This historic Gavel was made by John Duffy for use by President George Washington in the Masonic ceremony of the laying of the cornerstone of the United States Capitol building on September 18, 1793. Duffy, reputedly a member of Fredericksburg Lodge No. 4 in Virginia, George Washington’s mother Lodge, was a silversmith by trade and was married to a daughter of President Washington’s gardener. He also made the silver trowel and other Masonic implements used in that cornerstone ceremony, reportedly at the personal request of George Washington.

At the conclusion of the cornerstone laying ceremonies, President Washington gave the silver trowel to Alexandria Lodge (now Alexandria-Washington Lodge No. 22), of which he was the charter Master. He presented the Gavel to Valentine Reintzel, the Master of Lodge No. 9 of Maryland, whose members were present and participating in the ceremony. Valentine Reintzel was a Town Councilman and merchant of Georgetown who became the first Grand Master of Masons of the District of Columbia when the Grand Lodge was formed in 1811. Most Worshipful Brother Reintzel retained personal possession of the Gavel until his death in 1817 when his family returned it to Potomac Lodge. Potomac Lodge was originally chartered on April 21, 1789, and its then Master, Peter Cassanave, and Lodge members laid the cornerstone of the White House on October 13, 1792.

This information on the George Washington Gavel was taken from a brochure prepared by Potomac Lodge No. 5 and Riggs Bank.