The Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Union Lodge No. 5 in Stamford will commemorate its 250th anniversary with a gala at historic Putnam Cottage in Greenwich Sunday, Nov. 17, 1:30-4:30 p.m.
The event is private, to be held in a tent adjacent to the Putnam Cottage/Knapp Tavern, at 243 E. Putnam Ave., and will feature access to the tavern. Confirmed attendees include the Greenwich Historical Society, Stamford Historical Society and fellow Masons from Fairfield and Westchester counties.
George Washington, a Mason, visited Greenwich and Knapp Tavern frequently, according to the Masons. In his diary, Washington reflected on the beauty he witnessed during his travels: “the superb landscape which is to be seen from the meeting house in Greenwich is a rich regalia.” The tavern was also utilized during the American Revolution by Washington”™s second-in-command, General Israel Putnam, also a Mason.
Putnam Cottage/Knapp Tavern, preserved by the Putnam Hill Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution since 1906, was the site of Union No. 5”™s original charter Nov. 18, 1763 and is considered “the cradle of Masonry in Greenwich.”
Masonry, in turn, helped rock the cradle of American commerce; many business leaders were members and the order”™s secret symbols are said to decorate U.S. currency still.
