In the years 1798 and 1799 the town was the seat of frequent and heated political discussions, and the strong, not to say bitter, feeling was shared in by the entire population of the town. It was during this excitement, and because of the bad feeling it engendered, a number of members of No. 4 Lodge withdrew their membership and organized Fredericksburg American Lodge, for which a dispensation was granted in 1799 by Gov. Robert Brooke, the Grand Master of Masons in Virginia. In the following year the lodge was chartered and given the number 63. It continued to flourish until the breaking out of the Civil war, when it suspended its meetings and finally became extinct. In the bombardment and subsequent sacking of Fredericksburg on the 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th of December, 1862, by straggling Federal soldiers, all of the records of the Masonic Lodge were destroyed or carried away except those from 1752 to 1771, which were taken to Danville, Va., and preserved by Wm. Ware, Esq., a member of the lodge. When No. 4 Lodge first organized its meetings were held in the market house, or town hall, then on Main street near Market alley, but in 1756 the time for holding the meetings was changed to "the day before Spotsylvania county court," which was then held at Germanna, on the Rapidan river, and the place of meeting was fixed at Charles Julien's, who lived between Fredericksburg and Germanna. The lodge continued there for about six years, when it was moved back to the market house to "stay for all time to come," and continued there from 1762 to 1813, when the building was torn down preparatory to the erection of the present town hall and market house. When it was decided to remove the old market house the meetings of the lodge were moved to the "Rising Sun Tavern," the old frame building still standing on Main street between Fauquier and Hawke streets. In the year 1815 the present Masonic hall was completed, which stands on the corner of Princess Ann and Hanover streets. The Fredericksburg Masonic Lodge has, at various periods, embraced in its membership eminent men, including soldiers, Statesmen, professional men and private citizens. Among the first two classes mentioned--soldiers and Statesmen--was the father of his country, George Washington, who, in this historic lodge, received the first degree in Masonry on November 4, 1752, the second degree on March 3, 1753, and the third degree on August 4, 1753, and continued his membership in the lodge to the day of his death. The Bible used in these interesting ceremonies is now in possession of the lodge in a fine state of preservation. It was printed by John Field, at Cambridge, in the year 1668. It is believed that John Paul Jones, the father of our infant navy, was also a member of this lodge.