking to embrace its ideals.

Such allegorical play with words and imagery was very much reflected in the statue’s acceptance oration delivered by President Cleveland:

“We will not forget that Liberty has here made her home, nor shall her chosen altar be neglected. Willing votaries will constantly keep alive its fires and these shall gleam upon the shores of our sister Republic thence, and joined with answering rays a stream of light shall pierce the darkness of ignorance and man’s oppression, until Liberty enlightens the world.”

Freemasons Chauncey Mitchell Depew (known as the orator of silver words), and the Assistant Episcopalian Bishop Henry C. Potter (also a Freemason) delivered stirring closing addresses. A physical proof of Freemasonry’s involvement with the monument can be found in the following plaque, located at the base of the status, recording the moment and the people present during its centennial celebration in August 5, 1984. (Fig. 17)

Figure 17. 1984 Centennial Masonic plaque located on the base of the Statue of Liberty. (Note the Masonic emblems)

The Statue of Liberty’s idealistic tone is known to have influenced many other sculptures and buildings in New York. Examples include the 1892 Saint-Gaudens’ equestrian statue of general William Tecumseh Sherman led by a winged Nike, goddess of peace, Daniel Chester French’s carved allegorical images of Justice, Power, and Study on the Appellate Courthouse, The Four Continents for the U.S. Customs House, the Hall of Records, the Public Library, and the Brooklyn Institute. “Hardly a park or plaza was not slated for some sort of memorial” (Taliaferro) after the creation of Lady Liberty.

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Mount Rushmore

Figure 18. Mout Rushmore and a promenade of state flags

Similar to the Statue of Liberty, Mount Rushmore (Fig. 18) was also designed by a Freemason: Borglum. And in the same way that Lady liberty stood as the ‘white elephant’ during World War I, Mount Rushmore symbolized strength during World War II. However, its colossal nature

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embodies different Masonic ideals than those expressed through Bartholdi’s work. It does not only celebrate the founding fathers and what they represented, but it also says that, carved from the earth, a mountain can also be a monument, making “a strong impression on a nation whose self-image was so closely tied to its spectacular landscape.” (Taliaferro) Borglum is known to have stated that colossalism was the appropriate scale for American public art, and the proper-sized organ for the American Tabernacle. During the Depression, he emphasized the ideals that the founding fathers stood for over their cult of personality, paralleling them with European conquerors like Christopher Columbus, and dictating that “Man has a right to be free and to be happy,” and that “[The American people was] not creating a monument to Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Roosevelt, but to the meaning of these eleven words.”

In its entablature or ‘cornerstone’, are engraved part of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of rights, although initially Borglum wanted to emphasize territorial expansion (i.e. The Louisiana Purchase). The shape of the entablature, however, is based on the Louisiana Territory as it was originally purchased.

Figure 19. Masonic-like National Memorial Symbol found in Mount Rushmore

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Other Masonic Monuments/Buildings/Art and Landscape/Architectural Elements

1. Virginia’s State Capitol, 1785, designed by Thomas Jefferson. Cornerstone laid by Richmond’s Lodge No. 4.

2. Massachusetts State Capitol, 1795, headed by Paul Revere.3. University at Chapel Hill cornerstone dedication, one month after the Washington

ceremonies for the Capitol building. 4. The Masonic Country Club, Bear Run, created by Pittsburgh Freemasons in 1890 and later

bought by another group of Pittsburgh Freemasons (Syria Improvement Association) featuring a large clubhouse, a dance pavilion, six cottages, and assorted buildings. This property was later bought by Kauffman, who heard of the place through Charles Filson, a Freemason, and later commissioned Falling Water by Frank Lloyd Wright. (Langmead)

5. The Pentagon, Bergstrom, having 5 sides (5 being a very sacred masonic number – the summation of 2 (standing for women), and 3 (for men)), although Langmead opposes this connection, and says that the construction of the building was too rushed to have featured such metaphysical ideas.

