How is Colonial Lodge Different?

While Colonial Lodge follows the rituals and traditions of all lodges charted by the Grand Lodge of Masons of the District of Columbia, there are a few things which distinguish us from most Masonic Lodges.

An Affinity Lodge

Most Masonic lodges don’t declare a particular ‘affinity’ or additional characteristic that is common among their members, aside from being men of good character who come together for the betterment of themselves and their community.

In addition to being Masons, all members of Colonial are also a part of The George Washington University (GW) community — students, alumni, faculty, staff, etc. We continue the long history of Freemasonry at GW and incorporate the culture of our alma mater into our regular meetings and activities. Our shared connection to GW further cements our fraternal bonds and experiences. As a lodge with ties to academia, our members wear traditional academic attire in addition to our Masonic regalia.

The House of the Temple

We hold our meetings in the historic House of the Temple, the headquarters of the Supreme Council of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry (Southern Jurisdiction). The building is an architectural wonder, designed by John Russell Pope, who would go on to design the National Archives and Jefferson Memorial. Our meetings are held in the Temple Room, a vast vaulted chamber, featured in Dan Brown’s “The Lost Symbol”.

The Scottish Rite also has a long history of supporting The George Washington University and underscores the ties we have to our alma mater.

Academic Attire
Given our academic affinity, Colonial lodge takes our lodge attire a step further than most lodges. In addition to the Masonic regalia of aprons and officer jewels, Master Masons (full members) of our lodge wear ‘subfusc’ attire – dark suit, white shirt, and white bow ties – as well as academic robes and hoods.