WHY DO WE LEVEL CORNERSTONES?
WHAT DO THE CEREMONIES MEAN?
  
CORNERSTONES:  MESOPOTAMIA AND ASSYRIA

As old as civilization itself is the art of erecting a building.  The cornerstone of the building is the stone that lies at the corner of two walls and forms the corner of the foundation of an edifice.  Upon it the alignment of the entire structure will rest. History records, from  ancient times, great ceremony involving the cornerstone before construction began on the architect’s design.  Records of the observance are found etched on clay tablets left by peoples of the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia and Assyria.  It was a ceremony marking a moment in time. Even today, when schools, churches or local government buildings are scheduled for construction there are moments along the way to completion that are especially memorable. One of the most beautiful and meaningful of those moments is when the fraternity of Freemasons conducts a rite similar to those recorded in history.  The ceremony of symbolically leveling a cornerstone.  It is performed with solemn ceremonies giving dignity to the occasion.
 

MASONS  HAVE  PERFORMED  CORNERSTONE  CEREMONIES THROUGHOUT  THE  AGES

The earliest record of an official Masonic ceremony, for a public building,  was the laying of the Foundation Stone of the New Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Scotland on August 2, 1738.  There are other records of Masonic Lodges in Ireland placing cornerstones dating from the 1500s and records in England from the late l600s.  And the list of Masonic ties to laying of cornerstones goes on and on. On September 18, 1793, President George Washington officiated at the laying of the cornerstone for the United States Capitol building.  It was a major event in the creation and development of the federal city, a project very dear to the heart of George Washington.  The Masonic Fraternity refers to it as one of the most memorable days in the life of George Washington, in the life of Freemasonry, and of the United States. According to the newspaper account of the day "Washington, dressed in Masonic regalia, lead a procession of officers and brethren of the Masonic Fraternity from Maryland and Virginia to the site in the District of Columbia. Upon arrival, the music and drums stopped, the flags were anchored, and the artillery fired a volley.  A large silver plate was handed to President Washington. Using a small trowel with silver blade and ivory handle, Washington deposited the plate and laid it on the cornerstone.”   The newspaper account specifically mentions that corn, wine, and oil were placed on the cornerstone after it was set in place…an event commemorated 200 years later in 1993 by U.S. Senator and Mason, Strom Thurmond (R-SC), along with many fellow Masons who honored the laying of the original cornerstone.   The apron and sash worn by George Washington together with the trowel he used are today preserved in the Alexandria-Washington Masonic Lodge.

CORNERSTONES  TODAY

Cornerstones lie at the corner of two walls of a building in which certain historic documents are placed and on which historic inscriptions are engraved.   The cornerstone is usually a polished stone, found near the foundation, but not a part of the foundation, and high enough from ground level to be easily read. A cornerstone generally has carved upon it such things as the name of the owner, purpose of the structure, date of the building's erection and sometimes other facts.  Such a stone is frequently made hollow and, at the time it is placed, filled with various printed articles current at the time and other objects reflecting the era or time in history. Time capsules are frequently placed in building cornerstones but sometimes buried separately. Although terms are often used interchangeably, there are actually three major classifications of such stones.

CORNER STONES are the first stones placed at ground level.  Generally, the first stone is placed in the northeast corner, from which the building traditionally commences.  They are part of the structure, and therefore, are placed before or as the building is built.

COMMEMORATIVE or DEDICATORY STONES are the stones most commonly placed by the Masonic fraternity today.  They are not part of the structure of the building, but fit into a space left in the stone or brickwork. They usually seal a cavity in which a "time capsule" type deposit is made. Generally, the placement of such a stone is the last act in the building and serves as a dedication of the building and a signal of its completion.

FOUNDATION STONES are the first stones placed as part of the foundation of a building. These stones are below the level of the ground.

