This stock certificate was issued to John E. Purcell in December 1925. Upon his death, it passed to his heirs.

According to an article published in the Alexandria Guide Book, Spring-Summer 1978, "Ground was broken for the Hotel on April 1, 1925. The contractor, David E. Bayliss, used reinforced concrete construction. In December of that year, shortly before the scheduled opening, it was decided that an annex of twelve rooms should be added to the originally planned 94 rooms."

"On February 25, 1926, the George Mason Hotel opened for business. It contained 106 rooms with 50 baths, 24 showers, and "most modern of all, a toilet for every room. The unifying feature throughout the elegantly furnished building was the liberal use of the George Mason Crest."

The George Mason Hotel located on the corner of Washington and Prince Streets prospered until the 1960s. The structure is now an office building that houses a United States post office on the first floor.