Continental Congress Treasure Hunt - Memorial Continental Hall cornerstone

     In the movie, Beauty and the Beast the song “Bonjour” has a verse that goes

                    Look there she goes that girl is so peculiar
                    I wonder if she's feeling well
                    With a dreamy, far-off look
                    And her nose stuck in a book
                    What a puzzle to the rest of us is Belle.

       Well, I can say that my nose has been stuck in books, newspapers, and anything else to help me put our history back together!  I have come across so many interesting items that I thought I had better come up for air and share.  My plan is to post as many days out of the week as time permits.  Some of the blog posts will be short, and some will be long.  It will just depend on what I am sharing that day, and the information I have available to me at the time.

     What a better way to begin than to create a treasure hunt for those of you attending Continental Congress!  There are so many wonderful things that I have already shared in many of my programs that those of you attending Continental Congress can see in person.  For those of you who cannot attend, I will do my best to bring it to life for you through words and pictures.

      Many of the treasures I want to share with you have a connection to SCDAR.  Some of those connections, I will share within the blog.  However, some of those connections you will have to wait and learn about at our 125^th celebration in March. 

     I say it’s a treasure hunt.  Well, kind of.  I am going to tell you where the treasure I want you to find is.  The hunt for you is to find your way around the DAR complex to discover the treasure!  Considering we own an entire city block, and have so many nooks and crannies within, it can be difficult to get around to the less well known places in the building.  Happy hunting!

Are you ready to begin?

     The first treasure I want you to find is the cornerstone of Memorial Continental Hall.  If you have heard my program, “So You Think You Know the DAR?” then you have heard me talk about the ceremony to lay the cornerstone to our first building.

President General Cornelia Fairbanks presides at Cornerstone Laying Ceremony.

     On April 19, 1904 as part of the 13^th Continental Congress, President General Cornelia Fairbanks presided over the ceremonies to lay the cornerstone. The gavel used at the ceremony was the same one George Washington used during the events surrounding the laying of the cornerstone of the National Capitol on September 18, 1793.

program of the ceremony

     More than fifty items were placed within the cornerstone pictured in front of Fairbanks.  The following is a list of the items that were securely wrapped by Mr. Fred D. Owen and deposited in a copper box within the cornerstone by the grand treasurer once read from the list by the grand secretary. 

• The Holy Bible, property of a Revolutionary soldier.
• Copy of the Declaration of Independence.
• Imprint of the seal of the United States
• The American flag.
• The insignia of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
• Portraits of the founders: Miss Eugenia Washington, Mrs. Ellen Hardin Walworth, Miss Mary Desha, Mrs. Mary S. Lockwood.
• Original constitution of the Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution and amendment giving right to descend from male or female line.
• Articles of incorporation of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution.
• Constitution and by-laws National Society Daughters of the American Revolution.
• National society documents and imprint of official seal.
• Portraits of the presidents-general: Mrs. Benjamin Harrison, Mrs. Adlai E. Stevenson, Mrs. John W. Foster, Mrs. Daniel Manning, Mrs. Charles W. Fairbanks.
• The first volume of the lineage book, which contains sketches of the charter members.
• List of active officers and full list of Memorial Continental Hall committee from organization to date.
• Reports of treasurers-general.
• The first and last volumes of the official organ, the American Monthly Magazine.
• Book plate of the society.
• One set of five Washington Monument medals.
• Programmes of the thirteen congresses.
• First printed matter, as issued by Mrs. Keim, regarding Memorial Continental Hall and bill.  Also the last printed matter.
• Report of first committee on architectural programme.  Papers sent out to architects for competition for Memorial Continental Hall.  Also the three designs as selected by committee on architecture and approved by the twelfth continental congress, Daughters of the American Revolution.
• Documents of National Society Daughters of the American Revolution work in Spanish war 1898.
• Histories of the society, by Miss Washington and Miss Desha.
• Copy of memorial service commemorating the one hundredth anniversary of the death of George Washington, Church of the Epiphany.
• Portrait of Mary Ball.
• Houdin’s head of Washington.
• Picture of George Washington.
• Picture of Martha Washington.
• Steel engravings of Presidents of United States from Washington to Roosevelt.
• Continental money, dated March 25, 1776.
• Coins of the United States.
• List of contributors to Memorial Continental Hall.
• Contributions from National Society Children of the American Revolution to Memorial Continental Hall.
• History of National Society Children of the American Revolution and poem, “Our Flag of Liberty,” by Mrs. Lothrop.
• Insignia, seal, constitution and by-laws, and list of officers, National Society Children of the American Revolution.
• Official stationery, Daughters of the American Revolution.
• Official ribbon, president-general and society.
• Recognition pin.
• Copies of seals on badges of thirteen original states.
• Engraving of Lafayette.
• Leaflet, statue of Washington for France.
• Specimen stamps, series of 1902, and leaflet of history of the stamps; also Louisiana purchase commemorative series postage stamps, 1904 (complete).
• Copy of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” national hymn.
• Collection of national songs.
• List of National Society Daughters of the American Revolution relics in the Smithsonian Institution.
• Washington Times, containing portrait of president-general, the architect and plan of Memorial Continental Hall.
• Autograph list of clerks at headquarters, Daughters of the American Revolution.
• Portrait of architect and autograph.
• Programmes, 1904
• Directory.
• Invitation and ticket to the ceremonies of laying the corner stone of Memorial Continental Hall.
• First copy of programme of ceremonies of laying corner stone of Memorial Continental Hall.
• Autograph of Mr. Owen, designer of the court.
• Constitution of grand lodge.
• Proceeding of grand lodge, 1903.
• Masonic calendar, 1904.
• Newspaper of current date.

The box was then hermetically sealed and placed in the receptacle.

So when you look at the cornerstone, know that the aforementioned items are there!

ceremony from the back of the seating for guests

     You want to know something else?  A block of marble was sent from the White House after the committee had received the granite slab.  The inscription on the marble slab reads, “From the home of the first president general of the Daughters of the American Revolution.”  It’s a shame that slab could not be used as the cornerstone; however, Mr. J. Veihmeyer, who provided the cornerstone used, refused to receive any compensation once he learned the purpose for which the slab was to be used.  Unfortunately, no one knows where the marble slab from the White House is located.  We know it is somewhere in the Memorial Continental Hall section of the complex, but it is not visible.  You would think it would be in some place prominent unless the workers did not realize what it was and stuck it somewhere that hid it from view.  If only it could be found!

President General Fairbanks making address at the ceremony.

     Why is this significant to SCDAR?  Our own Sara Richardson was a member of the committee to select a site for the home of the DAR!   According to a history written by the Columbia Chapter, Sara even brought an address before the assembly during the ceremony. Unfortunately, there is no mention of that in the available information on the event nor is there a transcript of the event to determine if she made an address.  I am still on the hunt though.  If I discover anything more, I will keep you posted.

Please take a picture of the actual cornerstone by itself as well as you beside it and send it to me.  I want to know how many of you have found the treasure.