IOOF Meeting Hall was used by the USO during WWII, now redeveloped into office space
Odd Fellows Hall - Cathedral Place, Baltimore Maryland

The Odd Fellows Hall, completed in 1891 is a predominantly Romanesque structure, with an impressive display of brick masonry, which is not characteristic of the style. Anchoring the sloping northwest corner of Cathedral and Saratoga Streets, the building is an important visual landmark in downtown Baltimore. It is also significant as the second hall built specifically for the Independent Order of Odd Fellows in Baltimore. The Odd Fellows were founded in Baltimore in 1819. Today the building, re-named Cathedral Place, represents a careful adaptive reuse effort with the retention of important architectural elements, yet modernization of the structure's interior to meet city codes and provide modern office space.
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows was founded under the leadership of Thomas Wildey in 1819. Wildey emigrated from London to Baltimore in 1817. Upon meeting prejudice against Englishmen in the post-War of 1812 period, he sought the acquaintance and accompaniment of his fellow countrymen. He and John Welsch, both Odd Fellows in England, organized the first meeting of the Odd Fellows at the Seven Stars Tavern (roughly the site today of the Inner Harbor Campus of the Community College of Baltimore). In 1820 this Lodge, known as the Washington Lodge, was recognized by the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) in England and granted permission to establish other lodges throughout the country. As the organization grew, the Odd Fellows Hall was built at Gay Street near Fayette Street. This was the first building erected by the Odd Fellows in America. The Odd Fellows met at this hall for sixty-one years, adding new wings to the building, but the organization outgrew this facility and sought a site for a new hall (the old building was subsequently demolished).
The site at Cathedral and Saratoga Streets was purchased for $42,300 around 1889, and Frank E. Davis was commissioned to prepare the design. Among Davis' major commissions prior to the Odd Fellows Hall were the State Normal School on Lafayette Square (demolished 1975), New Shiloh Baptist Church, and the Pine Street Police Station. The original design for the Hall was an ornately Styled Richardsonian Romanesque composition. However, the building, when constructed in 1891, was rather simple, devoid of the ornamentation traditionally attached to buildings of its stature. The Odd Fellows felt this was in "accordance with the plain character of Wildey, the distinguished founder of the Order, who was, in parlance 'as plain as a pipe stem', but with a heart as large and sympathetic as the principles of the Order, the foundation of which he so well laid". Even with the building's less ornate character, it was well received by critics of the day.
The Hall, with its fine, flat detail, careful fenestration, and masterful brickwork is one of the most valuable architectural assets in the area. It is located at an intersection that provides one of the best samplings, in a small area, of the range of architectural styles, building types, and bricklaying techniques used in Baltimore between 1789 and 1960. Across Cathedral Street from the building is the Saint Paul's Rectory. Just west of the building, at Park Avenue and Saratoga Street is the Saint Alphonsus Church, Rectory, Convent and Hall. The Odd Fellows Hall is a prime example of the styling that would dominate Baltimore architecture between 1890 and 1910, massive and restrained, yet intimate and reposed.
In 1931 the building was altered, producing a second entrance on Cathedral Street and altering the window styling on the north building section. The interior was modernized as well, in the style of Art Deco. By 1975 the building which had once housed the headquarters and twenty chapters of the Order of Odd Fellows housed only two or three chapters, and the rest of it stood empty, a perfect candidate for demolition.
Joseph R. Azola and Associates purchased the building in May 1976. With Warren Peterson, the architect of the project, J.R. Azola and Associates have transformed the Hall into a modern office building, called Cathedral Place. In the process, they restored most of the building's 1889 exterior and have retained important interior details such as the 1931 Art Deco lamps and knotty pine paneling. New elements such as the main staircase in the lobby on Cathedral Street emphasize the building's Art Deco interior characteristics. Exterior transformation, such as the glass inserts in the Cathedral Street arch, accent the height of the arch and exposes interior staircases to passersby. The building has also been made accessible to the handicapped by grading the sidewalk in front of the northern Cathedral Street entrance.
U.S.O.
For much of the time between May 1942 and September 1975, portions of the Odd Fellows Hall housed U.S.O. facilities in the Baltimore area. Shortly after the outbreak of World War II, the U.S.O. opened offices in Baltimore at 339 North Charles Street, the YMCA building, and other downtown locations. Ridgely's Hall probably the Grand Ballroom in the Odd Fellows Hall was first used for Saturday night dances, accommodating the overflow from the YMCA building. In 1943 a separate U.S.O. club, Club 3-B, began operating at the Odd Fellows Hall. By July 1944, it was the second-largest U.S.O. club in the City, with an attendance of 39,000 servicemen a month. Operated under the auspices of the YMCA, the U.S.O. club had two large lounges and a ballroom. The building was partially remodeled by the U.S.O. in this period. After the War ended in 1945, the U.S.O. closed its doors in Baltimore. They reopened at the outbreak of the Korean War. The U.S.O. remained in the Odd Fellows Hall until 1975.
Building Description
The Odd Fellows Hall (now called Cathedral Place) is a large, two-part Romanesque brick structure located at the important intersection of Cathedral and Saratoga Streets in downtown Baltimore. The massive building features large, fully arched entranceways, extensive brick detailing, and an unusual configuration of hipped roofs.
