Museum Collections

• Americanism Museum 
• Burl Ives Collection 
• Cornerstone Hall of Freedom 
• Grand Commander's Collection
• Past Sovereign Grand Commanders' Collection 
• J. Edgar Hoover Collection 

Book Collections

• Albert Pike Room/Library
• Archives
• International Collection 
• J. Edgar Hoover Memorial Library
• Robert Burns Library

THE ALBERT PIKE ROOM

This room is a memorial to Albert Pike, who was Grand Commander of this Supreme Council from 1859 until his death in 1891, at the age of 82. During these 32 years, he wrote and compiled many books and became familiar with numerous languages, among them Latin, Greek, and Sanskrit. He is recognized as a great Masonic scholar, philosopher, and historian. He used his vast talents to research and rewrite the Rituals of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite. His renown as a jurist, orator, philosopher, scholar, soldier, and poet extends throughout the world.

The Albert Pike Room contains, in addition to his personal memorabilia, a model of the monument erected in his memory, the original of which is located at Third Street and Indiana Avenue, Northwest, in Washington, D.C., near the U.S. Department of Labor building. This is the only statue in the District of Columbia honoring a Confederate General. Also included in the Pike Room's displays are first editions and holograph copies of many of Pike's works; his original desk, lamp, clock, and chair; many personal items including Masonic regalia, a representative sampling of his large collection of pipes, and a plaster-cast mask similar to a life mask of Abraham Lincoln on display in the Americanism Museum of the House of the Temple.

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THE AMERICANISM MUSEUM

The Americanism Museum contains a rich and varied exhibit of artifacts that illustrate our Fraternity's dedication to personal, social, and intellectual freedom. Here are displayed relics of the colonial and other periods of American history. For instance, there is a foundation stone from the White House which dates back to the original construction. Discovered during renovation started in 1948, the stone bears Masonic markings and is authenticated by a letter from former President Harry S. Truman, 33°. The collection also includes a life mask of President Abraham Lincoln, a lodge lantern used by a Union Army Lodge during the American Civil War, and a kamikaze rifle recovered from a Japanese suicide plane in World War II.

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THE ARCHIVES

The Archives of the Supreme Council are a priceless repository for correspondence, rare documents, important proceedings, and general information about Masonry and the Scottish Rite. Over three million items make up the valuable collection, with the oldest dating back to the early part of the 16th century.

The four rooms that house the Archives are climate controlled for an optimal temperature of 68 degrees and relative humidity of 50 percent. The facility holds records from the Grand Commander's office for the last 20 years and additional rare documents are stored in a large walk-in vault on the lower level of the House of the Temple.

The most modern archival techniques and supplies are used for the preservation of items to be placed in the Archives. Documents, photographs, and imprints are filed in special protective boxes. Among the many papers neatly stored in the boxes, arranged on steel shelving, are rare books and old Rituals. Everything is cataloged and cross-referenced on cards. In 1987, part of this card file system was transferred to electronic format. Ultimately, record retrieval will be entirely computer-based though file cards will always be nearby.

The Archives of the Supreme Council contain one of the best historical repositories of Masonry and the Scottish Rite in the world. Naturally, it corresponds to the history of the United States. As the history of the Supreme Council advances, it does so in parallel with the contributions of the Scottish Rite to our nation. The important material in the Archives holds the key to that story.

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THE BURL IVES COLLECTION

For many decades, Ill. Burl Icle Ives, 33°, Grand Cross, an award-winning singer and actor, touched the hearts of young and old. Beginning his performance career at the age of four, Ill. Ives spent his entire life bringing joy to those around him through both his artistic talent and his kindness. Although most of the world knew him as an entertainer, his membership in Masonry meant a great deal to him, and he constantly devoted himself to numerous charities.

With the help of many generous donations from his wife, Dorothy Ives, and daughter, Barbara Vaughan, the Supreme Council has created a glowing tribute to Brother Burl's life and work. The room housing the Burl Ives Collection was dedicated during the 1997 Biennial Session. The displays are designed to walk the visitor through the different stages of Brother Burl's life, beginning with his childhood, passing through his performance career, and ending with his Masonic accomplishments. Included in the impressive display are a collection of record album covers, family photographs, and personal effects as well as different honors and awards Ill. Ives received both as an entertainer and as a Mason. The collection displays, for instance, the Grand Cross jewel he received in October 1993. This is the highest individual honor the Supreme Council bestows. Of his Masonic awards, it was an honor his wife says meant the most to him. A series of audio clips and color slides of this outstanding Scottish Rite Mason's unforgettable music and career accompany visitors throughout their viewing of the Burl Ives Collection.

