Your Help is Needed for the New Washington Family Bible Exhibit
The most precious item in our museum collection is the George Washington Family Bible. Currently being conserved, now is the time to create an extensive new exibit to educate the public about this sacred text!
Thanks to key support from the Grand Lodge of Washington, D.C., the Historic Alexandria Foundation, the Utah Masonic Foundation, MESH Charities of D.C., and others, the conservation of the Washington Bible is now underway. Each page of the massive volume is being meticulously examined and any tears or flaws will be professionally addressed.
What makes Washington’s Bible so important? Not only was it one of the first Bibles printed in America, but it was George Washington’s personal copy. As the first American edition of John Brown’s Self-Interpreting Bible, it is celebrated for its twenty engravings (including an iconic frontispiece). Washington is proudly listed at the top of the Bible’s subscriber list, and his signature is on the title page. Washington studied this very Bible frequently during the years he served as President of the United States. After generations as a family heirloom, Washington’s copy was provided to the Memorial directly by Anne and Patty Washington in 1964. Despite being on display ever since, many have been unaware that the Memorial possesses this impressive treasure.
But that is about to change. Our next step is the development of a new exhibit designed to bring the story of the Washington Family Bible alive. Our most ambitious exibit in many years, this display will utilize state of the art design to make the story of George Washington’s relationship with the Bible come alive. It will also educate the public on the central and profound role of the Bible in Freemasonry generally. This project will only be possible through your support, the support of your lodge, and of your Grand Lodge. Your gift will allow us to realize our design for an extensive new educational exhibit that will protect and explain the sacred volume’s role in our history.
Give Now and Help Us Highlight This Sacred Volume
Please use our convenient online donation system to send your support to this important project.
