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| An Obelisk Rises | Not what President Thomas Jefferson had in mind. |
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By design the marble Washington Monument is a classical Egyptian obelisk and the tallest structure in Washington, D.C. at 555' 5 1/8." It is also the tallest freestanding stone structure in the world. According to Masonic theology, "the obelisk, resembling the shape of a flame, caused these monuments to be consecrated to the Sun and to Fire...the obelisks were erected in honor of the Sun."1 This most certainly was NOT what President Thomas Jefferson had in mind when he marked the site for a proposed "equestrian statue" to honor George Washington directly south of the White House and west of the U.S. Capitol in 1804.2 Officially, Jefferson said his marker was intended to serve as the National Mall’s official point of demarcation with respect to longitude East and West. But it was really his attempt to thwart any chance that the Washington Monument would complete the second leg of L'Enfant's plan by aligning with the middle star of Orion's Belt, Alnilam. Today, however, a towering, 555-foot-tall obelisk casts its shadow over the National Mall, much like L'Enfant's grand plan for America's capital city. How did this happen? The Washington National Monument Society On September 26, 1833, almost 30 years after Jefferson had marked the site for Washington's memorial, a private group of citizens arose to form "the Washington National Monument Society." Many of them were Freemasons, and some of them were the most influential Americans of their day. The Society's first president was Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall, 78, a friend of Washington's. When Marshall died two years later, former President James Madison was named the new president. With that precedent set, the Society changed their constitution to include the President of the United States as their honorary president, a tradition that continues to this day. It was the Society that selected (and actually scaled down) architect Robert Mills' award-winning design for an Egyptian obelisk. And on July 4, 1848, "under a clear sky in the presence of the President of the United States and virtually every notable of the government...the cornerstone was set with masonic ceremonies by the Grand Lodge of Masons of the District of Columbia."3 In fact, almost 20,000 people gathered around the designated mound for the laying of the cornerstone. Among those attending were President James K. Polk, George Washington Parke Custis (Martha Washington's grandson), Dolly Madison, and Mrs. Alexander Hamilton. Also present were James Buchanan, AndrewJohnson and a little-known congressman named Abraham Lincoln. One of the principal addresses of the occasion was given by Benjamin B. French, Grand Master, "who wore the same 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, and the gavel used by the first President to set the cornerstone of the Capitol, in the custodyof Potomac Lodge #5 of Georgetown, D.C. Both of these were on display for the occasion along with otherWashignton masonic relics."4 Interestingly enough, that mound upon which the Washington Monument was built was NOT the site Thomas Jefferson had so painstakingly marked off in 1804. Rather, according to documents of the era, the Washington Monument was forced to a new construction site "due to foundation problems caused by the marshy, damp soil upon which all of Washington, D.C., was built." And where would this new site be? Interestingly, the Society selected a site "slightly west of Jefferson's original intended position," directly in line with L'Enfant's original vision and the middle star of Orion's Belt, Alnilam. But by 1848, when construction on the Washington monument began, the site had turned into a marsh. The Society had no choice but to move the location for the monument "a few hundred feet to the southeast." So Jefferson had apparently prevailed. [For another 150 years, anyway.] Slowly the obelisk began to take shape, rising higher and higher toward the sky. Finally, after various financial setbacks, the Civil War and the transfer of the monument and grounds over to the United States government, the Washington Monument was finished, courtesy of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Finally, a 3,300-pound capstone was placed at the top and crowned with a nine-inch-tall pyramid made of aluminum, a rare metal in those days. Engraved on one side of the aluminum apex are the words: LAUS DEO. According to official records, "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."5 The official dedication celebration, which included fireworks, was held the day before Washington's birthday in 1885. But it wasn't until October 1888 that the monument was officially open to the public. Why? The Masonic Memorial Stones In that three-year period between the dedication ceremonies and the admission of the general public, work was still being done on the interior -- work that would complete underground what had already been completed in the heavens. Officially, that work completed the 897-step stairwell to the observation deck at the 500-foot level, as well as the conversion of the elevator platform, used in the construction of the obelisk, into a steam-hoisted passenger car.6 But something else was going on as well, as the following official documentation from the Department of Interior observes: "The Washington National Monument Society, in charge of fund- raising for the Monument, sensed the importance of Washington's masonic membership and 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 solicited the Masons, the Odd Fellows, the Sons of Temperance and other fraternal orders as well." In all, 193 memorial stones adorn the interior of the monument. Over the years the stones have been damaged by moisture and vandalism.7 More than a few have interesting stories. NPS.gov For example, the first Masonic stone ascending the Monument is that of the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia at the 50 foot landing. As the Department of Interior notes, "This earliest Masonic contribution was no doubt tied into the cornerstone-laying ceremony where the Grand Lodge of D.C. presided." Another one of the commemorative stones was a block of marble originally from the Temple of Concord in Rome. This stone was a gift from Pope Pius IX. On March 6, 1854, the stone was stolen by masked thieves and either broken into pieces, or dumped into the Potomac River. Whatever its fate, it was never found and no arrests were made.8 Then there's the peculiar lore surrounding the California stone, which arrived in Washington on August 2, 1860, and was ultimately embedded in the west wall at the 120-foot level. That stone, in fact, was a replacement for a previous "Atlantis Stone" that was recovered from the bottom of the ocean and contained mysterious crystal stars. Records from the War Department describe the crystals as "a kind of quartz, but not quartz." What was this "stone with crystal stars" doing in the hands of the War Department? And whatever happened to it? The answer may well rest in a most unusual place. The Ultimate Map Room The Washington Monument is in fact the ultimate "map room" to the "City of Washingtonople," a central repository that for the trained eye lays out in great detail the secret design of the city. And this map of the city is built into the monument itself. NPS.gov Not only can a superior within the Society survey the cardinal points of the National Mall – North, South, East and West – by day or night from the observation deck. He or she can also follow the direction of the 193 masonic stones like a treasure map to coordinates above and below the city of Washington, D.C. It's a treasure trail that ends in a never-before-revealed corridor deep beneath... 1 Albert Pike, Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, p. 464. 2 U.S. Department of Interior Records 3 Ibid. 4 Ibid. 5 Ibid. 6 Outfitted with seats and ornate walls, the elevator took about 10 to 12 minutes to ascend and descend from the top. By the time it was fully operational, Congress then shifted control of the monument and its staffing to the War Department, with the Washington National Monument Society acting as advisers. On October 9, 1888, the Washington Monument was officially opened to the public. 7 PUBLISHER’S NOTE: Since Dr. Yeats filed this report, the Washington Monument has undergone an extensive four-year “renovation” and is scheduled to reopen to the public on July 19, 2001. A key component of the project has been the restoration of the memorial stones. A new state-of-the-art elevator cab will enable visitors riding down from the 500-foot observation level to look through windows and observe several of the 193 restored commemorative stones on the interior walls of the Monument. 8 In 1985 a ceremony was held for the replacement of the “Pope Stone” that was lost in 1854. The new stone bears the inscription: A ROMA AMERICAE. 8.a In 1985 a ceremony was held for the replacement of the “Pope Stone” that was lost in 1854. The new stone bears the inscription: A ROMA AMERICAE. Published Mon, 28 Jan 2008 |
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