IOOF LODGE #355

Description:
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.) Lodge #355 iwas constructed in 1917. The first floor interior has been modified to house a specialty store. The second floor remains intact and appears as it did originally when the Odd Fellows occupied the building. Character defining interior features of an Odd Fellows hall includes a meeting room, ante room, and interior doors with peepholes. These rooms were critical components to the society’s rituals. The building also contains original furniture such as altars and chairs that were used by the Odd Fellows and the Rebekahs during their meetings. Between March 2004 and March 2005, the property was restored using the Secretary of Interior Standards for the treatment of historic properties. It was listed at the local level of significance under Criterion A in the area of social history for its association with the Odd Fellows. This fraternal organization derives from England friendly societies of the 1700s. California’s first I.O.O.F. lodge was created in 1849 in San Francisco. The Clements lodge was chartered in 1889, only seven years after the small town of Clements was founded. Prior to the construction of the hall, the I.O.O.F. and other fraternal organizations met in the community hall above the blacksmith shop. The I.O.O.F. and their hall played an important social role in the history of Clements. Besides the hosting the annual May Day Picnic, the Odd Fellows held fundraisers like spaghetti feeds and potlucks, Christmas pageants, dances and dinners in their hall. This building is also a California Point of Historical Interest.

Registration Date: 3/1/2007

Location:
City: Clements
County: San Joaquin

Directions:
18819 East CA 88

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