Cornerstone ceremony held for Brooke County ambulance station
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WELLSBURG -- More than 30 members of the West Virginia Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, including Lodge 2 of Wellsburg, gathered Saturday at the future site of Brooke County's central ambulance station to seek God's blessing for the headquarters and its occupants.
Conducted at the request of Brooke County Commissioner A.J. Thomas, who is a Mason, the laying of a cornerstone for a publicly used structure is one of only two Masonic rituals that are open to the public, the other being funeral rites conducted for fellow members.
During a service led by Deputy Grand Master Bruce Carroll, orator Greg Riley noted the tradition goes back many years and has been carried on in America by George Washington, who presided over the laying of a cornerstone for the U.S. Capitol in what was then known as Federal City.
They added Masons have laid the cornerstone for 11 structures in Brooke County dating to 1889.
The most recent was on July 23, 2022, for the judicial annex, which nears completion by the Brooke County Courthouse.
Riley noted the practice is an ancient one, originating from a time when the cornerstone was a crucial element of a new structure.
Within the cornerstone for the ambulance station was a section of PVC pipe containing various items reflecting current times, including mementos marking the recent completion of the new bridge between Wellsburg and Brilliant.
Thomas said the capsule will be untouched unless the building is razed or that part of it must be disturbed.
During the ceremony, a prayer was offered that the building should stand for many years while serving those in the county's ambulance service working to ensure the public's health and safety.
Thomas said he's proud to have played a part with other county commissioners and officials in developing the station.
"For too long, Brooke County has just gotten by with its ambulance service," he said, adding the building represents "the county's single largest investment in the agency."
The $2 million structure will replace the county's ambulance stations in Follansbee and the Marshall Terrace area near Bethany.
Designed by the Thrasher Corp. of Clarksburg, the one-story structure will include bays for the agency's five ambulances, each about 12 feet wide; four living quarters; a conference-training room; two offices and a storage area for equipment.
The Waller Corp. of Washington, Pa., is the general contractor for the project.