Centralia Elks Lodge Explained

The Centralia Elk's Lodge
Coordinates:38.5275°N -89.1314°W
Built:c. 1930
Architecture:Classical Revival
Added:November 7, 2011
Delisted:January 2, 2020
Area:less than one acre
Refnum:08001171[1]

The Centralia Elks Lodge was a historic building located at 328 E. Broadway in Centralia, Illinois. The Classical Revival building was constructed between 1929 and 1931 for Centralia Lodge 493, the city's chapter of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. The entrance to the building was flanked by Ionic columns. The second-story windows on the front facade were topped with limestone pediments and segmented arches; the windowsills feature decorative brackets. Limestone cornices top both stories of the building, and a cartouche bordered by scrolls sat on the roofline above the central front window.[2]

In 1938-39, the Elks sold the building to a group of local businessmen. The businessmen then leased the building to the Shell Oil Company, and the building became known as the Petroleum Building; around this time, a bowling alley opened in the basement. In 1946, the Centralia chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars purchased the building and used the second floor as a meeting hall. A fire in 1951 caused the bowling alley to close; however, the VFW continued to use the building.[2]

The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 7, 2011,[1] and was delisted in 2020.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 11/07/11 Through 11/10/11. National Park Service. February 9, 2014.
  2. Web site: O'Brien. Jessica. National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Centralia Lodge 493 of the B. P. O. E.. https://web.archive.org/web/20140223035347/http://gis.hpa.state.il.us/pdfs/801848.pdf. dead. 2014-02-23. National Park Service. February 9, 2014. September 2008.