New Liberty Police Station Opens with Masonic Dedication

Grand opening festivities were held for the new Liberty Police Station on Saturday, September 20. After the previous facility was destroyed by Hurricane Ike in 2008, PGAL was selected to design a state-of-the-art facility for the Department that, for the past six years, operated out of a temporary building.

Highlighting the day's celebration, Liberty Masonic Lodge No. 48 performed the Cornerstone Leveling and Dedication Ceremony. The Freemasons checked the stone, using ancient tools, to confirm the stone was square, plumb, and level, confirming (symbolically) a strong foundation. Next, the cornerstone was consecrated with corn, wine, and oil - all of which are Masonic symbols of prosperity, health, and peace. Prior to the cornerstone being put into place, a time capsule was inserted into the opening, including a Liberty police badge, rooster of current Department members, and a photo from the ground breaking ceremony. At the closing, PGAL's Project Architect, Victor Quijada, was presented with the square, level and plumb used by the Freemasons.

The design of the 10,000-square-foot, $2.6 million building received praise for its functionality, natural flow and unique ability to complement the neighboring Fire Station (built in 2005) while maintaining its own identity. Tidwell echoed this sentiment commending PGAL and 30 of his staff working together to come up with “the best layout for a police department building in the State of Texas”.