 
WHY  MASONRY  IS  INVOLVED  IN  THE  PLACEMENT  OF  CORNERSTONES

The medieval stone masons organizations; builders of the glorious cathedrals across Europe are, in fact, forerunners of modern speculative Masonry. References to cornerstones are found in various places in the Holy Bible in both the Old and New Testaments that indicate the antiquity of the cornerstone and its uses.   Because Freemasonry is non-sectarian and because Freemasonry is heir to the historical tradition of building, it is the appropriate organization to dedicate or symbolically level the cornerstone of a public or religious edifice. For this purpose Freemasonry provides a special ritual to govern the proper performance of that duty.  Among the ancients, cornerstones were laid with impressive ceremonies.   The Masonic cornerstone ceremony, like most customs, has evolved over years of use. The symbolism of the cornerstone, when duly laid with Masonic Rites is full of significance, which refers to its form, to its situation, to its permanence and to its consecration. As to its form, the cornerstone must be perfectly square on its surfaces. To Masons, the square is a symbol of morality and truth.  In the situation, the cornerstone will symbolically lie between the north, which Masons consider a place of darkness and the east, which Masons consider a place of light.  Hence the northeast position of the cornerstone symbolizes the Masonic progress from darkness to light, from ignorance to knowledge. To permanence, the stone, when deposited in its appropriate place, is carefully examined with the necessary implements of operative Masonry which include the square, the level, and the plumb, themselves all symbolic in meaning. The cornerstone is then declared to be "well formed, true and trusty." Lastly, the elements of Masonic consecration are produced and the stone is solemnly set apart by pouring corn, wine, and oil upon its surface, emblematical of the nourishment, refreshment and joy which are to be the rewards of a faithful performance of duty.
 

LEVELING  OF  CORNERSTONES A  GREAT  HONOR  FOR  TEXAS  MASONS

Masons of the Grand Lodge of Texas are proud to continue the long time tradition of leveling cornerstones.  In 1994, the Grand Master of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Texas leveled the cornerstone on the extension to the Texas State Capitol building in Austin.  It was a beautiful ceremony and brought to mind the 1885 ceremony when Texas Masons leveled the cornerstone to the main state capitol building.   Throughout Texas history, Masons have leveled cornerstones of schools, churches, local government buildings and public buildings. It is considered a great honor by Mason’s to perform this service in their communities. The Grand Lodge of Texas receives numerous requests to officiate in the Consecration, Dedication, or laying of a cornerstone.  Before requests can be considered there are certain guidelines which have come to define the role of Freemasonry in such ceremonies.  For example, the building must be a public building such as a police station or school...or of sacred character such as a church.  Another guideline is that buildings proposed for the laying of cornerstones must be constructed of brick, stone or concrete.  Of course, veneer of such material on steel or concrete supporting frame will qualify. The cornerstone should be an actual stone, cubical in form, upon the face of which should be carved the words "Leveled (or Laid) by the Grand Lodge of Texas, A.F. & A.M., "with the Masonic emblem and the year carved thereon.  The other face of the stone may bear such inscription as may be necessary to describe the name of the institution erecting the building, its board of trustees, or other offices but NOT the name of the architect, engineer, contractors, or builder, as such, should be shown on the stone. It is the Grand Master who has final determination whether a cornerstone shall be laid with Masonic ceremonies.

FREEMASONS:   WHO  ARE  THEY?

