Label
1623-1629 Broadway St.
Historic Landmark designation
Sponsor: Gadus
Title
Declaring the intent to designate the building located at 1623-1629 Broadway Street, Toledo, Ohio a historic landmark; and declaring an emergency.
Summary
SUMMARY & BACKGROUND:
Dating back to 18th century England, the Independent Order of Oddfellows (IOOF) was established as a separate branch of the Grand United Order when members of the Manchester District voiced dissatisfaction with the fraternity. The IOOF was later brought to America by Thomas Wildey when he created Washington Lodge No. 1 in 1819. Founded on the principles of friendship, love, and truth, the IOOF aimed to give back to their communities and help in times of hardship. By 1842, the IOOF had broken away from England's Manchester Unity and created the Grand Lodge of Maryland, establishing themselves as a fully independent order. This change sparked expansion across the country, resulting in additional lodges being built. This expansion, along with the introduction of the women's branch of Odd Fellows, the Daughters of Rebekah, created an influx of new build opportunities for American architects.
In 1915, architect Sidney After was commissioned to design a new temple for Viking Lodge Independent Order of Oddfellows No. 892, located at 1623-1629 Broadway Street. It was designed as a three-story building with a basement, 75 feet of frontage and 120 feet depth, originally designed with the first floor as three business rooms and the second and third floors dedicated to Lodge use. The existing double height ballroom space on the second floor along with the attached third floor mezzanine was used for Lodge meetings with the front portion of the second and third floor acting as auxiliary space.
The building housed the IOOF for around 75 years until it was absorbed by Eva Rebekah Lodge No. 299 in 1991, it was then sold to Daniel Garza and transformed into La Garza Ballroom. La Garza Ballroom functioned as a dance hall...
Click here for full text