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St. John's
Lodge No. 1 Free and Accepted Masons Portsmouth, New Hampshire, U.S.A. Constituted June 24, 1736
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St. John's
Lodge No. 1 Free and Accepted Masons Portsmouth, New Hampshire, U.S.A. Constituted June 24, 1736
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About St. John's and Its History
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Historian's Article for February 2006
George Washington by Alan M. Robinson, P.M., Historian
Those shouts ascending to the sky, Proclaim great Washington is nigh! Hail Nature's boast -- Columbia's Son, Welcome! Welcome Washington.
On February 22, we will be celebrating the birthday of the most famous Mason in America, our first President, Wor. Bro. George Washington.
George Washington was born and raised at Pope's Creek Plantation in Wakefield, Westmoreland County, Virginia, to Augustine Washington and Mary Ball in 1732. As a young boy he grew up on Ferry Farm located along the northern bank of the Rappahannock River, across from the city of Fredericksburg. Legend tells us that it was here that little six year old George could not tell a lie about a chopped down cherry tree!
George was home schooled and later received a Surveyor’s Certificate from the College of William and Mary. On August 4, 1753 at the age of 21, Bro. George was made a Mason in Fredericksburg Lodge No. 4, A.F.&A.M., of Fredericksburg, Virginia. The next year he was commissioned a lieutenant colonel in the colonial militia and served with the British during the French and Indian War. In 1759, he resigned his commission and married Martha Dandridge Custis, a wealthy widow with two children, John and Martha, whom he soon adopted. He and his family lived at Mount Vernon where he was a gentleman farmer.
Bro. George was a civic minded man who served in the House of Burgesses, the Virginia provincial legislature. In 1774, he was chosen as a Delegate to the Continental Congress and on June 15, 1775, he was selected by that body to be Commander in Chief of the Continental Army. For his superb military judgment and legendary leadership during the successful American Revolution, he will forever carry the honor of being called the father of our country.
In 1783, General Washington resigned his commission and returned to his 8000 acre plantation. To help ensure that our fledgling government would hold together, George presided over the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787. The Framers of the Constitution are said to have had Bro. George in mind when they created the Office of the Presidency of the United States of America. Not surprisingly, he was unanimously elected by the Electoral College to this high office. In Federal Hall, New York City, on April 30, 1789, with his left hand placed on the Altar Bible belonging to St. John’s Lodge No. 1, New York City (opened to the 49th Chapter of the Book of Genesis), Bro. George Washington was inaugurated as our first President.
With the fanfare fitting his office, the citizens of Portsmouth welcomed President Washington to the city for a visit from October 31 to November 4, 1789. During his stay, the President met with numerous members of our Lodge and on November 3, was entertained at Staver’s Tavern (William Pitt Tavern). While the Lodge was not open for the event, our Brother the President is said to have visited the third floor Lodge Room at the Tavern, the home of our Lodge from 1768 until 1792. How about that! Happy 274th Birthday, Bro. George! |
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