The House Of The Temple

David Kruger, 33°
S.G.I.G. in Virginia and Grand Secretary General, The Supreme Council, 33°
1733 Sixteenth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20009–3103

In Washington, D.C., at the corner of 16 and S Streets, N.W., stands the magnificent headquarters of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Southern Jurisdiction, U.S.A. It houses the Rite's governing body, the Supreme Council, 33°, and is traditionally called the "House of the Temple." Completed in 1915, this edifice was the first major public building of the renowned architect John Russell Pope. He went on to design, among other notable buildings, the National Archives, the National Gallery of Art, and the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. Mr. Pope took his inspiration for the Scottish Rite headquarters from classical architecture and based his design on one of the ancient "Seven Wonders of the World," the tomb of king Mausolus in what is now Turkey. (Our word mausoleum comes from this architectural marvel.)

The House of the Temple is home to the administrative staff of the Supreme Council, our wonderful Library and Archives, offices of the Scottish Rite Journal, and the ceremonial spaces used by the Scottish Rite—Temple Room, Executive Chamber, and George Washington Memorial Banquet Hall. This building is part of the heritage that belongs to all Scottish Rite Masons and is proudly shared every day with friends and visitors, with a special welcome given to members of the Scottish Rite.

Approaching the front of the building from 16th Street, you ascend 3, 5, 7, and 9 steps to the massive bronze front doors between two 17-ton sphinxes, carved from single blocks of stone, one representing Wisdom and the other Power. Just inside the doors in the atrium is a giant marble table, supported by carved double-headed eagles, which bears the engraving "Salve Frater"—"Welcome Brother." Guided tours are given weekdays from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm, or you can take a virtual tour online. Visitors are always welcome. It is a special privilege of Scottish Rite Masons in the Southern Jurisdiction to have a home away from home while in our nation's capital, and we look forward to extending you a warm welcome.

David Kruger
has been very active in a variety of civic causes in Alexandria, Virginia. Among them are the Red Cross, Boy Scouts, United Givers Fund, Kiwanis (President 1960), Salvation Army, Men of All Faiths (one of the group's founders), Alexandria Board of Health (Secretary), and the Alexandria Hospital, Community Welfare Council, Tuberculosis Association, Boys Club, and Family Service. He served as Vice President of Temple Beth El in Alexandria for nine years and was active in the Conference of Christians and Jews. Bro. Kruger, who practices optometry in Alexandria, became a 50-year member of Norfolk Lodge No. 1 in 1996. A Scottish Rite Mason in the Valley of Alexandria since 1946, he is an expert Masonic ritualist and has served in many leadership roles in the Rite, including President of the Scottish Rite Conference of Virginia in 1975. His outstanding service to the Order was recognized early when he was invested with the rank and decoration of K.C.C.H. in 1953 and coroneted an I.G.H. in 1963. Ill. Kruger became S.G.I.G. in Virginia in 1985 and then Grand Secretary General of the Supreme Council in 1989. He is an Honorary Member of the Supreme Council of Canada and the Supreme Council of the International Order of DeMolay. In 1991, the Grand Lodge of Virginia awarded Ill. Kruger one of its highest honors, the John Blair Medal for Distinguished Service. Other awards and honors continue to recognize Ill. Kruger's service to Freemasonry and humankind.