Calaveras County Points of Interest
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5 December 2012
(Click Photo to Zoom)
495 Main Street
Murphys
Built 1901
A marker on the front of the building reads:
Independent Order of Odd Fellows Hall
Built 1901, on land donated by Joseph Heinsdorff, Sr., for use by the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. The two-storied shiplap-sided structure was constructed with locally milled lumber, using large stones as foundation. In 1991, the stones were replaced with a concrete foundation. The Odd Fellows met in the upstairs room until 1972. The Lutheran Church of America then used the hall for a period of time. Around 1977, it was sold to Tom Karsh. In 1978, it was purchased by Historic Building Buffs with Thomas W. Scheller and Michael Skenfield as general partners. D.E.A. Bathroom Machineries now occupy the building, with Mr. Scheller as sole proprietor. As with many Gold Country buildings, this one is haunted. Legend has it a woman fell down the inside stairway, and that her spirit still lives within.
Dedicated March 8, 2008
By Native Sons and Native Daughters of the Golden West
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.) is an altruistic fraternal organization derived from the similar English Oddfellows service organizations which came into being during the 1700s....Although in Britain the Odd Fellows tended to meet in pubs, in the U.S. the lodges often built their own facilities. Many of these are now on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places....
From Wikipedia entry for Independent Order of Odd Fellows
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We command you to visit the sick
Relieve the distressed
Bury the dead
And educate the orphan
Historic IOOF Buildings in California
Arbuckle, Arroyo Grande, Big Oak Flat, Bloomfield, Colusa, Copperopolis (1874-1903), Copperopolis (1903-1939), Coulterville, Etna, Eureka, Farmington, Ferndale, Forest Hill, Galt, Georgetown, Geyserville, Hanford, Jenny Lind, Knights Ferry, La Grange, Live Oak, Mokelumne Hill, Murphys, Nevada City, Oakdale, Orland, Point Arena, Quincy, Red Bluff, Roseville, Sebastopol, Snelling, Truckee, Wheatland, Woodbridge, Woodland, Yreka
Historic IOOF Buildings in Nevada
Austin, Gardnerville, Nevada, Yerington
Historic IOOF Buildings in Oregon
Ashland, Coquille, Gold Hill, Klamath Falls
Historic IOOF Buildings in Utah