Odd Fellows Building (Owensboro)
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| Odd Fellows Building | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Address | 200–204 W. Third Street |
| City | Owensboro |
| State | Kentucky |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1895 |
| Style | Beaux-Arts / Italian Renaissance |
| Owner | Odd Fellows Lodge (at time of listing) |
| Current use | Mixed commercial and lodge use |
| National Register of Historic Places | |
| Reference # | 86001427 |
| Listed | 1986 |
| Criteria | Criterion C (architecture) |
| Period | 1895 |
The Odd Fellows Building is a three-story commercial building located at the corner of St. Ann and Third Streets in Owensboro, Kentucky. Built in 1895 for the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, it is one of the most elaborate commercial buildings in downtown Owensboro, featuring an eclectic blend of Beaux-Arts and Italian Renaissance details. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986 as part of the Owensboro Multiple Resource Area.
Description
The three-story tan pressed brick building dominates the corner of St. Ann and Third Streets with an eclectic mix of Beaux-Arts and Italian Renaissance details concentrated on the upper two floors and the double facade. The corner location is highlighted by a flat, slightly projecting tower rising through all three stories, with the tower effect repeated at each end of the building. The second-floor towers feature tripartite windows topped with transoms, while the central sections between the towers have paired windows similarly topped. The matching third-story windows are topped by round arches of multi-paned blue glass surrounded by round brick arches. Two-story pilasters run between each bay of windows, unifying the second and third stories. Stone details including quoins, pilaster capitals and bases, and window lintels contrast with the brick.
The roofline is highlighted with elaborate tilework: the corner towers have a checkerboard effect achieved by a mixture of buff and black tiles, each tower topped by a bracketed cornice. A stone panel reading I.O.O.F. interrupts the Third Street roofline. The original tin ceiling and corner entranceway are retained in the ground-floor commercial space.
History
The Owensboro Brothers Lodge of the Odd Fellows was organized in 1856 and grew steadily through the late nineteenth century. At the time they built their present lodge in 1895, the organization had a membership of 125 men and owned half of the "Court Row" block. The building has always followed a consistent arrangement: the first story occupied by retail businesses, the second floor by offices, and the third floor reserved for the Odd Fellows lodge.
Significance
The Odd Fellows Building is one of the most elaborate commercial buildings in the downtown area, representing the importance of fraternal organizations in Owensboro's civic and cultural life during the late nineteenth century. It is a notable example of the eclectic blend of Beaux-Arts and Italian Renaissance architecture that characterized ambitious commercial construction of the period.
References
- Kentucky Heritage Council. National Register of Historic Places Nomination: Owensboro Multiple Resource Area. Frankfort: Kentucky Heritage Council, 1985.