Odd Fellows

Norwood Odd Fellows Building // 1912

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In the early 20th century, Norwood, Massachusetts, shifted from sleepy rural town to a commercial and population center with a population tripling in size between 1900 and 1930. Located on Washington Street, the town’s main commercial street, the Odd Fellows Building stands as a reminder of the historical importance to charitable and social organizations. Designed by Boston architect Clarence Blackall, the three story building is characterized by a boxy rectangular form, yellow and tan masonry with limestone and granite trimmings, and its somewhat minimal detailing. Built in 1912, the building’s first floor was designed to contain two stores, the second floor housed the club rooms and meeting hall, and third-story containing restrooms and a kitchen. The Classical Revival style building is one of the larger and more significant commercial structures in the town center.

Whitaker Block // c.1870

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One of the finest commercial buildings in downtown Saugerties, New York, is the Whitaker Block, a landmark Second Empire style structure from the years following the American Civil War. The structure dates to around 1870 and was first owned by an E. Whitaker and was mixed use with retail at the street and offices above. Additionally, the building was home to the local chapter of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) a fraternal social organization. The three-story with mansard roof building stands out for its architectural details and integrity which largely remain intact to this day.

Denmark Odd Fellows Hall – Denmark Arts Center // 1884

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This two-and-a-half-story building sits on Main Street in the small town of Denmark, Maine, and has contributed to the town’s cultural life since it was built in 1884. The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) is a non-political and non-sectarian international fraternal group that promotes the ethic of reciprocity and charity. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Wildey in Baltimore, Maryland, evolving from the Order of Odd Fellows founded in England during the 1700s. New buildings sprouted up all over the United States in the 19th century, in cities as large as New York City and towns as small as Denmark. This IOOF Hall is Italianate in style, with brackets at the cornice and hoods and round arched windows in the gable end; it also shows some Greek Revival details with corner pilasters and the pediment. When Raymond Hale, the last member of the IOOF Lodge passed away, the town purchased the old Odd Fellows Hall. The city could not maintain the property and had no good use for it. Residents in town voted in 1991 to sell the building rather than demolish it. Local residents bid on and won the building with the aim to convert it to a local arts center. In August 1994 the owners signed over the deed of the Odd Fellows Hall to the Denmark Arts Center, a non profit organization. From that time until present, the old building, now the Denmark Arts Center, has again served as a community focal point, providing cultural activities for the people of Denmark and surrounding towns.