Place

Odd Fellows Hall

From its construction in 1906 until 1981, The Lodge provided aid to sick, injured, aged, and dependent members of the community at a time when welfare and social security programs were nonexistent.

Place Details

Address

309 N. Main St. Santa Ana, CA 92701
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Architect

Year

1906

Property Type

The Odd Fellows Hall in downtown Santa Ana served as the meeting hall for the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Santa Ana Lodge 236, from its construction in 1906 until 1981. The Lodge provided aid to sick, injured, aged, and dependent members of the community at a time when welfare and social security programs were nonexistent.

Designed by local architect C. B. Bradshaw, the three-story building held commercial retail space on the ground floor, with the Odd Fellows' meeting rooms and two-story lodge hall on the upper floors. The street-facing façade is clad in glazed brick ranging in color from light beige to soft tan, and the upper floors are punctuated by five matching brick pilasters. The building is capped by a bracketed metal cornice and a brick parapet. Distinctive prismatic glass is located along the upper portion of the ground floor storefronts. The Odd Fellows Hall opened on February 3, 1906, with an elaborate, day-long dedication ceremony.

The first commercial tenant was the fledgling Santa Ana Daily Register, which went on to become the Orange County Register.

Today, the commercial spaces continue to house various businesses and community groups. The Conservancy holds an easement protecting the exterior of the building, including the original windows and cast-iron storefront piers.