I.O.O.F. Lodge

The I.O.O.F. Lodge is a Municipal Heritage Property situated on two lots in a residential neighbourhood of the Town of Gull Lake. The property features a small wood-frame, gable-roofed hall constructed in 1914.

The heritage value of the I.O.O.F. Lodge lies in its status as a community landmark and one of the oldest remaining buildings in Gull Lake. Built in 1914 as a meeting hall for the local Independent Order of Odd Fellows Lodge, the building also provided a venue for many other community events over the years. Today, the hall, one of the few structures of its era still in existence, stands as a remembrance of Gull Lake’s history and testament to the community spirit of its residents.

Heritage value also resides in the property’s association with the local Odd Fellows Lodge and the Lodge's contributions to the community. Since 1910, the Lodge has provided opportunities for fellowship among community members and has supported many charitable causes. Established in 1910, the Gull Lake Lodge # 57 met in various other facilities in the town before building their own hall in 1914. The hall operated until 2002.

Source:

Town of Gull Lake Bylaw No. 1-85.

The heritage value of the I.O.O.F. Lodge resides in the following character-defining elements:

-elements that contribute to the building’s landmark status, such as its location on its original site, and architectural embellishments that lend a distinctive appearance to an otherwise plain structure, including the portico with decorative scroll-work brackets, and the round window above the portico;

-elements that reflect the building’s age, such as its simple rectangular plan, gable roof, plain clapboard siding, wood front door with segmented windows, and interior features such as the sconce-style light fixtures and cast iron heating grills;

-those elements related to the building’s function as a community meeting place, including the vaulted-ceiling interior hall space;

-elements related to use of the building for Odd Fellows’ functions, including the floor plan consisting of the open hall space where Lodge business was conducted, and the anterooms where members donned their regalia in preparation for meetings and ceremonies.