Packer Commandery No. 23 of the Knights Templar of Pennsylvania conducted a wreath-laying ceremony at Asa Packer's grave site in the Mauch Chunk Cemetery in Jim Thorpe.

They then visited the Asa Packer Mansion nearby, where another ceremony was held, followed by a tour of the mansion. They hoped to shed light on some of the things that Asa Packer was involved in as a Mason.Asa Packer was born in Mystic, Connecticut, on Dec. 29, 1805. He became a carpenter's apprentice to his cousin Edward Packer in Susquehanna County, where he learned to build and repair canal boats.In 1833, Packer moved to Mauch Chunk, where he became the owner of a canal boat and established a firm which built canalboats for the Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company. Afterward, his efforts led to the establishment of the Lehigh Valley Railroad from Mauch Chunk to Easton around 1855.He was active in politics and was a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives; a Carbon County judge; a member of the U.S. House of Representatives; and made an unsuccessful attempt for the Democratic presidential nomination 1868.In 1865 he gave $500,000 and 60 acres of land to establish what eventually became Lehigh University in 1866. It offered tuition-free education for 20 years from 1871 to 1891.His home, which today is the Asa Packer Mansion in Jim Thorpe, was completed in 1861 and is one of the best examples of an Italianate villa in the United States, retaining its original Victorian furnishings. Packer passed away on May 17, 1879. The mansion bearing his name was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1985.Eric Johnson, eminent commander, addressed those gathered at Packer's grave site in the Mauch Chunk Cemetery in Jim Thorpe."All who live or work in this valley owe Asa Packer a great deal of gratitude for giving this area such a great start. His vision, his leadership, his successes, his charity, all things that still have his stamp on our community today."Johnson then presented Director Historian Ava Bretzik with a certificate of appreciation for her 40 years of service at Asa Packer's mansion.