ELYRIA – The mourning suits, ornate aprons and jeweled collars easily set the group of men apart from the rest of the room Saturday.
Dressed in attire rarely seen in the Elyria High School cafeteria, the men, members of the Grand Lodge of Ohio Free & Accepted Masons and the Elyria Masonic Lodge 787, were at the school to perform a ceremony that is rooted in centuries-old history.
Kevin B. Todd, deputy grand master of the Grand Lodge of Ohio Free & Accepted Masons, uses a square at the laying of the cornerstone at Elyria High School. Chronicle photo by Steve Manheim
When the country was founded, the cornerstone-laying ritual was the first step in constructing a new building. It was the mason’s way of setting the building’s foundation and because all other stones were set in reference to that stone it determined the position of the entire structure.
Saturday, laying the groundwork for the building, which is nearly complete, was not needed. But the members of the Elyria Masonic Lodge have watched from the window of their lodge at Sixth Street and Middle Avenue for nearly two years crews construct the building and wanted to give the new building a proper historic dedication.
“The cornerstone is no longer used per se as the first stone in the building, but doing the ceremony is about tradition,” said Junior Grand Deacon Eric Schau. “It’s about being a part of something that will have a lasting place in the community. Masons have been a part of Elyria since the days of Heman Ely.”
As an Elyria Mason and 1965 graduate of Elyria High School, Schau said he was honored to be asked to be a part of the ceremony.
“Just as the cornerstone symbolizes the strength and support of this beautiful edifice, it also symbolizes the importance this community and this school community places on the future education of the youth in Elyria, providing the very best that can be provided not only in stones and mortar but in materials, equipment and most importantly, staffing,” he said.
Rich Nielson, the district’s director of business services, said the original Washington Building, which was spruced up to blend into the new building, had a cornerstone in the northwest corner and he thought it was fitting for the same to be done with the new building.
However, the ceremony is not just about the history. It also plays back to what is done in the building every day, said Superintendent Paul Rigda.
“The ceremony is somewhat symbolic of what we do,” he said. “The masons are laying a cornerstone of the building, and we believe education is the cornerstone of a community.”
While the Masonic cornerstone ritual is probably the only Masonic ritual, other than a Masonic funeral, that the public will ever see conducted, Masons have played important roles in the school over the years. Schau said there have been former superintendents, principals, administrators, teachers and classified staff who were and are members of the Masonic fraternity.
“We, as Masons, are proud of our civic involvement and will continue to support our schools in any way that we can,” he said.
Contact Lisa Roberson at 329-7121 or lroberson@chroniclet.com.
