Honoring and recognizing Lodge No. 2 of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, Free and Accepted Ancient York Masons, for its historical significance in the founding of the nation, its 268 Years of dedication to leadership and mentorship, and its continued contributions to charitable organizations in the City of Philadelphia.

Honoring and recognizing Lodge No. 2 of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, Free and Accepted Ancient York Masons, for its historical significance in the founding of the nation, its 268 Years of dedication to leadership and mentorship, and its continued contributions to charitable organizations in the City of Philadelphia. WHEREAS, Lodge No. 2, Free and Accepted Ancient York Masons, was constitutionally warranted in 1758 and maintained a continuous existence in the City of Philadelphia for 268 years, making it the oldest existing Masonic Lodge in Pennsylvania, and one of the oldest fraternal organizations in North America; and WHEREAS, The history of Lodge No. 2 is inextricably linked to the birth of the United States, as its membership during the Revolutionary War included a distinguished roster of patriots, comprising sixteen colonels, ten majors, and twenty-eight captains of the Continental Army, including such notable figures as Colonel Thomas Proctor, High Sheriff of Philadelphia, and Colonel Allen McLane; and WHEREAS, Lodge No. 2 played a pivotal role in the early civic life of the young nation, organizing the historic procession to Christ Church on December 28, 1778, in which brother George Washington participated, celebrating the British evacuation of Philadelphia; and WHEREAS, The Reverend William Smith, D.D., Provost of the College of Philadelphia (now the University of Pennsylvania) and a prominent member of Lodge No. 2, authored the Ahiman Rezon of 1783, the book of …