U.S. Capitol cornerstone Masonic ceremony (1793)

On September 18, 1793, George Washington laid the U.S. Capitol's cornerstone in a public ceremony that used Masonic ritual, an event recorded in contemporary accounts and Masonic records. Contemporary documentation describes the ceremony and lists some items reported to have been associated with the cornerstone event. Later claims about hidden symbolism or secret objects have been the subject of historical debate, but the 1793 Masonic cornerstone ceremony itself is well documented.