Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Lodge Number 878 facts for kids
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Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Lodge Number 878
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Seen in July 2020
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| Location | 82-10, 82-20 Queens Blvd., Elmhurst, New York |
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| Built | 1923–1924, 1930 |
| Built by | McIntee Construction Co. |
| Architect | The Ballinger Company; Sidney L. Strauss |
| Architectural style | Italian Renaissance |
| NRHP reference No. | 14000938 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | November 19, 2014 |
The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Lodge Number 878 is a special historic building in the Elmhurst neighborhood of Queens in New York City. It's also known as the Queensboro Elks Lodge. This building was once home to a very large and active community group called the Elks.
The main building and a smaller annex were built between 1923 and 1924. They were designed in the Italian Renaissance style, which means they look like old Italian buildings. A part was added to the back in 1930. The building is made from strong materials like granite, limestone, and brick. It even has a statue of an elk outside!
For many years, Lodge 878 was a very important place in Queens. It had lots of members and was known for its community work. The building had many cool features, like a bowling alley, game rooms, and even rooms for members to stay in. Today, the main building is owned by a church, but the Elks still meet in the annex. The building is recognized as a New York City Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Contents
What Does the Lodge Look Like?
The Elks Lodge 878 building was designed by the Ballinger Company. It looks like buildings from the Italian Renaissance period. The lodge has a main building, a two-story annex, and a three-story addition at the back.
The building is located on the south side of Queens Boulevard. It sits between Simonson and Goldsmith Streets. The main building is closer to Simonson Street, and the annex is closer to Goldsmith Street. There are also parking areas next to the buildings.
When it was built, the Elks Lodge was designed to stand out. It was very visible from Queens Boulevard. The main building has many fancy details. These include a rough-textured limestone on the first floor, decorative railings (called balustrades), and fancy decorative bands (entablatures and cornices). The lodge also had many cool things inside. These included a swimming pool, a large hall for events, a gym, and a bowling alley. There were also rooms for members to live in. You can still see elk designs on the doorknobs inside.
Main Building Details
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The main building is about three and a half stories tall. It has a basement that is partly above ground. The building is shaped like a "U" and is quite large.
Outside Look
The bottom of the building is made of granite. The first floor has rough-textured limestone. The upper floors are made of brick with limestone decorations. The front of the building, facing Queens Boulevard, has five sections. The sides have seven sections.
Outside the front, there are stairs leading up to a wide terrace with a decorative railing. A bronze elk statue stands on a platform in the middle of the stairs.
The main entrance is in the center of the front. It's a large arched doorway with double doors and a rounded window. Above the arch, there's a fancy stone carving. Two columns stand on either side of the entrance. They support a decorative band with the words "queensborough lodge, no. 878 b.p.o.elks" written on it.
The first floor also has four other arched openings. Each has double doors and a stone carving of a lion's head. The side walls have windows with lion's-head carvings too. A small decorative ledge runs above the first floor.
The second and third floors, and the attic, are covered with light brown brick. They have windows that open outwards. On the original part of the building, the second-floor windows have curved frames and small railings below them. The third-floor windows have fancy carved stone panels above them. The back addition has simpler brick walls and rectangular windows.
A small decorative ledge separates the third floor from the attic. The attic has wide carved stone panels next to its narrow windows. A larger, very decorated terracotta ledge runs above the attic. There's also a fire escape on the eastern side.
The back of the building, where the addition is, has plain brick walls. It has arched windows on the first floor and rectangular windows on the upper floors. There's also an entrance for people with disabilities. On the roof, there's a flagpole and a brick room for the elevator.
Inside Features
The basement of the lodge used to have a "grill room" with a long, 60-foot bar. It also had a six-lane bowling alley. There were lockers, restrooms, and even a barber shop. The bowling alley is now a multi-purpose room, and other parts of the basement are classrooms. The floor is made of a smooth, colorful material called terrazzo. The walls have wooden panels, and the ceiling has wooden beams.
The first floor has a small entrance area (vestibule) with limestone walls. This leads to a large lobby. The lobby has plaster ceilings, limestone walls with wood trim, and terrazzo floors. On each side of the lobby, there were lounges for men and women. These rooms had bronze chandeliers, wooden floors with patterns (parquet), and decorative fireplaces.
Other rooms on the first floor included stairs, an elevator, and a large dining room. The dining room still has checkerboard terrazzo floors and decorative pillars. The back addition now has a health center. The first floor was open for non-members to use too.
