The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-12-13
I.0.0E. HAVE HAD
MANY HOMES HERE
Records of Lodge Tell
About Many Movings
and Realty Deals.

The hall of Marion Lodge No. II,
Independent Order of Odd Fellows,
which will be the scene of a general
handshake of Odd Fellows Of North
ern West Virginia next Monday after
noon, on the occasion of the first
visit to West Virginia of the grand
sire OF the sovereign grand lodge
Judge Henry V. Borst, of New Am
sterdam N. " was at one time the
"opery' of Fairmont For years and
years the Odd Fellows hall was the
principal assembly room of Fairmont
and when the present building was
arranged for atop of the store Of 7.
w, Fleming and Brothers it was
thought to be mighty step forward
for Fairmont.
The first home OF Marion Lodge No.
II was on the present site of the H. II
Drug Store The rental of this room
was $50 a year, according to early
records preserved by the lodge. The
quarters were removed in 1851 10 a
( three story brick, next door on the
site that was for many years known at
Hartley's. Marion lodge, ever in the
front rank as far as public spirit was
concerned voted $500 to help complete
this building.
Something happened to this hall
/ which is not made plain in the records
but the lodge moved to a hall which
was located where the Jacobs build
ing now stands. Then in March 1874
steps were taken to purchase the two
story brick house of tha hlli5on Fem
ing estate on Main street the par
chase price was $1,000 to be pad III
one, two and three years. The fir I
floor was rented to the Fairmont Fur
niture Co., a year. On Sep. / of that
year the lodge moved into its new
hall and Grand Master NJ. Z. Peck
dedicated the new hall to Odd Eel
lows uses. In November 1879 the
lodge granted free use of the lower
floor of the building to the Protestant
Episcopal church until such time
as their new church was completed
In 1882 it was decided to sell this
lodge room for 5000 but later the deal
was closed at figure of $S16 Will l..
Nuzum was the purchaser. He paid
$316 cash and gave notes for the re-
mainder. This course was decided
upon because the lodge had in the
meantime arranged for the erection Of
fine hall 1t is the present rooms.
The arrangement was for T. W. Flem-
ing & Brothers store to occupy the
ground floor and the Odd Fellows the
upper half of the building. That part
uership still exists although Thomas
w. Fleming is now sole owner OF the
ground floor half of the building,
The Odd Fellows room has been Of
fered for sale many times but deal
has never gone through. AS early as
Feb. S. 1887 the lodge offered to sell
the room for $4,000,
The records of the Odd Fellows lodge
have been preserved faithfully and it
is doubtful if there is q church that
has had equal interest taken in this
connection. The records show, for
instance, that $25 was voted to the
aid of the brothers who suffered from
the great fire in Falrmont, April 2,
1876. The records show that Friend
ship lodge No. 6S, Of Boothsville, con-
solidated with Marion lodge in 1883
and brought in C. E. Bartlett, j. c.
Hall, Robert Lowe, J. ]. Martin, f. T..
Rutherford, NJ. Smith, ]. B. Swiger,
C. Swiger, ]. II. Martin, G. W. Sees,
and 7. G. Martin. The records show
that as early as 1886 the following
brothers at Barrackvlle" were given
permission "to organize a lodge: E.
L. Toothman, Amos Sharp, ]. L. Hall
and q. Powell. This lodge later pass
ed out of existence.
There are many things in connec-
ton with the history of Odd Fellows
In Northern West Virginia which EVIL
dence the rapid growth of the county
seat towns and the lesser Importance
Of the country points; this is largely
due to the rural free delivery, autos
telephones, street cars which brought
the outlying points to be closer to the
larger places.