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CORNERSTONE HALL OF FREEDOM

The Cornerstone Hall of Freedom was added to the House of the Temple to commemorate the bicentennial Masonic reenactment in 1993 of the laying of the cornerstone of the U.S. Capitol. The stone used during the ceremony, a perfect 18-inch cube, serves as the exhibit's centerpiece. The display also includes other memorabilia from the event including a photographic collage, a replica of the engraved silver plate affixed by George Washington under the original stone, a copy of an 18th-century Masonic apron, and a print of the painting, "George Washington Laying the Cornerstone of the U.S. Capitol, Sept. 18, 1793," by Ill. John D. Melius, 33°.

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THE COWLES COLLECTION

The Cowles Collection remembers Sovereign Grand Commander John Henry Cowles who served from 1921 to 1952. An unusual item in the Cowles Collection is his highly decorated leather chair. Since he resided in an apartment at the House of the Temple, many interesting personal effects are included, as well as a collection of gavels.

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GRAND COMMANDER'S COLLECTION

The Grand Commander's Collection features selections of fine porcelains from around the world, including Royal Copenhagen, Royal Crown Derby, Boehm, Meissen china, and American cut glass. Housed in fine cabinets with Chinoiserie decoration, this unique collection reflects the international scope of the Scottish Rite.

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INTERNATIONAL COLLECTION

Formally established in 1933, the International Collection was dedicated with the following words: “To Universal Freemasonry and especially to those Masonic Bodies with which this Supreme Council holds fraternal intercourse and representation.”

It consists of five sections: (1) Manuscripts and correspondence submitted to the Supreme Council (2) Photographs stored in archival-quality boxes in areas with controlled temperature and humidity (3) Material objects displayed in secure cases (4) Foreign periodicals located in the main stacks (5) The Library itself now filling numerous bookcases in the large reading room on the north side of the House of the Temple’s first floor.

With more than 4,000 volumes from 68 countries, the number of items on each country varies widely and ranges from a single book for countries such as Zambia, Korea, and Malta to several bookshelves for countries such as Canada, England, and Germany. Topics cover a broad spectrum of Masonic interest and make this collection a unique source of information about the worldwide Masonic Fraternity. The countries represented are:

The International Room also contains the Bicentennial Commemorative Exhibit which was displayed at the Charleston, South Carolina, Museum as part of the celebration of the 2001 Bicentennial Session of the Supreme Council, 33°. The exhibit’s several colorful panels, each complemented by a specially designed display case with actual artifacts, trace the history of the Supreme Council from its founding on May 31, 1801, in Charleston to the Scottish Rite today. Articles on display range from antique examples of Masonic china and glassware to rare books, unusual gavels, historic Scottish Rite jewels, and even the boots worn on stage by the well-known contemporary entertainer Ill. Mel Tillis, Grand Cross.

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PAST GRAND COMMANDERS' COLLECTION

This room contains a variety of interesting contributions from Past Sovereign Grand Commanders. Among them are a mounted collection of railway watches, portraits and busts of Past Sovereign Grand Commanders, the Maurice H. Thacher collection of memorabilia and books relevant to the Panama Canal, and the Kenneth S. Kleinknecht, 33°, Exhibit honoring his significant contributions to America's space program.

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THE ROBERT BURNS LIBRARY

During his lifetime, Bro. William R. Smith, 32°, former Director of the National Botanical Gardens in Washington, D.C., assembled one of the most complete collections of published works by and about Scottish poet Robert Burns. Recognized as one of the finest of all Burns collections, second only to the Burns collection in Glasgow, Scotland, it was cataloged by Mr. William Thomson of the Public Library of Edinburgh, Scotland, and recently converted to the Library's computer catalog system by Joan Sansbury, Librarian of the Supreme Council. The industrialist Andrew Carnegie, trustee of Mr. Smith's estate, decided that because Robert Burns had been an ardent Freemason, it would be appropriate to place the Burns collection in the Library of the Supreme Council, with the condition that it be housed in a special room available to the public and community of scholars.

Also included in the library are numerous special holdings such as the Dr. Lewis Carman Collection of Lincolniana, the Claudy Collection on the works of Goethe, and the L.M. Taylor Collection of esoteric literature. Each of these contains enough in-depth materials to satisfy the most demanding scholar.