Red Men Hall (Lagro, Indiana)

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Coordinates: 40°50′11″N 85°43′41″W / 40.83639°N 85.72806°W / 40.83639; -85.72806
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I.O.R.M. Hall, Tonkawa No. 126
Located in the north central section of Indiana
Located in the north central section of Indiana
Located in the north central section of Indiana
Located in the north central section of Indiana
Location820 Washington Street, Lagro, Indiana 46941
Coordinates40°50′11″N 85°43′41″W / 40.83639°N 85.72806°W / 40.83639; -85.72806
Built1911
Architectural styleVernacular, Early Commercial
Restored byLagro Canal Foundation
NRHP reference No.100005871[1]
Added to NRHPDecember 1, 2020

The Red Men Hall is a historic clubhouse in Lagro, Indiana completed in 1911. The National Register of Historic Places listed the building in 2020.[1]

History[edit]

The Improved Order of Red Men is a fraternal organization that established a Lagro chapter or "tribe" in 1888 and named it after the Tonkawa people. The group's rituals are based on perceived Native American customs.[2]

As of 1904, the group had 41 members and, by 1911, was large enough to fund construction of a lodge building, called a "wigwam". [3] However, by 1948, the declining lodge surrendered its charter.[4]

Beginning in 2017, the volunteer-based Lagro Canal Foundation has gradually rehabbed the building by replacing the roof, restoring the facade, and removing debris from the interior.[5] The group plans for historic preservation to encourage economic redevelopment.[6]

Architecture[edit]

The 1911 building reflects both vernacular and early commercial architectural styles. The two-story structure consists of a street-level storefront while the second level contains a meeting room for the lodge. The building shares a common wall with the Masonic Temple, forming a commercial block. The facade of the building is brick with three bays and an inlaid "IORM" detail.[4] When the front facade was repointed in 2020, the locally sourced bricks were found to be a non-standard size, so replacements bricks were repurposed from the hidden side wall.[5]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "National Register of Historic Places Weekly Lists 2020" (PDF). National Park Service. National Register of Historic Places. December 28, 2020. p. 142. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  2. ^ Deloria, Philip J. (1998). Playing Indian. Yale University Press. pp. 59–65.
  3. ^ Watts, Thomas H. (2015) [Originally Published September 1904]. "Record of the Great Council of the United States of the Improved Order of Red Men". University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Retrieved April 27, 2024 – via The Internet Archive.
  4. ^ a b "Historic Preservation November, 2020, through May, 2021" (PDF). Division of Historic Preservation & Archaeology. Indiana Department of Natural Resources. May 2021. p. 16. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Slacian, Joseph (Spring 2021). "Lagro Revitalization". Business Journal. The Paper of Wabash County. pp. 15–20. Retrieved April 27, 2024 – via Issuu.
  6. ^ "The Power of Small". Indiana Landmarks. December 18, 2017. Retrieved April 27, 2024.

External links[edit]

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