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National Heritage Museum
The Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library, formerly known as the National Heritage Museum and the Museum of Our National Heritage, is a museum located in Lexington, Massachusetts. Its emphasis is on American history, Freemasonry, and fraternalism, including co-ed and women's organizations, and it contains the Van Gorden-Williams Library & Archives. The museum was founded in 1975, to correspond with the start of the Bicentennial of the United States and is partially funded by the Supreme Council, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of the Scottish Rite, an appendant body of Freemasonry. The museum features general interest galleries with changing exhibits about fraternal organizations such as the Masons, American history and culture, and Lexington's role in the American Revolution. Since 2013, the same building houses the headquarters of the Supreme Council, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of the Scottish Rite. Previously, the headquarters was located in a 1905-built mansion which wa ...
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Lexington, Massachusetts
Lexington is a suburban town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, located 10 miles (16 km) from Downtown Boston. The population was 34,454 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The area was originally inhabited by Native Americans, and was first settled by Europeans as a farming community. Lexington is well known as the site of the first shots of the American Revolutionary War, in the Battles of Lexington and Concord, Battle of Lexington on April 19, 1775, where the "Shot heard round the world, Shot heard 'round the world" took place. It is home to Minute Man National Historical Park. History Indigenous history Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans inhabited the area that would become Lexington for thousands of years prior to European colonization of the Americas, as attested by a woodland era archaeological site near Loring Hill south of the town center. At the time of European contact, the area may have been a border region ...
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Scottish Rite
The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry is a List of Masonic rites, rite within the broader context of Freemasonry. It is the most widely practiced List of Masonic rites, Rite in the world. In some parts of the world, and in the Droit Humain, it is a Masonic bodies, concordant body and oversees all degrees from the 1st to 33rd degrees, while in other areas, a Supreme Council oversees the 4th to 33rd degrees. It is most commonly referred to as the Scottish Rite. Sometimes, as in England and Australia, it is called the Rose Croix, though this is just one of its degrees, and is not to be confused with other Masonic related Rosicrucian societies such as the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia. Its name may vary slightly in various jurisdictions and constitutions. For example, the English and Irish Constitutions omit the word ''Scottish''. Master Masons from other rites may, in some countries, join the Scottish Rite's upper degrees starting from the 4th degree due to its ...
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Freemasonry
Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizations in history. Modern Freemasonry broadly consists of three main traditions: *Anglo-American Freemasonry, Anglo-American style Freemasonry, which insists that a "volume of sacred law", such as the Bible, Quran, or other religious text be open in a working Masonic lodge, lodge, that every member professes belief in a God, supreme being, that only men be admitted, and discussion of religion or politics does not take place within the lodge. *Continental Freemasonry or Liberal Freemasonry which has continued to evolve beyond these restrictions, particularly regarding religious belief and political discussion. *Co-Freemasonry, Women Freemasonry or Co-Freemasonry, which includes organizations that either admit women exclusively (such as the Ord ...
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United States Bicentennial
The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to historical events leading up to the creation of the United States as an independent republic. It was a central event in the memory of the American Revolution#Commemorations, American Revolution. The Bicentennial culminated on Sunday, July 4, 1976, with the 200th anniversary of the adoption of the United States Declaration of Independence, Declaration of Independence by the Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Fathers in the Second Continental Congress. Background The nation had always commemorated the founding as a gesture of patriotism and sometimes as an argument in political battles. Historian Jonathan Crider points out that in the 1850s, editors and orators both North and South claimed their region was the true custodian of the legacy of 1776, as they used the Revolution symbolically in their rhetoric. The plans for the Bicentennial began when 89th ...
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Supreme Council, Scottish Rite, Northern Jurisdiction, USA
The Supreme Council, Scottish Rite, Northern Jurisdiction oversees the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry in fifteen states: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Wisconsin and Vermont. This territory has existed since 1827 when the NMJ gained jurisdiction "over the then 14 states situated east of the Mississippi and north of the Mason-Dixon Line. Wisconsin was not yet a state, but part of Michigan." Formed in 1813, the Northern Jurisdiction is divided into "Valleys." Each Valley has up to four subordinate bodies, and each body confers a set of degrees. The four subordinate bodies are the Lodge of Perfection, which confers degrees 4 through 14, the Council of Princes of Jerusalem, which confers degrees 15 and 16, the Chapter of Rose Croix which confers degrees 17 and 18, and the consistory which confers degrees from 19 to 32. History Beginnings Most of the thirty-three degr ...
