About
About the Lodge
History of the Lodge & our Building
The St. Helena International Order of Oddfellows (IOOF) Lodge was organized in 1870, with seven charter members: three farmers, two physicians, a viticulturist, and a cabinetmaker/undertaker. By 1879, there were almost 90 members, enough to allow them to buy the property on Main Street for a new lodge.
This 2-story Italianate building was built in 1885. It has a brick façade and side and rear walls of randomly coursed stone. This building was designed by San Francisco architect, Albert Schropfer, and built by George Kennedy for a cost of about $20,000. The front is combined pressed brick, iron and terra cotta with a roof of heavy tin. The St. Helena Star reported, “the building is as nearly fireproof as can be built.” The three linked ovals on the pediment of the building stand for the I.O.O.F. motto “Friendship, Love, and Truth.”
The ground floor was split into 2 sections, with the St. Helena Star as one of the first occupants, sharing it with the St. Helena Library Association and Free Reading Room.
Eventually, Steves Hardware & Housewares (now located next door) occupied the lower floor. Upstairs, the first renter was a dentist. Today’s tenants are AErena Art Gallery and Martin Showroom. The Oddfellows Lodge has occupied the upstairs for over 130 years
© St Helena Historical Society
Mission
The Odd Fellows are committed to providing aid, friendship, and support to its members and the broader community.
It is the mission of the Lodge of Lodge #167 to help make our community a better place to live, by organizing projects and activities that benefit the less fortunate, local youth, the elderly, and the environment.
The mission is encapsulated in three core principles:
Friendship, Love, and Truth.
Supporting the Community
The St Helena Odd Fellows Lodge supports a wide range of community activities with direct in person support by the members. The Lodge also provides for those in need in accordance with the bylaws and is overseen by the giving committee.