The Hon. John Skene - Westampton, NJ
N 40° 02.104 W 074° 48.127
18T E 516882 N 4431668
To the rear of one of the original farmsteads in New Jersey, Peachfield Plantation, is a cenotaph which honors a 17th century West Jersey land owner and narrates his biography as America's first Freemason.
Waymark Code: WMC1JR
Location: New Jersey, United States
Date Posted: 07/14/2011
Views: 9
To the rear of the house is a small maze of shrubs, in the center of which is a marker shaped like a headstone in a cemetery. Don;t worry, no one is under it. The namesake of the marker is buried somewhere at the property directly across the road from this house. At the top of the reddish granite marker is the square and compasses, the symbol of Freemasonry. The marker reads:
The Hon. John Skene
Born in Scotland
Early Settler of the Province of West Jersey in 1682
Laid Out "Peachfield Plantation" in 1682
Last Deputy Governor of the Province 1685-1688
Presiding Justice of the Burlington Court 1685-1690
Buried Near This Site on August 27, 1690
The First Freemason Resident in America
Installed and Dedicated By
The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge
Of Free and Accepted Masons
Of the State of New Jersey 1984
Marker Name: The Hon. John Skene
Marker Type: Local? Unofficial
Marker text:
Please see long description
Dedication Date: 01/01/1984
City: Westampton
County: Burlington
Group responsible for placement: The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge Of Free and Accepted Masons Of the State of New Jersey
Web Link: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
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