Odd Fellow's Hall

Description of the property

The Odd Fellow's Hall stands at the corner of State Street and Clement Street. Across the street and slightly north of the Hall a small iron bridge spans the Deerfield River, thereby connecting the towns of Buckland and Shelburne to form the commercial center known as Shelburne Falls. The Hall overlooks the river from its site at the base of a large hill. Because of its hillside site, its small rear lot is separated from the building by a six foot stone retaining wall. Rectangular in plan, the three story, balloon frame structure is sheathed with narrow clapboards and framed by paneled pilasters. Iwo storefronts with large plate glass display windows flanking recessed entrances occupy most of the facade's grouc floor.

To the north is an original door which opens to a wide stairway providing access to the upper stories. A11 three doors are reached by flights of three granite steps, and they are sheltered by a low pitched roof supported by four large and elaborately cut bracketts. Six windows, grouped in threes, light the second story. These contain 6/6 double hung sash, have architrave moldings and projecting cornices. Two large Palladian windows occupy the third story. Its fan is divided by radiating muntins while the upper sash are divided into thin vertical panes with a row of diamond shape panes across the top. Between the windows, the outline of the original International Order of Odd Fellows' insignia can be seen.

The building is capped by a wide dentiled frieze, an overhanging brachetted cornice and a paneled parapet. The remaining elevations are simply treated with irregularly spaced paired and single windows similar in appearance to those of the second story.

Statement of significance

/ARCHITECT STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE The Odd Fellow's Hall in Buckland retains integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship and feeling and reflects the popular nineteenth century institution of the fraternal organization. It is also representative of late nineteenth century industrial and commercial developments in Shelburne Falls and anchors the west end of the commercial area. Nearly 75% of the downtown of Shelburne Falls was built in the last fifty years of the nineteenth century. The railroad arrived on the Buckland side of the Falls in 1867 providing direct passage to New York City for both passengers and freight.

By 1890 indus- tries were thriving on both sides of the river: Lamson and Goodnow's cultery and sewing machine needle industry, Linus Yale's lock manufacturing company, the Mayhew Silk Company and various other businesses were all important to the boom period of Shelburne Falls which occurred between the 1860's and World War II. The year after the rebuilding of the Odd Fellow's Hall (1896) saw the introduction of the Shelburne Falls and Coleraine Street Railway Company with tracks running throughout Shelburne Falls and the neighboring towns. In 1900 Buckland was reported as one of five towns in Franklin County which had more people involved in manufacturing than in agriculture.

The Alethian Lodge of the International Order of Odd Fellows was chartered on August 3, 1848 (only twenty-eight years after the founding of the entire order). The Lodge was originally housed on the third floor of the Annawansett Block. In 1876, however, a large fire originating in this block, destroyed most of the buildings on the Buckland side of Shelburne Falls, including the prestigious Woodward House hotel. Soon after the fire the Odd Fellows purchased the old hotel lot from the Woodwards and commenced the building of their own hall.

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