Special Recognition from the George Washington Masonic Memorial
George Washington Masonic National Memorial Plaque
American Freemasons wanted to memorialize all that George Washington stood for, and so throughout the 1920s, they built a monument that could be used and enjoyed for generations to come: the George Washington Masonic National Memorial (GWMNM). To support this Masonic resource, Grand Lodge of Illinois A. F. & A. M. makes a financial contribution every year.
In February 2024, the leaders of our Grand Lodge humbly accepted a plaque during a presentation made at the Conference of Grand Masters of Masons of North America. We are honored to have received this recognition - we are proud to support such a wonderful resource to Freemasons across the country.
George Washington Masonic National Memorial Archive
More about the Memorial:
The George Washington Masonic National Memorial is a memorial and museum, an active Masonic temple, a research library, a cultural space, a community and performing arts center, and an important regional landmark.
This magnificent nine-story neoclassical structure has been erected and maintained by the Freemasons of the United States as an expression of the high esteem in which the memory of George Washington is held within the Masonic fraternity, and to preserve the history and heritage of American Freemasonry.
In 2015, the National Park Service named the Memorial a National Historic Landmark, in recognition that it is “the only major unified, fully national initiative of the Freemasons and among the boldest attempts by a private organization to memorialize George Washington.”
The George Washington Masonic National Memorial was built in the 1920s by the more than two million American Freemasons who wished to “express in durability and beauty the undying esteem of the Freemasons of the United States for him in whose memory it shall stand throughout the coming years.”
The mission of the Memorial is to inspire humanity through education to emulate and promote the virtues, character and vision of George Washington, the Man, the Mason and Father of our Country.
Have you visited the George Washington Masonic National Memorial?