HJ651: Commending the George Washington Masonic National Memorial.
WHEREAS, for 100 years, the George Washington Masonic National Memorial has honored the legacy of George Washington while serving as a research library, a cultural space, a community and performing arts center, and an important regional landmark, as well as an active Masonic temple; and
WHEREAS, George Washington was a native son of Virginia and resident of Alexandria who changed the world as a military leader during the American Revolution and the first president of the new United States; and
WHEREAS, as one of the most prominent founding fathers of the nation, George Washington has been revered by generations of Americans for both his actions on the battlefield and his visionary public service, which left a powerful legacy of expanding civil liberties that has reverberated across the world; and
WHEREAS, George Washington was an active member of the Freemasons and established Masonic lodge Alexandria-Washington Lodge No. 22 in the late 1780s as its charter master; he is regarded by the organization as one of its foremost members; and
WHEREAS, in 1910, Masonic leaders formed the George Washington Masonic National Memorial Association to plan the construction of a memorial temple in his honor; and
WHEREAS, the cornerstone of the George Washington Masonic National Memorial was laid on November 1, 1923, and was accompanied by a formal ceremony attended by civic leaders, Masonic officials, thousands of Masons, and other visitors; and
WHEREAS, constructed from granite and designed in a Greek and Romanesque Revival style with a striking, terraced tower that evokes the Lighthouse of Alexandria in Egypt, the George Washington Masonic National Memorial was dedicated in 1932; and
WHEREAS, the George Washington Masonic National Memorial is one of the most impressive public monuments erected by the Freemasons and represents the high esteem in which George Washington is held both by members of the order and people throughout the Commonwealth, the nation, and the world; and
WHEREAS, in 2015, the George Washington Masonic National Memorial was added to the National Register of Historic Places and designated as a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. National Park Service; and
WHEREAS, the George Washington Masonic National Memorial will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the laying of the memorial’s cornerstone with a rededication ceremony on February 20, 2023; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the George Washington Masonic National Memorial on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the laying of the memorial’s cornerstone; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the George Washington Masonic National Memorial Association as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for the George Washington Masonic National Memorial’s contributions to the study and preservation of the achievements of George Washington.
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 651
WHEREAS, for 100 years, the George Washington Masonic National Memorial has honored the legacy of George Washington while serving as a research library, a cultural space, a community and performing arts center, and an important regional landmark, as well as an active Masonic temple; and
WHEREAS, George Washington was a native son of Virginia and resident of Alexandria who changed the world as a military leader during the American Revolution and the first president of the new United States; and
WHEREAS, as one of the most prominent founding fathers of the nation, George Washington has been revered by generations of Americans for both his actions on the battlefield and his visionary public service, which left a powerful legacy of expanding civil liberties that has reverberated across the world; and
WHEREAS, George Washington was an active member of the Freemasons and established Masonic lodge Alexandria-Washington Lodge No. 22 in the late 1780s as its charter master; he is regarded by the organization of one of its foremost members, and
WHEREAS, in 1910, Masonic leaders formed the George Washington Masonic National Memorial Association to plan the construction of a memorial temple in his honor; and
the cornerstone of the George Washington Masonic National Memorial was laid on November 1, 1923, and was accompanied by a formal ceremony attended by civic leaders, Masonic officials, thousands of Masons, and other visitors; and
WHEREAS, constructed from granite and designed in a Greek and Romanesque Revival style with a striking, terraced tower that evokes the Lighthouse of Alexandria in Egypt, the George Washington Masonic National Memorial was dedicated in 1932; and
WHEREAS, the George Washington Masonic National Memorial is one of the most impressive public monuments erected by the Freemasons and represents the high esteem in which George Washington is held both by members of the order and people throughout the Commonwealth, the nation, and the world; and
WHEREAS, in 2015, the George Washington Masonic National Memorial was added to the National Register of Historic Places and designated as a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. National Park Service; and
WHEREAS, the George Washington Masonic National Memorial will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the laying of the memorial’s cornerstone with a rededication ceremony on February 20, 2023; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the George Washington Masonic National Memorial on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the laying of the memorial’s cornerstone; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the George Washington Masonic National Memorial Association as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for the George Washington Masonic National Memorial’s contributions to the study and preservation of the achievements of George Washington.