Sir Christopher Wren, (1632-1723) Grand Architect of England

Saint Pauls Cathedral, London, England


After the conflagration of the great fire of 1666, Charles II commissioned Sir Christopher Wren, architect, with the design and rebuilding of St Paul's Cathedral in London. This was to be among the numerous other undertakings with which Wren was charged over his lifetime including: the Royal Hospital at Chelsea (1682-1689), the work done at Hampton Court Palace (1689-1696) for King William III and Queen Mary, and the Royal Naval Hospital at Greenwich (1696-1705). Wren was initiated into the Fraternity of Accepted Masons on May 18, 1691. "Records of the Lodge Original, No. 1, now the Lodge of Antiquity No. 2" mention him as being Master of the lodge.

The design, purposefully lacking the stain glass windows which had heretofore been customary in most houses of worship, opted for clear windows which allowed a spectacular amount of light to enter the cathedral. The natural light cascaded over the numerous features and carvings of the monochromatic marble walls. The floor was a tesselated black and white tile pattern. The dome of St Paul's Cathedral is 300 feet high.

Towards the end of his life, Brother Wren would sit in various places of the Cathedral and marvel. He is buried in the crypt of St Paul's. His simple tomb reads, "Reader, if you seek his monument, look about you."

Gate City II is an Atlanta Masonic Lodge. We are Free and Accepted Masons working under the jurisdiction of The Grand Lodge of Georgia. Our regular meetings are the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays January – May, September – November, the 2nd Tuesday in June, August and December and the 4th Tuesday in July. We meet at the Atlanta Masonic Center (formerly The Atlanta Masonic Temple) 1690 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30309