Odd Fellows Valley Lodge No. 189 Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Odd Fellows Valley Lodge No. 189 Building
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 Location in Michigan
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1900 Broadway Avenue, Bay City, Michigan |
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| Built | 1928 |
| Architect | Averton E. Munger |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 10000474 |
| Added to NRHP | July 19, 2010 |
The Odd Fellows Valley Lodge No. 189 Building is a special old building in Bay City, Michigan. It's located at 1900 Broadway Avenue. This building is so important that it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2010. This means it's recognized as a place worth saving and learning about!
Contents
A Look Back: The Lodge's Story
Starting in Bay City
The Odd Fellows are a very old and friendly group, like a club, that helps people in their communities. The first Odd Fellows club in this area started way back in 1866. It was in a village called Portsmouth, which is now part of Bay City.
This first club was officially recognized in 1867. Soon after, its members decided to move to Bay City. In 1869, the club's name changed to Bay Lodge No. 104.
Growing and Building
As Bay City grew, more Odd Fellows clubs were started from the original Bay Lodge. One of these new clubs was Valley Lodge No. 189, which began in 1872. It was officially recognized in 1873.
For many years, the Valley Lodge and another club called Excelsior Lodge No. 30 (for women, called Daughters of Rebekah) met in different rented places. But in 1898, they finally moved into their very own building at this location.
By the mid-1920s, many people were joining the Odd Fellows. So, in 1928, the Valley Lodge built a brand new, bigger headquarters. A kind person from the community, Mendel J. Bialy, helped pay for it. The building was designed by an architect named Averton E. Munger.
Both the Valley Lodge and the Excelsior Lodge used this new building for more than 50 years. However, over time, fewer people joined the Odd Fellows. In 1979, the Odd Fellows clubs moved out of the building.
What Happened Next?
After the Odd Fellows left, the building faced some challenges. In 2004, the city bought it to save it from being torn down. They even thought about making it a police station.
In 2009, the city sold the building for $8,000 to a local developer. This person planned to fix it up for a school that teaches job skills. At that time, part of the second floor had fallen in. Later, in 2015, the owner faced legal issues, which made the building's future uncertain.
What Does It Look Like?
The Valley Lodge Building is a two-story building made of steel. It's designed in a style called Classical Revival. This means it looks like old Greek and Roman buildings.
The outside walls are made of red, tan, and whitish bricks. It also has special decorations made of concrete. The roof is flat, and the building sits on strong walls made of concrete and stone.
Outside the Building
The front of the building is made of red brick and looks balanced on both sides. There's a small part in the middle that sticks out a little. This part has the main entrance with two doors. On either side of the entrance, there are storefronts, which are like spaces for shops.
Above the entrance, there are large rectangular sections with windows. A low wall runs along the very top of the building. The side of the building has another entrance and three big windows on the first floor. There's also one smaller window on the second floor.
Inside the Building
When you go inside, there's a small staircase leading up to the second floor. On the first floor, on both sides of the entrance, there are spaces that used to be for shops. These spaces go about halfway into the building.
Behind these shop areas, there used to be a club room for the lodge on one side. On the other side, there was a furnace room and an office. Another staircase at the back also leads to the second floor.
The second floor has a very large room called the lodge room. This room takes up most of the floor. It has a small stage and two rows of theater-style seats along the walls. The middle of the room is flat. Big rectangular skylights in the ceiling let in lots of light.
