The ceremony at the Warren County Courthouse on June 12, 2025, was a landmark event for Virginia’s 250th Anniversary, but for those of us who are members of the Craft, it held a deeper, fraternal meaning.

While the public knows Dr. Joseph Warren as the brave Major General who fell at Bunker Hill, we also remember him as Most Worshipful Brother Warren. His influence on American Masonry was profound:

• He served as the Grand Master of Massachusetts.
• He was appointed by the Grand Lodge of Scotland as the Grand Master of Masons for the Continent of America, overseeing the “Ancient” Masonic tradition across the colonies.

Standing there as the flags were lowered to half-staff, I felt a deep sense of connection. Here was a man who didn’t just talk about the principles of Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth—he lived them unto death. It is often said that the American Revolution was fought by Masons, for Masonic ideals, and Dr. Joseph Warren is perhaps the greatest example of that sacrifice.

The dedication of the first 250th Anniversary bench in Virginia on these grounds is a fitting tribute. As “Liberty Man” Larry Johnson sat on that bench, surrounded by SAR and DAR members, the Masonic spirit was palpable. Warren’s leadership in the Lodge provided a blueprint for the leadership needed to birth a new nation.

As a member of Unity Lodge No. 146 and a compatriot of the Colonel James Wood II Chapter, seeing my county namesake honored in this way was a high point of the year. It reminds me that whether we are wearing our Masonic aprons or our SAR medals, we are all part of a lineage of men who believe that liberty is worth the “last full measure of devotion.”

Dr. Warren’s story is the story of Warren County, but it is also the story of every Brother who has ever taken an oath to build a better world.