The Odd Fellows Lodge
A search for an old lodge and Divine providence in finding it.
A source had told me of an abandoned lodge for the International Order Of Oddfellows located in Reedville, which is a little fishing village in the Northern Neck area, and is best known for its catching the “Atlantic menhaden, a small oily fish found in great abundance in mid-Atlantic coastal waters…” and for having a “Millionaire's Row of Victorian-era mansions” in the town’s historic district. It’s truly a one road village, with everything else feeding off the main street - which, of course, is called Main Street. I drove around the town, going down every possible side road looking for this lodge, and stopping at the Post Office, and asking pedestrians if they’d even seen or heard of this Oddfellows Lodge. Which none had. In fact several looked at my aging, hippy countenance and probably wondered if I wasn’t an odd fellow who’d escaped from confinement. In this meandering I couldn’t help but notice an electric company SUV, with caution lights flashing, going down those same streets at the same slow pace as myself.
Well at one point we came up against each other on a road that is almost one Honda Fit wide, and they graciously pulled over to let me pass. Which gave me an idea. They’re from around here, right? So it’d make sense to ask them if they’d seen this lodge. Well it turned out to be a husband and wife, named Felton and Sandra, from Greensboro, Georgia who were working at their “retirement job” and conducting some kind of survey. When I told them what I was looking for, Sandra got a big smile on her face, looked at Felton, and pulled up her iPhone and showed me a picture, “Does it look like this?”
Bingo!
She said they were wondering what it was and I told them what little I knew of the Order of Oddfellows. They were getting ready to take a break so they graciously drove me right to the location; which was as close to the town of Reedsville as the National Cathedral is to The White House. Sandra said it was a Divine appointment and I shared that I often asked God for guidance in finding locations. So out on a country back road, three fellow “people of the book” met and shared a few moments together. I have many Divine appointments on my journeys. Not all of them involve my faith as specifically as this one did, but all are wonderful moments meeting strangers, and I am blessed by each encounter.
This is the Odd Fellows Lodge outside of Reedville. As far as I can tell this is the only lodge in the Northern Neck area, and maybe in the greater Virginia area. The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) was founded in England during the 1700s. It's an international, non-political and non-sectarian organization. The American order was founded in Baltimore, Maryland on April 26, 1819 by Thomas Wildey at the Seven Stars Tavern. By 1861 there were 42 jurisdictions and 200,000 members. One notable member was General Ulysses S. Grant. Their stated purpose is to "Visit the sick, relieve the distressed, bury the dead and educate the orphan."
If anyone knows anything about the history of this lodge I'd love to learn more.
The seal of the Independent Order of Oddfellows 1834
Disgruntled members, members desiring office, and lack of funds withdrew to form a new lodge Franklin Lodge, No. 2. The Grand Lodge of Maryland and the United States recognized them on Sep 5, 1821. Columbia Lodge, No. 3 was instituted on 17 Dec 1823 at Colvin’s Stone Tavern.
(https://charmcityhistory.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-american-odd-fellows-birthed-in.html)