Cemetery Headstone Symbols: Compass, Carpenter’s Square and “G”

While visiting a cemetery, you might have wondered about a design you saw carved on an old tombstone and what it means. This article explains what a compass, carpenter’s square and (possibly) the letter “G” symbolize, a headstone design found in cemeteries, church graveyards and memorial parks.

The Compass & Carpenter’s Square Symbol

This symbol typically* comprises two objects:

• A compass (or, more correctly, a pair of compasses), which is commonly used in mathematics and the building/construction trades to draw circles and arcs, and to measure the distance between two points.

• A carpenter’s square (also called a framing square), which is used to calculate angles, pitch and other measurements, and to create right angles and/or straight (perpendicular) lines.

* Sometimes, nestled within the space created by the compass and square, you might also spot the letter “G,” as seen in the photograph above.

The Meaning of the Compass & Carpenter’s Square Symbol

The presence of the compass/carpenter’s square symbol on a tombstone or gravemarker indicates that the deceased was a member of a secretive fraternal society called the Freemasons or Masons. This organization might date back to the Middle Ages in Europe, when stonemasons built great cathedrals and other buildings.

While the precise meaning of this Masonic symbol has been lost to time (and members of the Freemasons do not readily share information about the society), it’s generally accepted that the Mason’s compass and carpenter’s square “represent the interaction between mind and matter” – representative of the organization’s values, which emphasize honor, civic duty, learning and progress, among other things.

Likewise, when it appears, the true meaning of the letter “G” within the symbol is unclear. Some believe it represents God, while others think it stands for geometry, a discipline that uses a compass and square to precisely measure/create angles, lines, etc., and obviously plays a significant part in correctly shaping stone and constructing buildings.

Incidentally, it’s not unusual to see more than one symbol on a cemetery headstone. This article explains the three chain links and the letters “F L T” seen in the photograph above.