Odd Fellows Building and Auditorium
Encyclopedia
The Odd Fellows Building and Auditorium, located at 228—250 Auburn Avenue, N.E. in the Sweet Auburn Historic District of Atlanta
, Georgia
, are historic buildings built in 1912 and 1913, respectively, as the headquarters of the District Grand Lodge No. 18, Jurisdiction of Georgia, of the Grand United Order of Oddfellows of America. B.S. Ingram was District Grand Master and Dr. William F. Penn was chairman of the building committee. Renowned Atlanta-based architect William Augustus Edwards
designed the buildings, while Robert E. Pharrow was the contractor and M.B. Morton was superintendent of construction. Booker T. Washington
dedicated the Odd Fellows Building in 1912.
The Odd Fellows Building and Auditorium are closely linked with Benjamin Jefferson Davis, Sr. (1870–1945), Atlanta's most influential black journalist, who edited the Atlanta Independent, the official organ of District No. 18. He was District Grand Secretary and a member of the Building Committee when they were built.
The Odd Fellows Building, called the Tower, is 6 stories high while the Auditorium next door, called the Annex, is 2 stories with an atrium
that adds another 2 or 3 stories in height. Both are built of redbrick except for the first floor of the Tower which is stone. The Annex was used for many years as a movie house and was the only major venue in Atlanta where blacks could be seated on the main floor. In addition to providing meeting and office space for the Odd Fellows, the Tower provided office and store space for black-owned businesses and black professionals. Its flat roof was used for dances for many years.
On May 2, 1975, both buildings were added to the National Register of Historic Places
.
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, are historic buildings built in 1912 and 1913, respectively, as the headquarters of the District Grand Lodge No. 18, Jurisdiction of Georgia, of the Grand United Order of Oddfellows of America. B.S. Ingram was District Grand Master and Dr. William F. Penn was chairman of the building committee. Renowned Atlanta-based architect William Augustus Edwards
William Augustus Edwards
William Augustus Edwards, also known as William A. Edwards, was an Atlanta-based American architect renowned for the educational buildings, courthouses and other public and private buildings that he designed in Florida, Georgia and his native South Carolina.- Early life and education :William...
designed the buildings, while Robert E. Pharrow was the contractor and M.B. Morton was superintendent of construction. Booker T. Washington
Booker T. Washington
Booker Taliaferro Washington was an American educator, author, orator, and political leader. He was the dominant figure in the African-American community in the United States from 1890 to 1915...
dedicated the Odd Fellows Building in 1912.
The Odd Fellows Building and Auditorium are closely linked with Benjamin Jefferson Davis, Sr. (1870–1945), Atlanta's most influential black journalist, who edited the Atlanta Independent, the official organ of District No. 18. He was District Grand Secretary and a member of the Building Committee when they were built.
The Odd Fellows Building, called the Tower, is 6 stories high while the Auditorium next door, called the Annex, is 2 stories with an atrium
Atrium (architecture)
In modern architecture, an atrium is a large open space, often several stories high and having a glazed roof and/or large windows, often situated within a larger multistory building and often located immediately beyond the main entrance doors...
that adds another 2 or 3 stories in height. Both are built of redbrick except for the first floor of the Tower which is stone. The Annex was used for many years as a movie house and was the only major venue in Atlanta where blacks could be seated on the main floor. In addition to providing meeting and office space for the Odd Fellows, the Tower provided office and store space for black-owned businesses and black professionals. Its flat roof was used for dances for many years.
On May 2, 1975, both buildings were added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
See also
- Herndon BuildingHerndon BuildingThe Herndon Building was a contributing property in the Sweet Auburn Historic District of Atlanta, Georgia, located across Auburn Avenue from the Odd Fellows Building and Auditorium....
, formerly located across the street - National Register of Historic Places listings in Fulton County, GeorgiaNational Register of Historic Places listings in Fulton County, GeorgiaThis is a list of properties and districts in Fulton County, Georgia that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places . It covers most of the NRHP properties in Atlanta, Georgia; other Atlanta listings are covered in National Register of Historic Places listings in DeKalb County,...
- IOOF Building
- Independent Order of Odd Fellows Building
- Independent Order of Odd Fellows Hall
- Oddfellow's HallOddfellow's HallThe Oddfellows' Hall is an historic site on Warren Avenue in East Providence, Rhode Island.The hall was built in a shingle style in 1889 by Gould & Angell. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980....
- Odd Fellows Block
- Odd Fellows BuildingOdd Fellows BuildingOdd Fellows Building can refer to:in the United States* Odd Fellows Building , listed on the NRHP in California* Odd Fellows Building and Auditorium, Sweet Auburn, Atlanta, Georgia, listed on the NRHP in Georgia...
- Odd Fellows HallOdd Fellows HallThe Odd Fellows Hall in Covington, Kentucky is located at the northeast corner of Fifth Street and Madison Avenue. It was constructed in 1856 by the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Lodge, and was the center of Covington's civic and political life for most of the Victorian era. When the American...
- Odd Fellows Lodge
- Odd Fellows Temple
- Odd Fellows' Hall
External links
- HABS Historic American Buildings Survey listing
- The Odd Fellows Buildings, Atlanta, History, theoddfellowsbuildings.com
- Black Fraternal Orders from ChickenBones: A Journal for Literary & Artistic African-American Themes, www.nathanielturner.com