Building of the Day: 301-309 Schermerhorn

Brooklyn, one building at a time.

Name: Originally Odd Fellows Memorial Hall
Address: 301-309 Schermerhorn Street
Cross Streets: Nevins and Bond Street
Neighborhood: Downtown Brooklyn
Year Built: 1924-25
Architectural Style: Colonial Revival
Architect: Unknown
Landmarked: No

The story: The Odd Fellows can trace their origins back to the minor trade guilds of Europe in the 14th century. The name comes from the fact that some trades did not have enough members in a town to have their own guild, so they joined together – a membership of odd fellows. In addition to social activities, these organizations provided financial services for members, especially for the elderly. Many began as burial societies for members. By the late 19th century, they were one of many fraternal societies that were very popular in the United States. Brooklyn was home to chapters of just about every society possible, for every group possible, and some of those societies are still very active today.

After World War I, Brooklyn’s Odd Fellows decided to honor the members of their fellowship who had died during the war. They began collecting funds to build a memorial hall in 1920, and by 1923 had collected over $300,000. Odd Fellow lodges from all over the country contributed to the fund, as this was the only Memorial Hall for Odd Fellow war dead in NY State. The Hall would also serve to honor the over 7,000 Odd Fellows in New York who served in the war.

They purchased this land, hired an architect, whose name is never mentioned anywhere, and broke ground on the new Colonial Revival-style hall in the spring of 1924. The building was completed early in 1925. The building became the chapter houses for not just Odd Fellows, but many different fraternal organizations for both men and women. There was an active Rebekah Lodge here, which was the ladies’ auxiliary to the Odd Fellows, as well as lodges for the Knights of Pythias, Order of the Eastern Star, Daughters of the Nile, and many more.

The local newspapers chronicle the many activities that took place here while it was known as Memorial Hall. There were many conventions, dances, parties, meetings and other events. The hall was also used by religious and other secular organizations. It was also the site of a raid by police in 1927 during a supposed Knights of Pythias meeting. That story is going to have to wait. By 1938, it appears that the Odd Fellows sold the building. From 1938 to 1954, the hall was known as Livingston Hall, sometimes the Livingston Hotel. Many of the same fraternal organizations still met here, and the same activities as before took place here, except under another name.

The building became the property of Congregation Mount Sinai in 1967. They, in turn, sold it to The International Society for Krishna Consciousness in 1983. The building, officially known as the Bharati Center, has been their headquarters since then. This spring it was announced that they were putting the property up for sale as a development site. This includes the one story building to the left of the main building.

Looking at the postcard of the original façade, this was a much more handsome building when the large archways had their original windows. Filling in windows never looks good. But it’s a moot point. With all of the apartment buildings and hotels going up on this street, I’m afraid Memorial Hall won’t be here for much longer.

(Photograph: Google Maps)

GMAP