Freemasonry is the oldest, and by far, the largest fraternal order in the world. Its Lodges stretch around the globe.  It might well be said that the sun never sets upon the Masonic Lodge.   In North America alone there are more than 2-million Freemasons.  These men represent virtually every occupation and profession, yet within the fraternity, all meet as equals.  Masons come from various religious beliefs and creeds, yet all believe in one God.  Perhaps one of the most fascinating aspects of Freemasonry is that so many men, from so many different walks of life, meet and conduct their affairs in harmony and friendship and call each other “brother.” The Masonic experience encourages members to become better men, better husbands, better fathers, and better citizens in the community.   It endeavors to impress upon the minds of those who come into it virtues recognized as prerequisites for a better life. Its teachings include morality, brotherhood, justice, tolerance, citizenship, education, freedom of ideas and religious choice. Freemasonry came to America from England in the 1730’s when Lodges were established in New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Massachusetts, South Carolina and Georgia.  American Freemasons take pride in members of the fraternity who played a part in the history of our country. Many of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were Masons and the same statement is true of those who signed the Constitution of the United States. Famous men such as George Washington, Paul Revere, Benjamin Franklin, Lafayette, James Monroe and many others whose names awaken memories of the founding of our country.  Since our country's beginning thirteen of its President's have been Masons. In Texas, Brother Stephen F. Austin, the father of Texas, was a Mason and considered membership in the Fraternity as an attribute for selecting the original settlers of the Texas frontier.  The revolution against Mexico was lead by Brother Sam Houston, who presided over the formation of the Grand Lodge of Texas.  It was he who installed Brother Anson Jones as the first Grand Master of Masons in Texas.  Upon the creation of the Republic of Texas, all five presidents and vice presidents were Texas Masons.  Another point of interest is the free public school system in Texas, the father of which is Mirabeau B. Lamar, a Mason. Masons have also won laurels in other fields of endeavor and we find them prominent in government, in science, in sports and entertainment: Ty Cobb, John Wayne, Al Jolson, Military General’s Jimmy Doolittle and Douglas MacArthur, J. Edgar Hoover, Norman Vincent Peale, Red Skelton, Roy Clark, Will Rogers, Harry Houdini, Davy Crockett, Arthur Godfrey, Buffalo Bill Cody, Henry Ford…etc.  And in man's newest field, that of space exploration with Wally Schirra, Gordon Cooper, Virgil Grissom and "Buzz" Aldrin -- all bound by the tie of Freemasonry.

ABOUT  FREEMASONRY

Freemasonry is ancient, having existed in some form for so long that many serious students have differed as to the exact time and place of its origin. Masonry is not a secret society.   Its Lodges are openly marked and almost everyone in the community knows where they are located. The Grand Lodge of Texas publishes a list of members of every Lodge in the state.  Many Lodges have individual bulletins with the names of the officers and of members. Masonry does have private information among its members but the fraternity does not conceal its principals or aims.  In fact, the most well known of Masonic symbols, the square and compasses, are proudly worn by members everywhere. The square and compasses are examples of tools and implements of ancient architectural craftsmen.  During the Middle Ages operative Masons constructed the beautiful cathedrals, castles and other stately structures in Europe, England, Scotland and Ireland. We call them operative Masons.  It was during this period that the word "Free" was prefixed to the word “Mason,” because these builders were one of the very few classes of persons allowed to travel from country to country as builders.  These men differed from other working craftsmen because they, possessing knowledge in the art of geometry and building, were free men rather than bonded servants. These groups of operative Masons were much like labor unions in which apprentices were taught the secrets of geometry, architecture and the Mason’s art of building. They then advanced to the various ranks of the fraternity. Until about the Sixteenth Century Masons were strictly an operative craft, bound together by the close ties found in the constructive craft guilds of the day. Early in the Seventeenth Century, the meeting places of these groups of men became known as lodges.  In addition, men of prominence were admitted, not as craftsmen, for they were not skilled in the builders art, but rather as patrons. Gradually these men came to be known as "accepted" Masons. Thus, by the time the Seventeenth Century came to its end the accepted or speculative Masons were predominant in many of the older Lodges of Freemasons. Today Masonic Lodge is termed speculative because its emphasis is on the moral philosophy that is its foundation, rather than the operative art of the Sixteenth and earlier centuries. The tools of the operative stonemason are used by speculative Masons today to symbolize moral virtues. Freemasonry is religious in character, but it is not a religion.  It offers no salvation and it doesn’t tell men what to believe.   Rather, Freemasonry attracts men who already adhere to religious beliefs and the moral conduct their beliefs require. But there’s a much greater presence in modern Masonry…the presence of antiquity.  In Masonry there are many emblems, symbols and allegories of the ancient Temples of Initiation.  It has persuaded the most learned among Masonic scholars to conclude that Masonry is of very ancient origin, and is, in some aspects, the modern successor of the sublime mysteries of the Temple of Solomon and of the Temples of India, Chaldea, Egypt, Greece, and Rome… as well as containing basic doctrines of the Essenes, Gnostics and other ancient mystic Orders. As a result, there are many organizations within the Masonic fraternity.  The Scottish Rite, the York Rite, the Shrine, the Grotto, Royal Arch and Cryptic Masonry. But no matter where a man fits in the body of Freemasonry, he can only have entered through the local Masonic lodge.  And not until a man has completed his work in the local lodge and becomes a Master Mason can he join any of the other aspects of the fraternity.  You could say these Masonic organizations represent the hub of a Masonic wheel. A wheel with spokes extending to the entire family. Eastern Star, Job’s Daughter’s, Rainbow Girls and DeMolay for boys add to the total wheel of the Masonic body.

