Major Pierre Charles L’Enfant, noted architect of the City of Washington, D.C., has been conclusively demonstrated to be a Freemason.

Thanks to the research of Brother Pierre F. de Ravel d’Esclapon, member of the Scottish Rite Valley of Rockville Center NY, we now have the documented research that proves this fact. His published work in the Scottish Rite Journal describes how he came upon what many have claimed for hundreds of years – written evidence of L’Enfant’s initiation into our Gentle Craft. See below for the photograph of the actual record of his proposal in the minutes of Holland Lodge #8:

Photo: Pierre F. de R. d’Esclapon

His proposal for membership took place on April 3, 1789 by then Senior Warden Brother John Stagg Jr. and Brother John Pintard. Brother L’Enfant was then made an Entered Apprentice on June 5th, 1789. It is interesting to note that at one point Brother L’Enfant was appointed to a building committee to investigate properly ventilating the Lodge. This adds further circumstantial evidence that we are talking about the architect of our Capitol City.

Photo: Pierre F. de R. d’Esclapon

So what of this revelation? Some might argue that the Antimasons of the world are rubbing their hands together in glee. No doubt this adds the perception of believability to their conspiracy theories, and therefore I would posit that holders of such opinions aren’t in the least bit surprised. No, I believe that it is the public-facing Masonic scholarship proponents that have the most egg on the face. It is such scholars who are without a doubt most surprised. In true Masonic form however, these Brother Masons are also quick to admit that evidence has necessarily changed their positions.

Perhaps the final question is whether this ultimately means anything. Talks of conspiracy will continue, and scholarship will continually fail and succeed as it always has. Evidence of Brother L’Enfant’s initiation means one thing in the final analysis: whether he ever went on through the subsequent degrees or not (and there is no currently documented and available evidence that he did), he stood before his Lodge as a “Just and Upright Mason”. Let us not side-step it Brethren…

…Major Pierre Charles L’Enfant, architect of the City of Washington, D.C., was a Mason.