George Washington Masonic National Memorial - About The Building

About The Building

The George Washington Masonic National Memorial is Neoclassical in style. Portions of the building are also in the Greek Revival and Romanesque Revival styles. The columns which form the portico, are in the first floor assembly hall and the second floor main hall, and on the first tier of the tower are Doric. However, the columns on the second tier of the tower are Ionic, and the columns on the third tier of the tower are Corinthian.

The memorial consists of nine floors. The first (or "ground") floor appears, from the outside, to be part of the foundation. In the center of the first floor is the Grand Masonic Hall. The Grand Masonic Hall features eight large green granite columns, four on each side of the hall. The Grand Masonic Hall is 66 feet (20 m) long, 66 feet (20 m) wide, and 20 feet (6.1 m) high. The 12 dioramas commissioned in the mid-1960s are located in this hall. At the western end of the hall are short steps which lead up to an alcove in which a bronze bust of George Washington was placed in 2008. The semicircular alcove surrounding the bust contains murals depicting Masonic events in the life of Washington. For many years, the Great Seal of the United States donated by President Truman to the memorial in 1948 was displayed in this hall, but it was removed in the late 1990s. Large, medium, and small meeting rooms are on the north and south sides of the Grand Masonic Hall. All three rooms on the north side contain exhibits which document the history and activities of the Shriners. Many of the models in these room depict Shriner charities, and one model is a miniature mechanical version of a Shriners' parade. The medium-sized room on the memorial's southwest corner contains an exhibit about Freemasonry in general. The medium-sized meeting room (the George Washington Room) and large-sized meeting room (the Andrew Jackson Room) on the south side are generally closed to the public but can be rented as meeting space.

The second (or "main") floor appears, from the outside, to be the main level of the memorial. The Parthenon-inspired portico with its Doric columns forms the primary entrance to the memorial. The portico is supported by eight fluted columns of pink Conway granite 5.92 feet (1.80 m) in diameter and 33 feet (10 m) high, each weighing 63 short tons (57 t). The bas-relief medallion of Washington in profile which is incorporated into the pediment above the portico is 7 feet (2.1 m) across. Bronze doors lead the way into the memorial. Once inside the memorial, to the left is the Alexandria-Washington Lodge No. 22 Replica Lodge Room, which faithfully duplicates the look of the lodge room at the time Washington presided over the lodge. This room contains several items which belonged to Washington as well as historic items (such as furniture) from the Alexandria-Washington Lodge. Behind the Master Mason's chair in this room is the William Joseph Williams portrait of Washington in his Masonic garb. Along the south side of this floor is the South Lodge Room, which replicates the Neoclassical look of the Alexandria-Washington Lodge when it was located in the Alexandria City Courthouse. This room is used for meetings of Alexandria-Washington Lodge No. 22 as well as other Masonic lodges who wish to use it for meetings while visiting the memorial.

The main feature of the second floor is the Memorial Hall, which is 100 feet (30 m) long, 66 feet (20 m) wide, and 51 feet (16 m) high. Eight green granite columns (four on each side) support the roof of the Memorial Hall. Each column is 38.5 feet (11.7 m) high, 4 feet (1.2 m) wide at the base, and weighs 63 short tons (57 t). On the western end of the hall is the 17 feet (5.2 m) high bronze statue of Washington in Masonic regalia. It weighs 7 short tons (6.4 t). The floor is composed of Tennessee marble in a geometric design, and the walls are of Missouri marble. In the corners of the Memorial Hall are four 8-foot (2.4 m) high bronze lamps, donated by the Order of the Eastern Star (a Masonic social organization composed primarily of women). On the north and south sides of the Memorial Hall are murals by Allyn Cox depicting Washington attending a service at Christ Church, Alexandria and of Washington (in Masonic garb) laying the cornerstone of the U.S. Capitol building. The murals were photographed in their entirety for the first time in 2000.

Behind the Memorial Hall to the west is the semicircular Memorial Theater, which was designed to seat 1,000. (After being reconfigured, it seats just 358 today.) The Memorial Theater features a fan-shaped ceiling and 16 St. Genevieve marble columns around its perimeter. Around the mezzanine are 14 bronze bas-relief portraits of Presidents of the United States who were Freemasons. Behind the stage is the portrait of Washington donated by Rep. Sol Bloom. In the balcony in the theater's eastern end is the Moller organ donated by Grand Lodge of New Jersey. On the north side on the first floor is the North Lodge Room. An open-beam arched ceiling marks this room, which is in the half-timbered style and has balconies on three sides and a stage in front. This is the meeting room of Andrew Jackson Lodge No. 120, as well as other Masonic lodges who wish to use it for meetings while visiting the memorial.

The tower contains the third through ninth floors. The tower is divided into four sections, each smaller in circumference than the one below. There are two floors in the first, second, and third section, but only one floor in the fourth section. The third floor contains exhibits about the history, charitable activities, and socializing that various Masonic bodies engage in. The third floor formerly was dedicated to the Mystic Order of Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm ("the Grotto"), and housed the organization's archives. But beginning in February 2012, the third floor was renovated to contain displays about other appendant bodies as well (although the Grotto's display in the room remains by far the largest). The fourth floor contains the George Washington Museum, which is maintained with funding from the Supreme Council of the Scottish Rite of the Southern and Northern Jurisdictions of the United States. The Donald De Lue bronze statue of Washington is located in the museum, which also contains many items used or owned by Washington. The fourth floor is double the height of the third floor, with a mezzanine that contains additional exhibits. The fifth floor is the same height as the third floor, and is dedicated to exhibits and symbols important to Royal Arch Masonry. This floor is in the Egyptian Revival and ancient Hebraic architectural styles. It also contains a replica of the ark of the covenant (curtains automatically open and close to reveal the replica to visitors). The sixth floor contains the Memorial Library. This floor is double the height of the fifth floor, and like the fourth floor contains a mezzanine. The seventh floor is the same height as the third and fifth floors, and is dedicated to Cryptic Masonry (the second part of the York Rite system of Masonic degrees). The room is a symbolic replica of the legendary crypt beneath the Temple of Solomon where secrets and treasures were kept. It also contains murals which depict key events mentioned in Cryptic initiation rituals (such as the murder of Hiram Abiff, architect of Solomon's Temple). The eighth floor is the same height as the seventh floor, and contains a chapel dedicated to the Knights Templar. It is in the early French Gothic architectural style. Like the fourth and sixth floors, it is double the height of the third and fifth floors but it lacks the mezzanine found on the fourth and sixth floors. The stained glass windows in this chapel depict four scenes from the Christian Bible: Jesus healing the blind, the Sermon on the Mount, the crucifixion of Jesus, and the ascension of Jesus into heaven. The ninth floor is the same height as the third, fifth, and seventh floors, and contains both the Tall Cedars Room and the observation platform. The Tall Cedars of Lebanon is a social group for Master Masons, and their room on the ninth floor depicts King Solomon's throne room and symbols important to this group. The observation platform, which rings the exterior of the ninth floor, is accessible only from this room.

The structure is capped by a step pyramid with seven steps. The light fixture atop the pyramid is in the shape of a double keystone (a shape which is of symbolic importance to Freemasons).

The memorial sits on 36 acres (15 ha) of parkland. Since the GWMNMA is a nonprofit organization, the memorial and its land are not taxed. The first and second floors are open to all visitors, but visitors are required to be accompanied by a docent when visiting the other floors. Tours occur every hour. Tours were free for most of the memorial's history, but a fee began to be charged in 2010.