Vignettes
/ The Exchange
District / Princess
Oddfellows Hall
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In 1883-84, the Independent Order of Oddfellows constructed
this three-storey Romanesque-style structure with a metal
cornice showing the initials IOOF and ML No.1 (Manitoba
Lodge No. 1) together with the cryptic symbols of the mystic
order – a crescent moon with seven stars and a three-link
chain.
The Victorian structure was partially leased to commercial
tenants to provide revenue to the order. Its first tenant
was the clothing wholesaler, Carscadden & Peck, which
later built its own building at 33 Princess Street. The meeting
hall for the Oddfellows, was located on the third floor.
The IOOF’s interior space included clubrooms and a
large, free-span auditorium complete with musician’s
gallery and ballroom dance floor. Its walls and ceiling are
completely covered in embossed tin, a common material of
the day, which can still be found in many buildings.
