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This is a colored illustration of George Washington standing in a room surrounded by various Masonic items
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Washington and His Masonic Compeers

by Sidney Hayden

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As Sidney Hayden wrote of this work on George Washington and his Masonic pasts, “Biographies of Washington, and the most eminent of our countrymen who were contemporary with him, have been often written so far as relates to their public acts, and in many of them we have also a portraiture of their personal and domestic history. Such delincations, interwoven with their memoirs, give us a truer estimate of the character of the individual, and enable us to weigh with more exactness the impulses of and influences that have impelled or retarded him in his public career.”

Hayden offers this work which examines the life and fraternal relationships of George Washington along with leaders of various Masonic lodges, such as Henry Price, John Johnson, Benjamin Franklin, Pierpont Edwards, Mordecai Gist, and Jabez Bowen.

This edition is dedicated to Dr. Jason Williams, scholarly and imaginative investigator of unexplored years of Washington

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Studies in Ethics for Nurses

by Charlotte A. Aikens

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Charlotte Albina Aikens dedicated her life to nursing. In 1868 she was born in Mitchell, Ontario, Canada. During the Spanish-American War she volunteered her services as a nurse. Later, she went to serve as director of Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, DC. She left to work as the superintendent of nurses at Methodist Hospital in Des Moines, IA. Aikens also worked in Columbia Hospital in Pittsburgh, PA.

In addition to her services in hospitals, she wrote voluminously about nursing. Aikens was named associate editor of National Hospital Record in 1902), and for Trained Nurse and Hospital Review, she became associate editor in 1911, and four years later became the editor in 1915. In addition to editing journals, she wrote numerous books, like Studies in Ethics for Nurses in 1916. On Oct 20, 1949, she passed away in Detroit, Michigan

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Unitarian Affirmations: Seven Discourses Given in Washington, D.C.

by Seven Unitarian Ministers

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Unitarianism is a theological movement which at its start proclaimed that God is a singular entity, rather than a trinity. It rejects other tenants common in Christianity, such as the concept of original sin and the Bible as infallible. The belief emerged during the 1600s and spread quickly through Europe and the United States, particularly among the educated and wealthy classes. One of the earliest places it arrived in the United States was in New England. These lectures were originally given during the late 1890s, and focus on a variety of theological debates, such as the Bible, the Church, and the afterlife.

 

 

 

 

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Mashrak-el-Azkar: Descriptive of the Bahai Temple and Illustrative of an Exhibition of Preliminary Designs for the First Mashrak-el-Azkar to be Built in America

by Charles Mason Remey

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Charles Mason Remey (1874-1974) was the son of Admiral George Collier Remey and grew up in Washington DC, at 1527 New Hampshire Ave NW, which is now the home of Westphalia Press, the Policy Studies Organization, and of the American Political Science Association. He drew detailed plans and did a survey of the house, which are deposited in the Library of Congress. He studied to be an architect at Cornell (1893-1896) and the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris (1896-1903), where he learned about the Baha’i faith, and quickly adopted it.

In 1903, Remey returned to Washington, DC, and wrote numerous works on Baha’i theology and practices. He spent much of his time traveling to teach and discuss the Baha’i faith, and at the same time developing architectural plans, with the occasional class taught at George Washington University. Remey wrote extensively, and his papers are held at the National Baha’i Archives, the New York Public Library, the Library of Congress, Princeton University, Yale University, and the Iowa Historical Society.

 

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Garfield’s Words: Suggestive Passages from the Public and Private Writings of James Abram Garfield

by James Abram Garfield, Compiled by William Ralston Balch

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James A. Garfield (1831-1881) was the 20th President of the United States. His term was cut short when he was assassinated in 1881, the same year he took office. Many biographies highlight the difficult circumstances Garfield overcame to become the President. He was born in Ohio on a farm and grew up helping his widowed mother. He worked many jobs to support his family, and was able to attend Williams College, graduating in 1856. He became a member of the Ohio State Senate, running as a Republican. During the Civil War he served as a major general. He then enjoyed a successful Congressional career in Washington. He rose through the ranks to become the Republican Presidential nominee during the 1880 presidential election. It was close, with Garfield beating his Democratic opponent, Winfield Scott Hancock, with a narrow margin. During his brief term, he worked to end corruption in the Post Office, and pushed civil service reform in many ways, namely the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act, which eventually passed through by his successor, President Chester A. Arthur.

Westphalia Press occupies the historic mansion in Washington DC of Harry Garfield, the president’s son, longtime president of Williams, and is the repository of much Garfield memorabilia.

This is a reprint edition with minor text imperfections.

