GREENWICH — The bible that George Washington was sworn in on to become the first president of the United States will be on display in Greenwich in June.
The bible is officially called the George Washington Inaugural Bible, which is a King James Version, dated 1767. It has also been used in the inaugurations of Warren G. Harding, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush.
The bible will be on display for free, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on June 20 in the Jewel Room at the Greenwich Library.
“That book symbolizes the very creation of the government itself,” said Andrew Melillo, a member of the local Masonic lodge, Acacia Lodge No. 85, which is responsible for bringing the book to town.
The bible is owned and maintained by St. John’s Lodge No. 1, a Masonic lodge in New York City. George Washington was also a Freemason.
Melillo said he wanted to bring the bible to Greenwich as part of the town’s America 250 celebration because it was a unique artifact that can help connect the public with the special anniversary.
The bible, he said, was a “direct physical link to the birth of the republic.” Having that physical link in Greenwich, he said, will allow people to better appreciate the history. He also hoped it reminded people to be actively engaged in their community and be “civic-minded.”
“I hope that, especially with the younger generations and maybe a reminder to the older generations, that it’s not just some fairy tale story book,” Melillo said. “It’s a real thing. It actually happened.”
During the war, the British took livestock and kidnapped American officers in the middle of the night and skirmishes broke out in the area, he said.
“It was a war that was fought in the frontyards and the backyards of every home in Greenwich,” Melillo said.
Melillo said the bible travels “a moderate amount” and was in Westport in 2024.
He made the request last July for the bible to be shown in Greenwich. His lodge had to pay a relocation fee and travel expenses for the three members of the New York City lodge who must accompany the bible, an amount he said was “hefty enough.”
The bible will be enclosed in a glass case and guarded by a Greenwich police officer while here.
The origins of the bible as Washington’s inaugural bible came out of pure last-minute necessity. According to the National Park Service’s website, “right before the inaugural ceremony began,” people discovered there was no bible for Washington to be sworn in on when he was sworn in in New York City. So, Jacob Morton, then Master of St. John’s Lodge, rushed back to the lodge to retrieve a bible.
The bible is on display in the Federal Hall National Memorial in New York City when the lodge is not using it or on tour.
