“These evidences of the number of members of the Craft who built the President’s official residence so intimately aligns Freemasonry with the formation and the founding of our Government that I believe your Grand Lodge will cherish this link between the Fraternity and the Government of the Nation, of which the White House is a symbol.”

Letter from MW & President Harry S. Truman

The Museum of Masonic Culture(Grand Lodge of New Jersey) shines as a pre-eminent jewel in the international museum and library world, focusing on masonic education, presentations, tours (both Masonic and non-masonic), and historical preservation of Freemasonry in New Jersey. This is YOUR Museum of Masonic Culture, and it demonstrates how Freemasonry in NJ fits into our past and today’s culture.

The Library and Museum of Masonic Culture resides in the Grand Lodge Building on Barracks Street in Trenton, NJ.   The Museum team is responsible for protecting and displaying Masonic History and cultural significance.   The Stokes Room, on the 1^st Floor, contains the Library while the Museum inhabits the Corinthian Room on the 2^nd Floor.   The Museum is open during significant Masonic events at the Trenton Temple.   Off-time admission to the Library and Museum is by appointment with the Grand Lodge Office in Trenton or me (Glenn Visscher – [email protected])

As members of Grand Lodge of New Jersey, you are also able to visit the Original Masonic Lodge (next to the Historic Trenton Masonic Temple) for tours or usage for meetings and/or Degrees.   Please contact the Trenton Temple ([email protected]) for scheduling

Our current collection is constantly updated and refined and extends far beyond those of the previous incarnations. The Museum hosts a wide variety of masonic treasures that are historical and antique, and also some that celebrate our current and not-so-current masonic culture. There is truly something for everyone in the collections of the Museum!   In one area, a visitor can see the Masonic Petition of President James Buchanan next to a Letter from President John Adams from 1799.  In the next case, a set of letters from 1824 inviting the Governor of NY to dinner with the Marquis de Lafayette next to a collection of Antique Masonic Firing Glasses.   Another viewer may enjoy the exhibits featuring our Masonic Appendant Bodies, including Antique DeMolay Robes from the 1920s, Eastern Star Cygnets from the late 1800s, a Full collection of Rainbow Girls Officer Jewels, and a complete set of Shrine Fez’ from all over the Americas and Europe. You can see Masonic Marbles and a full Flintstone Degree regalia!

The Museum focuses on Masonic Unity – ALL bodies are honored under the Masonic Family.  Come and see the colorful exhibit of over 60 Masonic Aprons from Jurisdictions around the world and an exhibit of Masonic Automobile Emblems which can be seen on all our streets and highways.

In a special exhibit, we show a Brick from the White House donated by President and MW Harry S. Truman to MW Adrian Hummel and the Grand Lodge of New Jersey in 1952.

Around 1950, the White House was undergoing significant structural renovation and repair.  During the repair, President Truman noticed that many of the interior blocks in the rubble bore an operative stone mason’s mark.  Such a mark is the de facto signature of a mason who worked at cutting and setting stone.

President Truman saved and donated those special stones to all the Masonic Grand Lodges in the US, along with a special letter. The White House stone in the NJ Collection shows a stylized butterfly Mason’s Mark.  The letter accompanying the stone, states, in part: “These evidences of the number of members of the Craft who built the President’s official residence so intimately aligns Freemasonry with the formation and the founding of our Government that I believe your Grand Lodge will cherish this link between the Fraternity and the Government of the Nation, of which the White House is a symbol.”

The” New Jersey Brick” has been a part of a larger exhibit of Bricks from ALL the Masonic Jurisdictions at the George Washington Masonic Memorial in the early 2000s.  It now proudly resides in the Morris Room of the Museum of Masonic Culture, ready to be viewed by all who visit.

We welcome all Masons and Non-Masons to visit and learn from the Museum and Library.  Tours are welcomed and encouraged – please contact The Grand Lodge Office or Glenn Visscher ([email protected])  for further information.

Make sure that you check out “Masonic Unity-The Rite Stuff” Podcasts for further details about the Museum exhibits.   Take a walk with our hosts (Glenn & Mark) and enjoy all the Museum has to offer.  You can access past podcasts on YouTube at “Masonic Unity – The Rite Stuff”.  See you soon!

Glenn T. Visscher
Chair – Museum & Library Committee