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Oration on the Unveiling of the Statue of Samuel Francis DuPont: Rear Admiral, U.S.N., at Washington, DC on December 20, 1884

by Hon. Thomas F. Bayard

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Rear Admiral Samuel Francis Du Pont (1803-1865) served in the United States Navy, specifically during the Mexican- American War and the Civil War. His uncle, Eleuthere Irenee du Pont, was the founder of what is commonly known as the DuPont chemical concern, but is officially E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company. Du Pont’s family was unable to financially support his education, so Samuel enlisted in the Navy. His family’s connections allowed him to receive appointment to midshipman by President James Madison. He had an illustrious until questions about his judgment in an attempt to capture Charleston during the Civil War became an issue when the blockade failed. Du Pont was so anguished by this that he relieved himself of command on July 5, 1863. Later events proved that he was not at fault, and nearly two decades after his death in 1865, a bronze sculpture of Du Pont was dedicated on December 20, 1884. It was replaced in 1921 by a memorial fountain that still stands today, one that was sculpted by Daniel Chester French and designed by Henry Bacon.

The statue was moved by the Du Pont family in 1920 to Wilmington, Delaware. Dupont Circle is a popular attraction for locals and tourists alike in DC. The location has slowly changed its name from Du Pont to Dupont, so this work illustrating the deeds for which the area received its namesake is especially important.

This edition is dedicated to Patricia Fitzgerald, the amiable mainstay of the Women’s National Democratic Club, longtime Dupont Circle anchor.

 

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Meeting Minutes of Naval Lodge No. 4 F.A.A.M. 1813

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Edited and Introduced by Isaiah Akin

This book contains the Meeting minutes of Naval Lodge No. 4 F.A.A.M. of Washington DC from 1813, along with articles about the people mentioned and the Washington Navy Yard where many of them worked, and gives insight into Freemasonry in early America.

In the book, you will find images of the original minutes from 1813, and on the opposite page, you will find a transcription of those minutes to make reading a bit easier. In addition, notnaval-meetings-book-cover-1813 copyes and articles of historical interest have been added.

Strictly speaking, minutes are a record of what happened at a particular meeting. They list who attended, what motions were made, what votes taken, and so on. At first glance, they can be very dry, very mundane. Although written 200 years ago with quill pens and by candlelight, they closely resemble minutes taken at meetings today.

But it is that similarity that makes them so important. These minutes help ensure a sense of continuity. They help preserve a shared Masonic history and culture.

These minutes help us realize that when George Washington became a Mason in 1752, he went through a ceremony very similar to what we went through to become Masons. They remind us that the symbols we use, and the values we cherish, are very similar to those embraced by Elias Ashmole when he became a Freemason in 1646.

These minutes are a symbol that just as Freemasonry has existed for hundreds of years, so it will continue for hundreds more.

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Homeopathy: B.F. Bittinger’s Historical Sketch of Washington’s Hahnemann Monument 

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One of the more imposing monuments in Washington is not to a general or to a congressman but to a leader in the homeopathic movement. One may wonder whether homeopathic remedies are effective; there is not an iota of proof that the promises the movement makes are ever kept, but homeopathic systems continue to be financed by governments, including India and Britain, and to be patronized by notables such as the British royal family. The monument therefore is one of the capital’s most interesting, if controversial sights.

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Meeting Minutes of Naval Lodge No. 4 F.A.A.M. 1812

Purchase through Amazon

Edited and Introduced by Isaiah Akin

This book contains the Meeting minutes of Naval Lodge No. 4 F.A.A.M. of Washington DC from 1812, along with articles about the people mentioned and the Washington Navy Yard where many of them worked, and gives insight into Freemasonry in early America.

In the book, you will find images of the original minutes from 1812, and on the opposite page, you will find a transcription of those minutes to make reading a bit easier. In addition, notes and articles of historical interest have been added.

Strictly speInfuriating coveraking, minutes are a record of what happened at a particular meeting. They list who attended, what motions were made, what votes taken, and so on. At first glance, they can be very dry, very mundane. Although written 200 years ago with quill pens and by candlelight, they closely resemble minutes taken at meetings today.

But it is that similarity that makes them so important. These minutes help ensure a sense of continuity. They help preserve a shared Masonic history and culture.

These minutes help us realize that when George Washington became a Mason in 1752, he went through a ceremony very similar to what we went through to become Masons. They remind us that the symbols we use, and the values we cherish, are very similar to those embraced by Elias Ashmole when he became a Freemason in 1646.

These minutes are a symbol that just as Freemasonry has existed for hundreds of years, so it will continue for hundreds more.

Click here for a preview of the first 10 pages.