EDUCATION
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Masonic Sites to See
While Pennsylvania Masons are fortunate to have one of the grandest Masonic buildings in the world – the Masonic Temple in Philadelphia – right in their backyards, there are hundreds of significant Masonic statues, libraries, museums, temples and other treasures across Pennsylvania, the United States and abroad waiting to be explored. 1
The National Heritage Museum, Lexington, MA
Also known as the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library, this museum hosts a veritable wealth of history relating to Freemasonry in general, as well as America. Online exhibitions and educational resources are also available on their website.
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When General and Brother Lewis Addison Armistead was mortally wounded during Pickett’s Charge, Captain and Brother Henry Bingham, an aide to General and Brother Winfield Scott Hancock, helped his brother, despite being on the opposing side, by gathering Armistead’s personal effects to be given to Hancock and promising to relay a message. The statue, made possible by Good Samaritan Lodge No. 336 members and many others, captures this moment.
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George Washington at Prayer Statue, Valley Forge, PA
Located at Freedoms Foundation, the nine-foot-tall bronze statue, donated by Pennsylvania Masons, overlooks the Congressional Medal of Honor Grove. Over 20,000 Masons and their families attended the dedication ceremony on Sept. 9, 1967.
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Online Edition PaGrandLodge.org/magazine
Friend to Friend Masonic Memorial, Gettysburg, PA
Scottish Rite of Freemasonry House of the Temple, Washington, D.C. Completed in 1915, the temple includes the Albert Pike Museum (Grand Commander of the Scottish Rite Southern Jurisdiction and “Morals and Dogma” author), a library named for Robert Burns (poet laureate of Masonry) and a 1,700-pipe organ.
Pennsylvania Freemason