State of the Union Features a Very Historic Prop

Tuesday's State of the Union address featured a rare historical prop: the marble gavel George Washington used in 1793 when he helped lay the Capitol's cornerstone. The Washington Times reported in advance of the speech that it would sit on House Speaker Mike Johnson's rostrum during the address and would mark the first time the artifact has been displayed during the speech—a move intended to tie the evening to the upcoming 250th anniversary of the nation's founding.

The gavel normally resides with Potomac Lodge No. 5, Washington, DC's oldest Masonic lodge, which worked with Johnson and the US Capitol Historical Society to loan it out. Washington originally presented the gavel to lodge leader Valentine Reintzel after the 1793 ceremony; the lodge says it has since been used to help lay the cornerstone of other landmarks, including the Washington Monument, the Smithsonian Institution, and the National Cathedral.