FREEMASONRY  IN  THE  COMMUNITY

Beyond the focus on individual development and growth, members of the Masonic fraternity are deeply involved in assisting worthwhile community projects and helping people.  Freemasons across our land contribute more than 2-million dollars each and everyday to charitable causes including widows, orphans and disadvantaged children.

The Grand Lodge of Texas operates the Masonic Home and School in Fort Worth that provides orphaned or deprived children a wholesome home environment and education.

Royal Arch and Cryptic Masonry support the Texas Masonic Retirement Center in Arlington.  Widows of Mason’s who live at the home are supported by the Grand Lodge of Texas.

The York Rite Knights Templar Eye Foundation provides surgical care to the eyes and in many cases, sight to the blind…without charge.

The world famous Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Dallas is another representation of the deep commitment to brotherly love and relief, which are held as principal tenets of Freemasonry.  This world class Hospital provides surgery, prosthetics and Dyslexia learning therapy to thousands of children, of all religions and races, entirely free of charge.  In fact, it was the staff of the Scottish Rite Hospital who established the original clinical definition of Dyslexia and who now provide training for professional educators in the treatment of this condition in Texas schools.

Other world famous Masonic facilities in Texas are the Shriners Hospital and Burn Center in Galveston and the Shriners Hospital in Houston. Nationally, there are 19 orthopedic and 3 burn hospitals that not only provide extensive care to burn victims but also conduct ongoing research into new treatments…all with no charge made to patients.  These unique medical centers, supported in part by the Shrine Circus, have made the Shrine the most visible aspect of American Masonry.

In San Antonio, the Scottish Rite Learning Center of South Texas assists Children with dyslexia to succeed in the educational environment.

The Grotto sponsors a broad program of dentistry for handicapped children and supports cerebral palsy research.

The Eastern Star is not like the York Rite, Scottish Rite or the Shrine.  It is made up of men and women with a Masonic connection.  Men who join must be Master Masons while women who join must be the wife, mother, sister, daughter or granddaughter of a Master Mason.  With a total membership of some 2-million, the Easter Star is easily the largest coed fraternal society in the world. The Eastern Star maintains a home for elderly members and provides educational assistance for young people.

The Order of DeMolay is for young men ages 13 to 21.  It shares many of Masonry’s precepts, teaching dedication to God, to home and country. DeMolay helps mold young men into responsible citizens.

The Order of Rainbow is for girls age 12-to-20.  Members don’t have to have a family connection to Freemasonry, but they do enjoy Masonic sponsorship and assistance.  Members of Job’s Daughters do have a family connection to Freemasonry.  DeMolay for boys, Rainbow Girls and Job’s Daughters share a Belief in God and concentrate on charitable efforts in volunteer service to others.