A Tour of the Lion Statues of Washington D.C.
House of the Temple
(Scottish Rite of Freemasonry Center), 16th Street
The two ‘lions’ evoke the sphinxes that lay in front of Soloman’s Temple, representing wisdom (south side) and power (north side). Both were carved by Adolph Alexander Weinman – best known for creating the Mercury Dime and Walking Liberty Half Dollar – out of two pieces of solid limestone weighing 76 tons. The temple was completed in 1915 after four years of construction. Over its distinguished history, it won praise from many contemporary architects; it also hosted the first public library in Washington D.C. (Source and source)
https://www.flockingsomewhere.com/dc-sightseeing-the-lion-statues-of-the-nations-capital/