6. The University of Virginia7. The University of North Carolina8. Many Erie Canal Locks9. Concord Minuteman Monument10.The George Washington Masonic Memorial (Fig. 20)11.Thousands of masonic temples/lodges spread throughout the nation with their plaque

signs posted in the entrance to nearly every city.12.Independence Hall of Philadelphia13.Paul Revere’s celebration of the Stamp Act repeal (a print and a structure located near the

Liberty Tree), featuring portraits of about sixteen British politicians identified by their initials: a complex allegory that is explained in the obelisks themselves (Fig. 21).

14.Obelisks and lectern-shaped sundials: Freemasonry sought links with antiquity, and strove for enlightenment and the spiritual rebirth of mankind; it saw itself as the preserver of knowledge, wisdom, and ethics, expressed in the beauty of geometry. How else does one explain the prevalence in Scotland (a land not noted for its sunshine) of incredibly complex obelisks – and lanctern-sundials, other than as visible expressions of a knowledge of science, astronomy, geometry, measurement, skills in working stone, and other aspects of higher knowledge. (Curl and Kennon)

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Figure 20. George Washington Masonic Memorial in Washington D.C.

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Figure 21. Paul Revere’s celebration of the Stamp Act repeal (Print) featuring British Figures and allegories (Note the obelisk shape)

Figure 22. Lectern-shaped sundials

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Conclusion

It is without a doubt that Freemasonry has had a tremendous influence in the design and dedication of public buildings and monuments not only in the early republic, but also during later periods, as we have evidence through the Statue of Liberty during World War I, Mount Rushmore during World War II, and other examples. These monuments and architecture in the American landscape share very similar ideals held by the founding fathers and the ancient brotherhood that include freedom, democracy, equality, and other Enlightenment principles that had been so loudly voiced by the likes of Voltaire (also a Freemason). Even though there is not much historical evidence for Freemasonry’s intent for using its symbolism and iconography in design, according to Bullock and Kennon:

Fraternal symbols were everywhere in the new republic: from a South Carolina backcountry town too small to support a newspaper, to the northwestern frontier where a visiting German minister attended a 1792 Masonic dinner around an emblematic candlestick, to the city of Philadelphia where the architect William Strickland designed a Masonic hall in the 1810s that included emblematic figures by William Rush, the first American sculptor to gain national renown. Just as important, Masonry’s symbols extended beyond the life of the fraternity itself. Squares and compasses, pillars, and the all-seeing eye adorned every sort of object, from quilts and embroidered pictures to gravestones and tavern signs – as well as the Great Seal of the United States.

Although its direct influence in American Society decreased with the anti-masonic party springing later on with the mysterious Masonic-related disappearance/assassination of William Morgan, in the early republic, it was believed that Masonry would help determine the character of the new nation, shaping social and national identity that followed the Revolutionary expectations:

They offered an education that conformed to Enlightenment theory. And they provided a visual language of morality that was both elevated and universal. Just as brothers laid the Capitol’s physical cornerstone, Masons argued, they formed the virtuous citizenry that provided its metaphorical foundations. (Bullock and Kennon)

The peculiar and yet spectacular Masonic cornerstone ceremonies are the most explicit visual proof that indeed there was something deeper happening, and that nothing really was ever random. Bullock explains that Cornerstone ceremonies “reinforced this growing identification between Masonry and the republic,” and that, although the practice of laying cornerstones originated in England, it took a special significance in the new nation trying to redefine an entirely new way of living and of governing. While civic ritual centered around the monarchy and the church during the colonial period, the Revolution basically left a void that was occupied, in many ways, by Freemasonry.

