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On August 8, at 10:45 a.m. a short parade will start from the Blue River Plaza in Breckenridge and head north to Lincoln, then turn east and end at the Courthouse. This event, though short and subtle, will be steeped in history. The last time such an event occurred in Breckenridge, the date was July 31, 1909. About 75 Masons wearing their distinctive aprons marched to the site of the new Summit County Courthouse where the grand officers of the order of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons “squared and plumbed” the granite cornerstone. In the center of the cornerstone they deposited a copper box containing official documents and mementos of the time.
The Masons were one of several prominent fraternal organizations in Summit County over 100 years ago. The privacy and rituals of these organizations prompted some to believe that there was a malevolent side to their existence. But that was not the case. Fraternities like the Masons came early to the western mining towns providing social and economic stability for families.
The first Masonic Lodge on the Western Slope was located in Parkville and organized around 1861. Edwin Carter was one of the charter members of Summit County Lodge, No. 2, A. F. & A. M. But when Parkville disappeared under the mining tailings, the Masonic Lodge went with it. In 1882, the Masons reorganized as Breckenridge Lodge No. 47 which continues on today.
The mission of freemasonry in Colorado is to teach and perpetuate a fraternal way of life that promotes brotherhood and self-improvement through education, moral standards, charity and community involvement. Throughout the United States as well as here in Summit County, the Masons are known for the public ceremony of the laying of a cornerstone and support of education. The cornerstone tradition goes all the way back to 13th century Scotland. It was common practice to set a stone in the corner of a new building that was plumbed, squared and leveled by the builder. Without a perfect starting point it was recognized that the quality of the building would suffer. Over the last 200 years, cornerstones have been laid by Freemasons in hundreds of public buildings. George Washington laid the cornerstone in the Capitol Building in Washington D.C., as did Benjamin Franklin at Independence Hall in Philadelphia.
On July 31, 1909 the Freemasons laid the cornerstone for the Summit County Courthouse in Breckenridge. All businesses suspended operations for the afternoon so that everyone in the town could attend. Ladies wore long white dresses, and banners and streamers were hung throughout town. It was a festive day that concluded with a lavish ball at the Grand Army of the Republic Hall on Main Street.
The ceremony planned for August 8 on the lawn of the Summit County Courthouse will carry on the traditions of the Masons. Charles Johnson, Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Colorado will lead the ceremony to present the 1909 Copper Box time capsule to the public and rededicate the cornerstone. A new time capsule is being planned for the courthouse and will be dedicated at a later date. The ceremony on August 8 is open to the public and will begin at 10:15 a.m. with a Breckenridge Music Festival ensemble concert on the lawn of the Courthouse followed by the Masons procession and the cornerstone ceremony. A grand street party will follow the ceremony on Washington and Ridge Streets with music and family activities. The day will conclude with fireworks over Breckenridge.
Visiting Masons are encouraged to participate in the procession. For more information contact Jim Schneider of the local lodge at kc0jws@comcast.net or (303) 469-4827. For more information on the Breck150 Grand Celebration, visit Breck150.com.
The Masons were one of several prominent fraternal organizations in Summit County over 100 years ago. The privacy and rituals of these organizations prompted some to believe that there was a malevolent side to their existence. But that was not the case. Fraternities like the Masons came early to the western mining towns providing social and economic stability for families.
The first Masonic Lodge on the Western Slope was located in Parkville and organized around 1861. Edwin Carter was one of the charter members of Summit County Lodge, No. 2, A. F. & A. M. But when Parkville disappeared under the mining tailings, the Masonic Lodge went with it. In 1882, the Masons reorganized as Breckenridge Lodge No. 47 which continues on today.
The mission of freemasonry in Colorado is to teach and perpetuate a fraternal way of life that promotes brotherhood and self-improvement through education, moral standards, charity and community involvement. Throughout the United States as well as here in Summit County, the Masons are known for the public ceremony of the laying of a cornerstone and support of education. The cornerstone tradition goes all the way back to 13th century Scotland. It was common practice to set a stone in the corner of a new building that was plumbed, squared and leveled by the builder. Without a perfect starting point it was recognized that the quality of the building would suffer. Over the last 200 years, cornerstones have been laid by Freemasons in hundreds of public buildings. George Washington laid the cornerstone in the Capitol Building in Washington D.C., as did Benjamin Franklin at Independence Hall in Philadelphia.
On July 31, 1909 the Freemasons laid the cornerstone for the Summit County Courthouse in Breckenridge. All businesses suspended operations for the afternoon so that everyone in the town could attend. Ladies wore long white dresses, and banners and streamers were hung throughout town. It was a festive day that concluded with a lavish ball at the Grand Army of the Republic Hall on Main Street.
The ceremony planned for August 8 on the lawn of the Summit County Courthouse will carry on the traditions of the Masons. Charles Johnson, Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Colorado will lead the ceremony to present the 1909 Copper Box time capsule to the public and rededicate the cornerstone. A new time capsule is being planned for the courthouse and will be dedicated at a later date. The ceremony on August 8 is open to the public and will begin at 10:15 a.m. with a Breckenridge Music Festival ensemble concert on the lawn of the Courthouse followed by the Masons procession and the cornerstone ceremony. A grand street party will follow the ceremony on Washington and Ridge Streets with music and family activities. The day will conclude with fireworks over Breckenridge.
Visiting Masons are encouraged to participate in the procession. For more information contact Jim Schneider of the local lodge at kc0jws@comcast.net or (303) 469-4827. For more information on the Breck150 Grand Celebration, visit Breck150.com.
