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Vandal steals cornerstone from Phoenix Masonic lodge

The vandal was caught on surveillance video knocking out the granite Freemasons' cornerstone, putting it in bag and lugging it off.

A fraternal order is missing an important piece of its history after a vandal was caught on camera destroying and stealing a cornerstone. 

The cornerstone, which is highly symbolic in the Freemasonry, was laid in a Masonic ceremony back in 1963 along with a time capsule. 

Surveillance video from the Paradise Valley Silver Trowel Masonic Lodge at Cave Creek and Greenway Road shows a man damaging the symbolic cornerstone around November 11.

Credit: Paradise Valley Silver Trowel Masonic Lodge
A photo of the cornerstone of the Paradise Valley Lodge in Phoenix before it was vandalized in November.
Credit: Paradise Valley Silver Trowel Lodge
A vandal destroyed and removed a cornerstone from a Masonic lodge in Phoenix.

Historically, Masonry has been shrouded in secrecy and lore. Tales of legendary treasure belonging to the fraternity have been made famous in pop culture movies like National Treasure. 

Most Freemason temples and lodges lay a cornerstone when they are building a lodge. Often, a time capsule is placed behind the stone. William Greenen, Master, or current elected leader, of the Paradise Valley Silver Trowel Masonic Lodge thinks the vandal may have been after some treasure. 

If that's the case, he or she will have a rude surprise, according to Greenen. 

"It's a loss of history. We will replace and engrave it like the original, but it is sad that somebody would go and purposely...  I mean this is granite. So they take a sledgehammer and beat it up thinking maybe there's gold behind it, but I think they were sorely disappointed," said Greenen. 

Credit: Paradise Valley Silver Trowel Masonic Lodge
The 1963 cornerstone laying at Paradise Valley Silver Trowel Lodge in Phoenix.
Credit: 12 News
A photo shows the 1963 ceremony when Masons laid the cornerstone of the lodge building.

Greenen said the time capsule at this location only has pictures of the cornerstone laying ceremony and some trinkets.

"It's a lot of hard work and really for nothing. So it doesn't make a lot of sense. We've had a lot of other lodges in the Valley that have had their cornerstones smashed too, so I don't know if there's a false sense of what the fraternity is about," he said. 

Credit: 12 News
A board covers the hole where the cornerstone was placed. The Master of the lodge says they will replace it.

The Phoenix Police Department is currently investigating the case. If you have any information, contact them.

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