If, as Thomas Jefferson suggested, the United States Capitol was “the first temple dedicated to the sovereignty of the people,” then Freemasons in their cornerstone ceremony officiated as its first high priests. (Bullock and Kennon)

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Appendix: Masonic MarksMasonic marks can be traced all the way back to Europe, being found in famous structures such as the London Bridge, as Donatella Calati and Claudia Conforti note in book I Ponti Delle Capitali D’Europa (as recorded in 1758). One symbol, 10 inches high (Fig. 23-24), is described as being an old mark for Southwark. However, this symbol, having been studied by scholars like Albert Churchward, appears to be more than a reference to a place. It appears to be, rather, a very ancient symbol, according to the following passage:

Figure 23. Symbol found on the Old London Bridge

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Figure 24. Mason Sign on the Old London Bridge

Figure. 25 Figure. 26 Figure. 27

They [Nilotic people] converted (Fig. 25) into a double cross, (Fig. 26), by placing the two sticks in a different way, and it is used amongst these people as one of their most sacred signs in their Totemic Ceremonies, and has been adopted by those who followed down to our present Christian and other Cults as one of their sacred

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signs, and is used by Brothers [Freemasons] of the higher degrees. The symbolism and meaning are identical all through. Amongst the Stellar Mythos people (those who first reckoned time and kept their record by observation of the precession of the seven Pole Stars) it was used in the primary form, and is an Egyptian ideograph for Amsu – i.e. it is the first name given to the risen Horus, or, as Christians would say, the risen Christ. In a later phase, in the form of a double-headed Hammer or Axe, it was the symbol of the Great One, the Great Prince (Fig. 27).

[Derivations of this symbol] are found in the old Temples of Egypt, in the Ritual of Ancient Egypt, in Central and South America, Asia, and, as Evans found, at Knossos….

Churchward also observes that variations of this symbol exist in Wales, Devon, and Cornwall, as well as in other countries (Fig. 28).

Figure. 28

He further explains that the symbol below (Fig. 29) is commonly depicted on many “stone walls of many old churches in the West of England, and the interpretation [in this case] is that it represents Christ in his spiritual form in the Christian Cult:”

Figure. 29

An ancient Babylonian scene (Fig. 45) interestingly displays a variation of this symbol:

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Figure. 30

Its modern version is used in the Catholic Church to symbolize Christ: (The Chi Rho) (Fig. 46)

Figure. 31

It is very striking the similarity between these ancient symbols and one of the marks found on the white house stones (Fig. 32). However, although these symbols seem to imply a link with Christianity, it is important to clarify that the Catholic symbol itself (Fig. 31) is not originally Christian and shares the same origins as the masonic marks that we have seen.

OR

Figure 32. Masonic marks found in White House stones during Truman’s renovation

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Citations

Calabi, Donatella, and Claudia Conforti. I Ponti Delle Capitali D'Europa. Elemond spa, Milano: Electa,

2002. 106-196. Print.

Churchward, Albert. The Arcana of Freemasonry. San Francisco, CA: Weiser Books, 2005. 191-96. Print.

Conner, Jane. Birthstone of the White House and Capitol. 1st. Virginia Beach, VA: The Donning Company Publishers,

2005. 18-140. Print.

de Gassicourt, Cadet. The Tomb of James Molai: or, the Secret of the Conspirators. 2nd. Boston, MA: Benjamin Edes, Kilby

Street, 1797. 6-7. eBook.

Donald Kennon, Steven Bullock, and James Curl. A Republic for the Ages: The United States Capitol and the Political

Culture of the Early Republic. 1st. Charlottesville, VA: The University Press of Virginia, 1999. 165-265. Print.

Hazelton, George. The National Capitol: Its Architecture Art and History. 3rd. New York, NY: J.F. Taylor & Company, 1914. 24. Print.

Packard, Alpheus. History of the Bunker Hill Monument. 1st. Portland, ME: B. Thurston, 1853. 14-32. eBook.

Pushee III, George. "Joseph Warren: Martyr of Bunker Hill." Freemasonry. C.B. Vance Council #85, Allied Masonic

Degrees, Chesapeake, VA. 07 Apr 1994. Lecture.

