Brother George Washington was initiated an Entered Apprentice Mason in the Lodge of Fredericksburg, Virginia in November of 1752 at the age of 20. The records of that Lodge, still in existence, present the following entries on the subject. The first entry is thus: "Nov. 4th. 1752. This evening Mr. George Washington was initiated as an Entered Apprentice." He was Passed on March 3rd and Raised on August 4th of 1753 in that same Lodge. (Painting and sculpture are from the George Washington Masonic Memorial, Alexandria, VA.)

He was proud of his membership, saying, "The object of Freemasonry is to promote the happiness of the human race." In 1788 he served as first Master of what is now known as Alexandria-Washington Lodge. Washington thus became the first Master of a Masonic Lodge to become President, holding, for a time, both that high office and that of Worshipful Master of his Lodge, a rare distinction indeed. Washington's words upon becoming President reflect well his philosophy: "Integrity and firmness are all that I can promise." What more could a nation ask?

On April 30, 1789 Brother George Washington was inaugurated as the President of the United States on the Holy Bible from St. John’s Lodge No. 1 in New York, NY. (Actual bible above right)

From the very beginning, Masonry has been closely associated with the history of our nation, and never more dramatically evidenced than in 1793 when wearing a Masonic apron presented to him by General Lafayette and embroidered by Madame Lafayette, Washington in a Masonic ceremony, laid the cornerstone of the United States Capitol at Washington, D.C. In August of 1790, in a letter to King David Lodge, Newport, Rhode Island, Washington wrote: "Being persuaded that a just application of the principles, on which the Masonic fraternity is founded, must be promotive of private virtue and public prosperity, I shall always be happy to advance the interests of the society and to be considered by them as a deserving brother." Geo Washington died on December 18, 1799, and was buried at Mount Vernon, Virginia with Masonic Rites conferred by Alexandria Lodge.
 

Washington's Masonic Aprons

Pictured above (left) is a Masonic apron presented to Brother George Washington in 1782. This gift was made in France. The gift of this apron was due to the fraternal generosity of Brother Elkanah Watson and his partner, M. Cassoul, of Nantes, France.

When the young Marquis de Lafayette came to America at the age of 20 and joined George Washington's army for the Battle of Brandywine in 1777, the American cause had become his cause. The affection each man held for the other is legend. So too is the legacy of Masonic history developed through that affection. The Lafayette Apron of white satin and embroidered by Madame Lafayette, was presented to Bro. Washington by Bro. Lafayette in August of 1784.The apron was presented to the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania by the Washington Benevolent Society on July 3, 1829, and is now on display in the Grand Lodge Museum at the Masonic Temple in Philadelphia.

Portraits of Brother Washington

In an 1860s Masonic print (left), U.S. Founding Father and Freemason George Washington is surrounded by portraits of Masons Andrew Jackson and the Marquis de Lafayette, as well as biblical scenes and Masonic symbols. Painted by lauded German American artist Emanuel Leutze (1816-1868), (2nd from left) George Washington as a Master Mason portrays America’s first president as if he is presiding over a lodge meeting. The original painting of Brother George Washington (third from left) was painted by Hattie Burdette. It depicts Brother George Washington as Master of his Lodge Alexandria-Washington Lodge No.22. The painting was produced for the U. S. Bicentennial Commission in 1932. A mural in George Washington Masonic Memorial (right) shows him in full Masonic attire laying the cornerstone of the US Capitol in 1793.

The silver Trowel, marble Gavel and Masonic working tools used by George Washington in laying the Capitol cornerstone were all crafted especially for the occasion by Bro. John Duffy, a silversmith of Alexandria and a member of Fredericksburg Lodge No. 4. The trowel has a silver blade, silver shank, ivory handle and a silver cap on the end of the handle. The Gavel has a marble head and rosewood handle. The working tools are crafted of walnut. At the conclusion of the ceremony, Washington presented the Gavel to the Master of Lodge No. 9 and the Trowel to the Master of Alexandria Lodge No. 22.