Former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore addresses the crowd as the keynote speaker at the 100th anniversary of the laying of the cornerstone at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial Feb. 20.
Former Governor Jim Gilmore was the featured speaker at the rededication, which was attended by dignitaries, politicians and local Masons.
“It was a great day for the city and a great day for America,” said Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Virginia Grand Historian McArthur Myers. “Masons from everywhere gathered together representing all of humanity.”
The Memorial is a National Historic Landmark representing Freemasonry’s tribute to George Washington.
George Seghers, left, Executive Director of the George Washington Masonic National Memorial, and Edgar Peppler, past president of the George Washington Masonic National Memorial Association, stand next to the 100th anniversary cornerstone prior to the start of the Feb. 20 ceremony.
The original celebration of the cornerstone was a national Masonic event. Over 10,000 Freemasons attended the Memorial’s cornerstone laying in 1923. In 2023, Masons gathered to witness the rededication of the cornerstone following participation in the city’s George Washington Birthday Parade, the oldest and largest in the nation.
The rededication ceremony was sponsored by the Grand Lodge, A.F. & A.M., of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Conference of Grand Masters of North America, and the George Washington National Masonic Memorial.
“I am privileged and honored to have been able to be a part of this ceremony,” said Myers, a lifelong resident of Alexandria who led the Pledge of Allegiance at the rededication. “It is inspiring to witness Masons coming together in tribute to George Washington, our nation’s foremost Freemason.”
www.gwmemorial.org