The History Project Begins

The challenge of history is to recover the past and introduce it to the present.
~David Thelen

Who founded the Edward Douglass White Council?
Who purchased Reserve Hill?
Reserve Hill?Where’s that?
Why does the mansion have a turret?
Who is George N. Saegmuller?

As a person who became a Knight this past June I have many questions. While speaking with fellow brothers these are sometimes answered, even with multiple replies. I have been able to get some queries definitively answered. But asking and answering the questions just breed more questions.

We have begun ‘The History Project’. This will help answer the above questions and the thousand others that are important, and maybe not so important, but adds color and flavor, to who we are as EDW Knights of Columbus. I have begun reaching out to Arlington County, the Supreme Council archivist and will be approaching descendants of George N. Saegmuller.

Now, I’m asking you for help. You are a vital part of this project; this cannot be done properly without you. If you have any historic information please get in touch with me. In the coming months I suspect we will have items that need to be identified. We will need your help to clarify and identify them. We envision creating a permanent exhibit within the Council Home, and available on our Web site and in this column.

By the way, Reserve Hill? It’s the name of our land; so named because it held an encampment for reserve Union troops in support of the Federal camp at Minor’s Hill.

The turret? A water tower. Its design? Came from a beer stein, depicting the Nuremburg city wall, that G.N. Saegmuller gave to the mason to use as a scale model.

Saegmuller? Financed the first courthouse and jail for Alexandria [now Arlington] County. He created the twelve-inch telescope used at the U.S. Naval Observatory; it is still on display at the USNO. He also was the creator of the bore sight for military weapons. He was the holder of 41 patents used by the military and in his optical profession.

Please contact me with any photographs or other historic information you can share, no matter how large or minute. It’s all important to us. You can reach me at history@kofcedw2473.org, by leaving an envelope addressed to me or 'The History Project' at the Council Home or call me at (202) 352-7955.