Photo Challenge #220

I thought last week’s Photo Challenge was one of those hiding-in-plain-sight views.

But plenty of people instantly knew: J.P. Vellotti’s image showed the sculpture on the front of 210 Post Road East.

That’s the building on the corner of Imperial Avenue that houses Harding Funeral Home.

More importantly — for this story, anyway — it’s also the home of Masonic Temple Lodge #65.

Westport’s Masons have been around since 1824 — more than a decade before Westport was incorporated. The Post Road building has been their headquarters since 1911 — before anyone currently living here was born.

But the sculpture — actually, the Masons’ symbol — was not affixed to the building until last November. It hasn’t escaped the notice of Westporters, apparently.

The symbol (click here for the photo) depicts the square and compass used by stonemasons. (The Freemasons trace their origins to 14th century stonemasons.) The “G” — sometimes used in the symbol, sometimes not — refers to either “geometry” or “Great Architect of the Universe” (God).

You can read all about the sculpture, and its placement on the Westport building, here (hat tip: Elaine Marino). And click here for my 2015 story on my visit to the Lodge.

Congratulations to Fred Cantor, John L. Krause, Michael Calise, Andrew Colabella, Jonathan McClure, Michael A. Vitelli, Elaine Marino, Rich Stein, Bobbie Herman, Alan Goldberg, Diane Silfen, Dianne Ford, Molly Alger and James Leonard — alert “06880” readers all, who knew exactly where to find last week’s Photo Challenge.

Here’s this week’s Challenge. If you know where in Westport you’d find this, click “Comments” below.

(Photo/Chip Stephens)