Three centuries of Masonic history are on display in Cedar Rapids.

“Celebrating 300 Years of Freemasonry, 1717-2017: Masonic Treasures of the Grand Lodge of Iowa,” opened in June and will remain on display through the end of the year at the Grand Lodge of Iowa. The Grand Lodge is the headquarters for all the Masonic Lodges in Iowa.

Freemasonry in Iowa dates back to 1844, predating statehood by two years. The exhibit traces that history and connects it with Freemasonry’s origins in 1717 at the Goose and Gridiron Tavern in London. A gavel made from wood from the tavern is on display, connecting the Iowa Grand Lodge with its historic forebears.

Marking that history is important, said Bill Kreuger, assistant librarian and curator of collections at the Iowa Masonic Library and Museums. Each lodge has to be started under another lodge, which means they can all be traced back to that tavern in London.

Freemasonry started as a philosophical society that grew out of mason trade guilds. Though its rituals are secret, Kreuger said the society focuses on personal betterment in the name of social betterment.

“The whole idea of masonry is to improve yourself and help yourself become a better person,” he said. “There are secrets in masonry, but it’s not a secret society.”

He said education is one of Masonry’s founding principals, and is one of the reasons the Grand Lodge features an extensive library and museum collections, which were used to curate the exhibit.

“One of the tenants of Masonry is ‘Let there be light.’ It’s about improving yourself and improving society,” he said.

The influences of the Masons on society have popped up throughout American history. Many armed forces members throughout history have formed Masonic lodges while deployed; the exhibit includes Masonic badges worn by soldiers in conflicts from the 1700s to Vietnam.

The exhibit also includes stones from the U.S. Capitol Building and from the White House, inscribed with marks of operative masons, the members of the Freemasons who still practiced the guild craft.

President George Washington was a Freemason, as was Benjamin Franklin, and the exhibit includes artifacts related to both of them, as well as to Iowa’s first governor Robert Lucas, and his secretary Theodore S. Parvin, who is credited with bringing Freemasonry to Iowa.

Kreuger said the artifacts in the exhibit, which include letters, maps and commemorative jewels and medallions, illustrate Freemasonry’s rich and long-standing history.

“It’s amazing; 300 years, can you even fathom that?” he said. “Masonry was in existence before many of the colonies were formed. There’s a heritage there.

Anyone is welcome to visit the exhibit, or the library. Visitors can check into the library for a tour of the collection.

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