Masons present cornerstones at DPISD's 2 new buildings

The Masonic Lodge of Deer Park officially dedicated the cornerstone to the district's administration building this week. A similar ceremony also took place at San Jacinto Elementary. Photo by Bobby Vasquez.

Deer Park ISD's two newest buildings received their cornerstones from the Deer Park Masonic Lodge this week.

The new campus of San Jacinto Elementary, which opened on Jan. 22, and the Deer Park ISD Educational Service Center, which opened last school year hosted the Masonic ceremonies.

The ceremony dates back hundreds of years, said Brian Dodson, who presided over the ceremonies at San Jacinto Elementary and the ESC

"Benjamin Franklin did the same service; George Washington did the same service. We still perform the ceremonies who dedicate the public buildings," said Dodson.

When you do something like this, the students are going to pass that stone every day. This is a foundation of learning," he said.

The cornerstones will be placed at the northeast corner of the buildings, in accordance with Masonic tradition. North represents dark while east represents light. The intersection of the two compass points is where man passes from the dark and into the light.

Masons performing the ceremonial rites used the tools square, level and plumb to check the accuracy of the cornerstones. Corn, wine and oil were symbolically poured onto the stones to bring about health, prosperity and joy.

Conceptually, all stones of a building are laid after the cornerstone, as the cornerstone is the reference point to which all other stones are laid and determines the building's position.