1 7 8 7 . ▁While ▁the ▁" A th ol " ▁Char ter ▁desc ended ▁from ▁the ▁" An ci ents ", ▁Living ston ▁himself ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁a ▁" Mod ern " ▁L odge . ▁ ▁Thus ▁the ▁two ▁rival ▁Grand ▁L odge ▁trad itions , ▁which ▁in ▁England ▁did ▁not ▁un ite ▁until ▁ 1 8 1 3 , ▁had ▁already ▁merged ▁before ▁that ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁State . ▁ ▁St . ▁John ' s ▁L odge ▁No . ▁ 1 , ▁A . Y . M . ▁ ▁St . ▁John ' s ▁L odge , ▁char tered ▁in ▁ 1 7 5 7 , ▁is ▁the ▁oldest ▁operating ▁L odge ▁under ▁the ▁juris diction ▁of ▁the ▁Grand ▁L odge ▁of ▁New ▁York . ▁St . ▁John ' s ▁L odge ▁is ▁the ▁cust od ian ▁of ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁George ▁Washington ▁In aug ural ▁Bible . ▁On ▁April ▁ 3 0 , ▁ 1 7 8 9 , ▁it ▁was ▁upon ▁this ▁Bible ▁that ▁George ▁Washington ▁took ▁his ▁o ath ▁of ▁office ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁President ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁the ▁L odge ▁formed ▁a ▁registered ▁public ▁char ity ▁for ▁the ▁purpose ▁of ▁pres erving , ▁maintain ing ▁and ▁rest oring ▁the ▁George ▁Washington ▁In aug ural ▁Bible . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁the ▁St . ▁John ' s ▁L odge ▁No . ▁ 1 ▁Foundation , ▁Inc . ▁received ▁recognition ▁as