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List Of Masonic Libraries
There are a number of libraries that collect and display books and items related to Freemasonry. Notable libraries, sometimes coupled with a museum, include: United Kingdom * Museum of Freemasonry, Freemasons' Hall, London United States * Center for Fraternal Collections and Research, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana * Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, Library and Museum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania * House of the Temple, Washington, DC * Iowa Masonic Library and Museum, Cedar Rapids, Iowa * Masonic Library and Museum of Indiana, Indianapolis Masonic Temple, Indianapolis, Indiana * Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library, Lexington, Massachusetts A more complete listing can be found on the website of the Masonic Library and Museum Association. References {{Freemasonry footer Masonic Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternit ...
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History Museums In Massachusetts
History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some theorists categorize history as a social science, while others see it as part of the humanities or consider it a hybrid discipline. Similar debates surround the purpose of history—for example, whether its main aim is theoretical, to uncover the truth, or practical, to learn lessons from the past. In a more general sense, the term ''history'' refers not to an academic field but to the past itself, times in the past, or to individual texts about the past. Historical research relies on primary and secondary sources to reconstruct past events and validate interpretations. Source criticism is used to evaluate these sources, assessing their authenticity, content, and reliability. Historians strive to integrate the perspectives of several sources to devel ...
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Museums In Middlesex County, Massachusetts
A museum is an institution dedicated to displaying or Preservation (library and archive), preserving culturally or scientifically significant objects. Many museums have exhibitions of these objects on public display, and some have private collections that are used by researchers and specialists. Museums host a much wider range of objects than a library, and they usually focus on a specific theme, such as the art museums, arts, science museums, science, natural history museums, natural history or Local museum, local history. Public museums that host exhibitions and interactive demonstrations are often tourist attractions, and many draw large numbers of visitors from outside of their host country, with the List of most-visited museums, most visited museums in the world attracting millions of visitors annually. Since the establishment of Ennigaldi-Nanna's museum, the earliest known museum in ancient history, ancient times, museums have been associated with academia and the preserva ...
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Masonic Museums In The United States
Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizations in history. Modern Freemasonry broadly consists of three main traditions: * Anglo-American style Freemasonry, which insists that a "volume of sacred law", such as the Bible, Quran, or other religious text be open in a working lodge, that every member professes belief in a supreme being, that only men be admitted, and discussion of religion or politics does not take place within the lodge. *Continental Freemasonry or Liberal Freemasonry which has continued to evolve beyond these restrictions, particularly regarding religious belief and political discussion. * Women Freemasonry or Co-Freemasonry, which includes organizations that either admit women exclusively (such as the Order of Women Freemasons and the Honourable Fraternity of Anci ...
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Libraries In Massachusetts
The Western Massachusetts Regional Library System (WMRLS), was a collaborative that was supported by the state of Massachusetts, that provided leadership and services to foster cooperation, communication, and sharing among member libraries of all types in western Massachusetts, U.S. WMRLS assisted member libraries in promoting access to services. It ceased operations on June 30, 2010 as part of a statewide merger of regional library services into a single entity ( Massachusetts Library System, or MLS). WMRLS existed in a state of dormancy from 2010-2017. The WMRLS corporation was dissolved in 2017. Overview Membership in WMRLS was open to any library within western Massachusetts that met the basic requirements set by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC). There was no charge for membership. WMRLS was governed by a Council of Members representing the Region's member libraries. The annual operating budget and Plan of Service were approved by the Council of Memb ...
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Buildings And Structures In Lexington, Massachusetts
A building or edifice is an enclosed structure with a roof, walls and windows, usually standing permanently in one place, such as a house or factory. Buildings come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and functions, and have been adapted throughout history for numerous factors, from building materials available, to weather conditions, land prices, ground conditions, specific uses, prestige, and aesthetic reasons. To better understand the concept, see ''Nonbuilding structure'' for contrast. Buildings serve several societal needs – occupancy, primarily as shelter from weather, security, living space, privacy, to store belongings, and to comfortably live and work. A building as a shelter represents a physical separation of the human habitat (a place of comfort and safety) from the ''outside'' (a place that may be harsh and harmful at times). buildings have been objects or canvasses of much artistic expression. In recent years, interest in sustainable planning and building practi ...
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Masonic Buildings In Massachusetts
Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizations in history. Modern Freemasonry broadly consists of three main traditions: * Anglo-American style Freemasonry, which insists that a "volume of sacred law", such as the Bible, Quran, or other religious text be open in a working lodge, that every member professes belief in a supreme being, that only men be admitted, and discussion of religion or politics does not take place within the lodge. *Continental Freemasonry or Liberal Freemasonry which has continued to evolve beyond these restrictions, particularly regarding religious belief and political discussion. * Women Freemasonry or Co-Freemasonry, which includes organizations that either admit women exclusively (such as the Order of Women Freemasons and the Honourable Fraternity of Anci ...
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