Coordinates: 39°17′28.7″N 76°36′33.2″W / 39.291306°N 76.609222°W / 39.291306; -76.609222

Odd Fellows Hall (Baltimore, 1831)

From The Right Wiki
(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
Jump to navigationJump to search

39°17′28.7″N 76°36′33.2″W / 39.291306°N 76.609222°W / 39.291306; -76.609222 The Odd Fellows Hall in Baltimore, Maryland, United States was a building that was the meeting place of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows fraternal organization, as well as the organization's national headquarters, from 1831 until 1890. It was the first Odd Fellows' Hall in the United States.[1]

Construction

Dedication

The Odd Fellows' Hall was dedicated on April 26, 1831. A procession was formed at the Exchange Building and marched to Trinity Church, where an oration was delivered by Ridgely and a choir performed a musical selection. The procession then marched to the hall, where the dedication ceremony took place and Thomas Yates Walsh made a speech. The number of the persons in the procession was reported to be over 500.[1]

Building

Soon after it was built, the hall was described as a "new and handsome brick house".[2] The first floor housed an extensive library and a reading room.[3] The upper floor housed a grand ballroom known as the Egyptian Saloon. It was decorated with depictions of ancient Egyptian culture, including hieroglyphics, pharaohs, and the Nile River.[2][3]

Notable events

In January 1844, Edgar Allan Poe lectured on American poetry at the hall. During his lecture, Poe was "witheringly severe" about Rufus Griswold, who had published an article that attacked Poe's work.[4][5] In 1844, the Egyptian Saloon was the largest meeting room in Baltimore and as such it was chosen to be the venue of that year's Democratic national convention. The room was a poor choice for the convention, as it was too small to comfortably fit all of the delegates, politicians, and spectators.[2] As a result, the crowd spilled out onto the street. Furthermore, its acoustics were poor and the spectator gallery was described as being "as black as the hole of Calcutta". During the convention, one delegate moved that the convention to be moved to a larger room in Baltimore, however, the organizing committee responded that there was not a larger room in the city.[2][6]

Addition

Demolition

By 1889, the Odd Fellows had outgrown the hall. A site at Cathedral and Saratoga Streets was purchased for $42,300 and architect Frank E. Davis was commissioned to design a new hall.<ref name="NRHP">https://apps.mht.maryland.gov/medusa/PDF/NR_PDFs/NR-605.pdf National Register of Historic Places

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Ridgely
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Haynes, Stan M. (2012). The First American Political Conventions. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, Inc. pp. 80–82. ISBN 978-0786490301. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Odd Fellows' Hall, Baltimore, Maryland". The American Odd Fellow. Vol. III. January 1864. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
  4. ↑ Gaylin, David F. (2015). Edgar Allan Poe's Baltimore. Charleston: Arcadian Publishing. p. 68. ISBN 978-1467123167. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Odd Fellows Hall". Poe's Baltimore. Maryland Public Television. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
  6. ↑ Greenberg, Amy S. (2012). A Wicked War. New York: Vintage Books. p. 38. ISBN 9780307475992. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
Retrieved from "https://rightwiki.org/index.php?title=Odd_Fellows_Hall_(Baltimore,_1831)&oldid=21333413"