The second and third floors had offices and game rooms. The main area on the second floor has plaster walls with wood trim, parquet wooden floors, and wooden ceiling beams. The back part of this floor has the former lodge room, which is now used as a church room. This room can hold up to 700 people. It has a unique design inspired by Mayan or Aztec culture. Stained glass windows show important Elks values like charity and justice. There's also a large Wurlitzer organ from 1924 in this room. The third floor is similar to the second floor. It has balconies overlooking the lodge room with wooden seats. The back addition on these floors has classrooms and offices.
The attic used to have 28 small apartments for members to rent. These included double and single bedrooms with shared bathrooms. Members could rent these rooms for a monthly fee.
The Annex Building
The annex building is covered with a material called stucco. It has arched sections with small rectangular windows inside. The main entrance is on Goldsmith Street. A smaller part of the annex extends to Queens Boulevard. A metal decorative ledge runs along the top of the annex.
The annex originally had a swimming pool on the first floor and a gym on a raised level (mezzanine). The pool is no longer there. The first floor is now a multi-purpose room. It can be used as a bar, dining room, or even a handball court. The mezzanine floor is smaller and has a conference room and an office. The inside has wooden floors and simple wall partitions.
History of the Elks Lodge
How It Was Built
In the late 1800s, the area now called Elmhurst became part of New York City. It grew into a busy neighborhood with new homes and businesses. This happened especially after the New York City Subway and Long Island Rail Road arrived. Also, Queens Boulevard was built in the early 1900s, connecting Elmhurst to Manhattan. Before the lodge was built, the land was empty.
The Elks organization started in 1868. Lodge 878 was founded in Queens in 1903. For its first 21 years, it met in a different building. In 1906, a rule was made that only one Elks chapter could be in each city. This made Lodge 878 the only Elks chapter in Queens.
Lodge 878 bought the land for the new building in 1921. They chose the Elmhurst location after a lot of discussion.
The first stone of the Lodge 878 building was placed on October 6, 1923. To celebrate, there was a big parade with cars and people. The Ballinger Company designed the main building and annex. The McIntee Construction Company built it. The Elks held a fundraiser to get money for the furniture in late 1924.
The lodge officially opened on October 26, 1924. It cost about $750,000 to build, which was a lot of money back then! When it was finished, it was the largest Elks Lodge in the Eastern United States.
How the Elks Used It
Lodge 878 originally had a kitchen behind the main building. The Elks later decided to add a larger structure there. Sidney L. Strauss, who was a member of the lodge, designed the three-story back addition. This addition was finished in 1930.
In the middle of the 1900s, Lodge 878 was very important in Queens. Many people joined, and it had up to 6,600 members in the 1960s. The members were very involved in charity work. Every year, Lodge 878 held a big event where they gave away new cars. They also helped arrange funerals for their members.
In 1970, Lodge 878 had over 4,000 members, making it the largest Elks Lodge in New York state. However, the number of members started to go down in the late 1900s. This happened even though people of other races could join the Elks starting in 1973, and women could join in 1995.
Changes and Sale
The building's property taxes increased a lot. Because of this, the Elks decided to put the Lodge 878 building up for sale in the 1990s. The number of members had dropped significantly. Weekly meetings became less frequent, and fewer people attended.
The Elks Lodge started renting out its spaces for events. These included weddings and quinceañeras (a celebration for a girl's 15th birthday). A church called New Life Fellowship Church started renting space in the building in 1995. Wrestling groups also held shows at Lodge 878 for many years. The building was even used for filming movies and TV shows. Even with this extra money, the lodge barely made a profit.
In 2000, the Elks started talking with the New Life Fellowship Church about selling the main building. The Elks couldn't pay a large tax bill. After a year of talks, the Elks sold the main building to the church in 2001. The Elks still owned the annex building. They closed the pool in the annex and made some changes inside. By then, Lodge 878 had only about 550 members.
Because the main building and annex had different owners, they were separated for tax purposes. The New Life Fellowship Church turned the main building's back addition into a health center in 2009. They also made improvements to make the building easier for people with disabilities to use.
Images for kids
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Seen in July 2020
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Elk statue outside the main building
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Second and third floor facade detail
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Rear addition, built 1930
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Electronic sign outside the Elks Lodge 878 building, installed by the New Life Fellowship Church