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Image Citations

1. Illus.in Jane Conner, Birthstone of the White House and Capitol 20.


3. Illus.in Donald Kennon, A Republic for the Ages: The United States Capitol and the Political Culture of the Early Republic 225.


5. Illus.in George Hazelton, The National Capitol: It’s Architecture, Art and History 24.






11. < h t t p : / / u p l o a d . w i k i m e d i a . o r g / w i k i p e d i a / c o m m o n s / 9 / 9 8 / H e r m e s T r i s m e g i s t u s C a u c . j p g >

12. < h t t p : / / w w w . v a c a t i o n l o v e r s . n e t / w a s h i n g t o n _ d c /w a s h i n g t o n _ d c _ 0 4 6 _ w a s h i n g t o n _ m o n u m e n t _ s u n s e t _ b i g . j p g >

13. < h t t p : / / s i r i s m m . s i . e d u / s a a m / s c a n 1 / S 7 8 2 3 0 0 5 3 _ b . j p g >

14. < h t t p : / / u p l o a d . w i k i m e d i a . o r g / w i k i p e d i a / e n / d / d 3 / B u n k e r _ H i l l _ M a s o n s . j p g >

15. < h t t p : / / f a r m 1 . s t a t i c . f l i c k r . c o m / 4 3 / 1 0 1 3 4 1 8 7 8 _ 6 1 8 6 7 8 6 8 5 4 . j p g >

16. < h t t p : / / w w w . w a l l p a p e r s - f r e e . c o . u k / b a c k g r o u n d s / b u i l d i n g s _ a n d _ l a n d m a r k s / l a n d m a r k s / J L M - 1 8 8 6 -E d w a r d - M o r a n - S t a t u e - o f - L i b e r t y - E n l i g h t e n i n g - t h e - W o r l d . j p g >

17. < h t t p : / / w w w . f r e e m a s o n r y w a t c h . o r g / p i c s / l i b e r t y - p l a q u e . j p g >

18. < h t t p : / / w w w . b u r b a n k m a s o n . o r g / M t _ R u s h m o r e . j p g >

19. < h t t p : / / 2 . b p . b l o g s p o t . c o m / _ p 6 P l l j m C c n Q / T E E f Y Y f G Q x I / A A A A A A A A A k E / G Q 9 Y l X c K 6 j M / s 1 6 0 0 /I M G _ 0 0 5 1 . J P G >

20. < h t t p : / / w w w . v a t i c a n a s s a s s i n s . o r g / w p - c o n t e n t / u p l o a d s / 2 0 0 9 / 1 1 / W a s h i n g t o n - M a s o n i c - M o n u m e n t -V A 3 . b m p >


22. Illus.in Donald Kennon, A Republic for the Ages: The United States Capitol and the Political Culture of the Early Republic 217.2 3 . Illus.in Donatela Calabi and Claudia Conforti, I Ponti Delle Capitali D’Europa 191.2 4 . Illus.in Donatela Calabi and Claudia Conforti, I Ponti Delle Capitali D’Europa 191.2 5 . Illus.in Albert Churchward, The Arcana of Freemasonry 137.2 6 . Illus.in Albert Churchward, The Arcana of Freemasonry 137.

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2 7 . Illus.in Albert Churchward, The Arcana of Freemasonry 137.2 8 . Illus.in Albert Churchward, The Arcana of Freemasonry 191.2 9 . Illus.in Albert Churchward, The Arcana of Freemasonry 196.

30. Illus.in Albert Churchward, The Arcana of Freemasonry 193.3 1 . < h t t p : / / w w w . a b h u s . c o m / a d m i n / i m a g e s / c h i _ r h o . J P G >3 2 . Illus.in Jane Conner, Birthstone of the White House and Capitol 140.

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Documents

Masonic Design: The Expression of Masonic Ideals on the Landscape and Architecture of America