In 1952, the White House underwent renovation. During the construction, several bricks were found with Masonic markings. President Truman, a Past Grand Master of Missouri, had a sufficient number of these marked bricks collected to send one to each Grand Lodge in the United States. He wrote:"These evidences of the number of members of the Craft who built the President's official residence so intimately aligns Freemasonry with the formation and the founding of our Government that I believe your Grand Lodge will cherish this link between the Fraternity and the Government of the Nation, of which the White House is a symbol."
The photo shows Minnesota Masonic Historical Society Curator, Dave Nystuen, with the brick that was presented to the Grand Lodge of Minnesota.
We have received a letter from the George Washington Masonic Memorial:
"In celebration of the Memorial Association's 100th anniversary and the Conference of Grand Masters of North America meeting next February, we plan to reassemble the White House Stones in a temporary exhibition. To complement the display we are also requesting to borrow the Scottish Lodge mark books so the stones' marks may be matched to the names of the stonemasons. Additionally, we hope Federal Lodge No. 1 will loan their minute books that show these Scotsmen becoming American freemasons."
Patty and I leave Saturday for the 2009 Biennial Session of the Supreme Council of the Scottish Rite for the Southern Jurisdiction. In my bag will be Truman's brick, which we will deliver to the Memorial for display.
