Continental Congress Treasure Hunt: Constitution Hall Memory Book

          Membership in DAR continued to grow and before long, we had outgrown Memorial Continental Hall.  A new auditorium was needed.  Ground was broken on June 22, 1928, and the corner stone was laid by Mrs. Calvin Coolidge October 30, 1928 with the same trowel that George Washington used to lay the cornerstone for the Capitol in 1793.  Once again, the daughters were asked to raise money for this new building.  Members sent money. States purchased state boxes.  Chapters purchased chairs.   On April 19, 1929, Mrs. Herbert Hoover addressed the assembly during the formal dedication of the building. 

          Constitution Hall is not the treasure today.  Instead, today’s treasure is the Constitution Hall Memory Book.  I love this story and once again, include it in my program “So You Think You Know the DAR,” just as all of the treasures I have presented thus far. 

In 1933, members decided that they wanted to honor all DAR members who contributed to the construction of Constitution Hall.  In 1933, they began a project which would not be completed until 1938 to do just that.  All of the states and many of the chapters overseas were represented with depictions of each state seal in full color along with a list of items contributed to Constitution Hall in this one of a kind volume.  Most gifts given consisted of cash, chairs, and other furnishings.

dedication page of Constitution Hall Memory Book

          The hinges attached to the binding are solid gold.  The insignia is partially cast in platinum.  The DAR committee responsible for the project asked DAR members to send them anything made of gold that could be melted down to make the binding.  Members enthusiastically contributed wedding rings, dental fillings—sometimes with the teeth still attached—and other assorted objects. 

one of the pages of the book demonstrating the artwork of the state seals and contributions

          This book resides in the Office of the Historian General, now the Department of Archives and History, in a glass case.  Tracy Robinson, Department Head, removes the book from its case and shows some of the pages of the book at the end of the week of Continental Congress.  I encourage you to go by and get the exact day and time that the book will be shown.  It is well worth your time to see it when she shows it.  The artwork in the book is absolutely beautiful.  What a treasure!

HAPPY HUNTING!