Freemason and Founding Father
February 19 - June 12, 2005

Commander in Chief of the Continental Army, American hero, first president of the United States—these are facts that schoolchildren and adults alike readily recite about George Washington. As with any great leader, however, the deeper you look, the more there is to discover. The Museum, as part of its 30^th anniversary celebration, presented a dimension of our founding father that may be new to many—George Washington as Freemason. Freemasonry was important to Washington throughout his life, as he attests in a 1791 letter, "...I shall always be glad to advance the interests of this Society and be considered by them a deserving brother." The Museum presented rare artifacts from Masonic collections that illustrated Washington's commitment to the fraternity and its principles and values. Included were the Bible upon which Washington swore his oath of office in 1789, the silver trowel he used to ceremonially lay the cornerstone of the U.S. Capitol, and a moving letter from Washington to fellow patriot and Freemason Paul Revere. Two portraits by Rembrandt Peale from the Museum's collection were additional highlights. Also, a life-sized sculpture of Washington cast from the marble original by the French sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon will be installed permanently near the Museum's entrance next spring. The exhibition was on view in the Museum's Van Gorden-Williams Library.