Freemasons dedicate Children’s Museum cornerstone

By Crystal Garcia

TERRE HAUTE — The Terre Haute Children’s Museum is on its way to completion — one brick at a time.

Members of the Freemasons’ Grand Lodge and Social Lodge 86 as well as local officials and community members gathered Saturday as the Freemasons dedicated the museum’s cornerstone, something that’s not been done in Terre Haute for more than 70 years.

“This is a perfect example of what a community can do,” said Mayor Duke Bennett, who was on hand to proclaim Oct. 11, 2008 a day of unity in the community.

“There’s one thing about the people of Terre Haute, they step up for whatever it is and they deliver both financial resources and people resources, and what you see going up on this corner is something a lot of people had a vision of for a very long time and some folks got together and made it happen,” Bennett said.

After the mayor’s speech the Freemasons’ dedication ceremony was performed. It’s a ceremony that dates back hundreds of years and is based on customs thousands of years old.

George Washington was a Freemason who laid the cornerstone of the U.S. Capitol, according to Jeffrey P. Zaring, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons State of Indiana.

Cornerstones are generally laid on the northeast corner of buildings because of its auspicious location, the location in which the rest of the building rises, he said.

During the ceremony, the cornerstone was checked to be square, level and plumb — each with its own significance.

The square teaches morality and virtue; the level teaches everyone has descended from a common parent and share the same hope; and the plumb teaches to walk upright in several stations and uphold scales of justice. The tools were used to test the Freemasons’ work.

Having been tested by these implements, the cornerstone was deemed well-formed, true and trusted.

“May the building on which this cornerstone has been placed continue in the blessings of all might God in plenty, health and peace,” Zaring declared.

Corn, wine and oil were then placed on the cornerstone as symbols of plenty, health and peace.

In closing the ceremony, Zaring presented the mayor and John Thompson, president of the board of directors for the Children’s Museum, with a plaque.

“The cornerstone which we laid will serve as the foundation for this building, which in itself is a cornerstone of the cultural life of this great city,” Zaring said.

Thompson said when a board member was approached by the Masonic Lodge about the cornerstone ceremony, he said it seemed like a perfect match because the Masonic organization is very philanthropic and extremely involved with children’s development.

One of the first things done when the Bennett administration took office was make sure to follow through with the city’s commitments to the project from the previous administration, Bennett said.

“We’ve been very supportive with what’s going on in downtown and trying to do our part, the city government, to help them be successful,” he said, “and I believe this is a great example of what a public/private partnership and what can happen in our community if people step up and do what’s needed, so I’m just excited today to be a part of this and just can’t wait for the museum to get finished and get it opened.”

While the goal is to be open for Fall 2009, it depends on the ability to raise the remaining $1.5 million to complete the project. Members of the public are encouraged to make donations, purchase bricks or limestone blocks, or sponsor exhibits or museum space to help reach the $5,343,500 goal.

For more information, call (812) 235-5548 or visit www.terrehautechildrensmuseum.com.

Crystal Garcia can be reached at (812) 231-4271 or crystal.garcia@tribstar.com.