Double-Headed Eagle, National Heritage Museum - Lexington, MA - Epic Beings and Creatures on Waymarking.com

In Lexington, just off the intersection of Rte 225 and Rte 2A, is the National Heritage Museum, which is a museum about the history and culture of America and Freemasonry. At the entrance to the museum, on the right side, is a large stainless steel logo in the form of a double-headed eagle. This logo is the symbol used by the Scottish Rite Freemasonry.

According to a Wikipedia article on double-headed eagles, this symbol has been seen as far back as the 20th century BC. The symbol was more commonly associated with the Byzantine Empire. The exact date is debated, but the most agreed on theory is that it started around 1025. The Holy Roman Empire also used a double-headed eagle starting abour 1250 as a symbol that the government included both the Church and State in the government. The symbol also appeared in the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Russia.

The symbol was introduced by the Scottish Rite Freemasonry in the 1760s as a symbol of one of their degrees. Today, it represents the entire order. The headquarters for the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction in the United States of America is headquartered here - the offices are at the other end of the museum's parking lot. The museum was a gift of the Scottish Rite to the nation during the Bicentennial (1975-6).

Sources:

Wikipedia (Double-headed Eagle):
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National Heritage Museum:
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Time Period: Middle Ages Approximate Date of Epic Period: 20th Century BC to modern times. Epic Type: Mythical Exhibit Type: Other

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