The Saratoga Street facade is four stories high and five bays wide. The foundation walls are constructed of stone, and the building walls are of stretcher bond red brick, recently cleaned and re-pointed. Fenestration is proportional and symmetrical. The large, fully arched, centrally positioned entranceway on this facade is defined by two stone columns with Romanesque capitals. The columns and ornamental stone consoles support a brownstone architrave and a fully arched brownstone hood. The voussoirs of the entrance arch are gauged brick. Eight steps lead to a landing within the archway. The entrance vestibule has marble walls and a ceiling of wood-paneled squares painted red with ivory and brown borders. Two lights are recessed into the ceiling. Six additional stone steps with simple wrought iron railings along the vestibule walls lead to double glass doors, which are surmounted by a fully arched fanlight.
Four windows protected by wrought iron bars punctuate the foundation walls on this facade. The windows have splayed, gauged brick lintels. The windows on the first level have eight-over-twelve sash, brownstone sills, and large gauged brick lintels. (According to old photographs, the original windows were styled with diamond-shaped upper lights.) A brownstone bandcourse separates the first and second levels. The second and third levels each have four windows identical to those on the first floor; however, there are differing windows above the entranceway. Four four-over-six, tall, arched windows with gauged brick voussoirs lie above the entrance on the second level. The third level has a large centrally positioned, tri-partite, multi-paned window. It has sills and lintels styled in the fashion of other third-level windows. The windows on the fourth level are fully arched. A band course runs along the lintel of these windows. The central window is large and tri-partite. Five recessed brick panels lie just below these windows, between the third and fourth levels. The building walls of the Saratoga Street facade are capped by an overhanging denticulated metal cornice.
The Cathedral Street facade conforms to the slope in the street with the southern part of the building, which descends to Saratoga Street. This facade is characterized by a large two-story projecting entranceway with a large brownstone arch. The arch encompasses double glass doors and a large arched window encased in bronzed aluminum.
The intrados of the arch is decorated with a geometric design and fleuroned Guilloche molding. Two brownstone band courses run along the projecting entrance. The entrance is capped by a large metal cornice and entablature. (The entrance originally was topped with a balcony overlooking Cathedral Street. The arched panel over the doors also differed.)
The wall above the entranceway on this facade is slightly recessed. Two four-section, multipane windows lie above the entrance. The fourth level window is fully arched. A stone tablet below this window originally displayed "I.O.O.F." (Independent Order of Odd Fellows).
The south building section is five bays wide, including the entrance bay described above, and four stories high. The windows are styled similarly to the Saratoga Street facade with fully arched fourth-floor windows. The central windows on the third and fourth levels are set close together.
The north building section is three stories high and three bays wide. This section was altered in 1931, adding a second entrance on Cathedral Street. The entrance is encased in brownstone. It has two double glass doors surmounted by a large stone displaying, "J.F. Grottendick and Sons", in gold letters (it previously read "MCMXXXI" and had a marquee above the entrance.) The first and second-level windows were altered in 1931.
The first-level windows have been bricked in except for three small six-paned windows below the lintel on each bay. Those on the second level consist of multi-paned, tri-partite windows below the lintel and three small four-paned windows above the sill with brick in between. The third-level windows are large, fully arched, and multi-paned. The central bay on this floor has a blind arch. The cornerstone on the northern building section displays I.O.O.F. 1891". The Cathedral Street facade ends in an overhanging denticulated metal cornice.
The other building facades face adjacent buildings and are only accessible via alleys. The northern facade has many bricked in windows and a fire escape. The western facade features many smaller, segmentally arched windows.
The south section has a hipped roof punctuated by three long dormers with diamond-shaped lights; the north section also has a hipped roof. Three interior chimneys are located along the south building section.
The interior of the Odd Fellows Hall features a variety of decorations and styling from the original building, 1931 alterations, and modern adaptation taking place at the present. The original interior decorations that are extant include: the restored paneling in a first-floor office; the ballroom on the fourth floor; and the unaltered attic space. The wall mural has been concealed in the process of modernizing the building for offices.
Many of the 1931 Art Deco lamps have been included in the present renovation process. Portions of the first, second, and third floors have been renovated. These renovations from 1976 to 1978 have included a complete modernization of heating, plumbing, and other building systems; installation of textured plaster wall surfaces and wall-to-wall carpeting; new lobby areas emphasizing the building's 1931 Art Deco motif; and the division of the original large rooms into smaller office space.
New arched passageways have been added to accent the original arched areas. Original windows have been retained, although at times separated from remodeled spaces. A retail store is housed in the former Odd Fellows Library on the Cathedral Street side. In the future, the building's fourth-floor ballroom area will be remodeled for office space emphasizing the height and size of the ballroom. The basement and attic are also being considered for adaptation to office space.

Overall view showing Cathedral & Saratoga Facades (1978)

Overall view (before renovations) (1975)

Cathedral Street facade (1978)

Saratoga entrance (1978)

Saratoga Entrance detail (1978)

Cathedral Street Lobby (1978)

Office reception area (1978)

Stairway (1978)

Office (1978)

Office (before restoration) (1976)

Wall mural (now concealed) (1976)

Ballroom (1978)

Seal on Ballroom floor (1978)
