Masonic Apron

While attending the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, James Monroe was initiated into Freemasonry on November 9, 1775. He later joined Fredericksburg Lodge Number 4 in the 1780s, receiving this apron. Many Continental Army officers, including George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette, were Masons, as were many influential leaders in politics and business. Monroe remained an active Mason throughout his life, and as president took part in several ceremonies and dedications featuring Masonic rites.