Masons' Hall

Masons' Hall is the nation's oldest continuously used Masonic building. Planned after the Revolutionary War by notable figures in American Masonry, it was constructed from 1785-1787 under the leadership of Edmund Randolph, the first Attorney General of the United States and a Governor of Virginia. Prominent lawyer John Marshall, best known as the longest serving Chief Justice of the United States, was instrumental in encouraging financial support for the project and sometimes worked in the building., Designed for a growing, young, capital city, Masons' Hall has hosted many church, social, and civic events through the years. Virginia delegates to the Constitutional Convention met here before traveling to Philadelphia in 1787. The building also served as a hospital during the War of 18 12. The Marquis de Lafayette was welcomed here as a distinguished visitor in 1824. Richmond City Hustings Court and City Council meetings were sometimes held in the hall. This important landmark was protected by Union forces during the evacuation of Richmond in 1865 and today Masons' Hall bears witness to local history as one of the few remaining 18th-century buildings in the city.