Grant program offers assistance for historic lodge buildings

INDIANA — Applications are open for a new grant program by Indiana Landmarks to assist in the preservation of the state’s historic fraternal lodge buildings.

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, fraternal orders proliferated across the U.S. At one point, nearly every town in Indiana had at least one fraternal organization. For generations, lodges built by Masons, Odd Fellows, Elks, Knights of Pythias, and other fraternal orders have become essential community landmarks.

Today, participation in fraternal organizations is on a steep decline. As numbers dwindle and members age, orders struggle to maintain their structures, leaving hundreds of significant buildings at risk. In 2023 and 2024, Indiana Landmarks named fraternal lodges to its annual 10 Most Endangered list.

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