The Calgary Chapter Of The Independent Order Of Oddfellows Was Founded In 1884 And Claimed Some Of Calgary's Most Prominent Citizens. Architect D.s. Mcilroy, Designed The Building In 1910 And The Structure Was Completed In 1912. The Four-Storey Brick Building Is Relatively Ornate In Design, With Three Tiers Of Superimposed Stone Pilaster Strips Reaching From The Base To The Cornice. The Arched Windows Of The Top Floor Illuminated The Grand Hall Of The Oddfellows; These Arches Originally Contained A Lower Arched Opening With A Roundel Above, But Both Were Combined Into A Single Plate Glass Window In Recent Renovations.
The Oddfellows Sold The Building In 1971 And Vacated It Shortly Thereafter. The Calgary Chamber Of Commerce Purchased The Building In 1979 And Adapted It As Its New Home. Aside From The Change To The Windows Noted Above, The Exterior Has Been Well Restored. Some Interior Details Were Retained In The Renovations. The Building Was Designated A Provincial Historic Resource In 1987. (1982)
Sandstone Repairs And Selective Restoration Of Storefront Elements At Ground Level Were Undertaken In 1990-91. (1991)
Earn 10 points!
Photo: Image from historicplaces.ca (http://www.historicplaces.ca/hpimages/Thumbnails/32165_Medium.jpg)