National Register of Historic Places

Odd Fellows Building and Auditorium

Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia
Listed
May 1, 1975
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
75000594

About this property

The Odd Fellows Building and Auditorium, located at 228—250 Auburn Avenue, N.E. in the Sweet Auburn Historic District of Atlanta, Georgia, are historic buildings built in 1912 and 1913, respectively, as the headquarters of the District Grand Lodge No. 18, Jurisdiction of Georgia, of the Grand United Order of Odd Fellows in America. B.S. Ingram was District Grand Master and Dr. William F. Penn was chairman of the building committee. Renowned Atlanta-based architect William Augustus Edwards designed the buildings, while Robert E. Pharrow was the contractor and M.B. Morton was superintendent of construction. Booker T. Washington dedicated the Odd Fellows Building in 1912. The Odd Fellows Building and Auditorium are closely linked with Benjamin Jefferson Davis, Sr. (1870–1945), Atlanta's most influential black journalist, who edited the Atlanta Independent, the official organ of District No. 18. He was District Grand Secretary and a member of the Building Committee when they were built. The Odd Fellows Building, called the Tower, is six stories high while the Auditorium next door, called the Annex, is two stories with an atrium that adds another two or three stories in height. Both are built of redbrick except for the first floor of the Tower which is stone. The Annex was used for many years as a movie house and was the only major venue in Atlanta where blacks could be seated on the main floor. In addition to providing meeting and office space for the Odd Fellows, the Tower provided office and store space for black-owned businesses and black professionals. Its flat roof was used for dances for many years. On May 2, 1975, both buildings were added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Location

228-250 Auburn Ave., NE
Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia
33.75571, -84.37950

Categories

COMMERCEARCHITECTURESOCIAL HISTORY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Odd Fellows Building and Auditorium

This page lists Odd Fellows Building and Auditorium. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Odd Fellows Building and Auditorium report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Coca-Cola Building Annex
Industrial
0.1 mi
Sweet Auburn Historic District
Listed
0.1 mi
Butler Street Colored Methodist Episcopal Church
Industrial
0.1 mi
Martin Luther King, Jr. Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Listed
0.2 mi
Grady Hospital
Industrial
0.2 mi

Nearby Battles

Atlanta Siege Operations
1864Civil War
0.7 mi
Burning of Atlanta
1864Civil War
0.7 mi
Siege of Atlanta
1864Civil War
0.7 mi
Siege of Atlanta - Shelling of the City
1864Civil War
0.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Odd Fellows Building and Auditorium listed on the National Register?

Odd Fellows Building and Auditorium was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 1, 1975.

What type of historic resource is Odd Fellows Building and Auditorium?

Odd Fellows Building and Auditorium is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Odd Fellows Building and Auditorium?

The period of significance for Odd Fellows Building and Auditorium is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Odd Fellows Building and Auditorium?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Odd Fellows Building and Auditorium will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Fulton County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Fulton County.

Explore FultonCounty ›

More historic places in Georgia

Browse all historic places in Georgia.

View Georgiahistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Georgia history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Georgiahistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Odd Fellows Building and Auditorium will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report