Down the Road

Photographs and stories by Jim Grey

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single frame: Washington at Addison

Jim Grey
10 comments on single frame: Washington at Addison
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Washington at Addison

Washington at Addison
Olympus XA
Kosmo Foto 100
2017

Even though I’ve driven the National Road from end to end and have visited the Indiana and Illinois segments more than once, I’ve yet to fully document the road through Indianapolis. I’ve made some photographs Downtown, but very little between there and the eastern and western city limits. It’s in some part because the neighborhoods are bad, and in some part because it can be difficult to find places to park.

But I go to church within sight of this location, the corner of Washington (the National Road) and Addison Streets on the Near Westside. I’d never noticed before that the corner building was originally a lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. It says so above the second-story windows. I’ve lost count of how many such lodges have I encountered as I’ve followed the old roads.

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Comments

10 responses to “single frame: Washington at Addison”

  1. retrocrank Avatar
    retrocrank

    That’s such a common architecture for small town buildings. My hometown – a rural Ohio farmtown – had several of those along the main business block, and I can think of at least a couple of other crossroads towns that have similar buildings (often IOOF in fact). Does that “style” have a name?

    Reply
    1. Jim Grey Avatar
      Jim Grey

      You’re right, it is just a standard-issue building. I don’t know that there’s a name for this style of architecture. I’ve seen IOOF buildings similar to this one all over Indiana.

      Reply
  2. Bill Bussell Avatar
    Bill Bussell

    The IOOF has almost disappeared. Masonic Lodges are still out there. One of the best is in Plainfield, and fully active. Churches are also suffering. The Disciples of Christ church membership was nearly 20,000 strong. Now, it is failing with about 6,000 members. They operate Butler University. Several of the churches have closed, and others are soon to follow.

    Reply
    1. Jim Grey Avatar
      Jim Grey

      Funny you should bring up the Disciples. My church was Disciples for most of its history but three years ago left the group and went independent. We just didn’t feel aligned to the Disciples anymore, and didn’t benefit at all from the association.

      Reply
  3. Bill Bussell Avatar
    Bill Bussell

    Disciples were my church growing up. The church buildings have been sold to a Chin church group for $2.9 Million. There should have been property tax on all churches, and especially this one who likely acquired the land for free. My family and many others supported the buildings, and now they plan on moving further South onto 12 acres. I guess the idea is like the baseball movie field of dreams. If we build it, they will come. I doubt this very much given history of another church that moved, and disappeared. Their new building (Third Christian Church) is now a Korean Presbyterian. Nothing wrong with either Chin or Koreans. The Disciple’s loss is their gain.

    Reply
    1. Jim Grey Avatar
      Jim Grey

      It does make me sad that the great Restoration Movement tradition is waning. I’ve been in the Churches of Christ and the independent Christian Churches (the more conservative brothers of the Disciples) for most of my Christian years.

      Reply
  4. Bane Enab Avatar
    Bane Enab

    nice +

    Reply
    1. Jim Grey Avatar
      Jim Grey

      thanks –

      Reply
  5. DougD Avatar
    DougD

    Nice, except for the unfortunate lower cladding.

    Our town has an old IOOF and Masonic building. The IOOF is a dance studio now, the Masonic building has looked abandoned the 20 years I’ve lived here but according to their website it’s still an active chapter.

    You should come and shoot Dundas Jim, only a bit farther than Chicago :P

    Reply
    1. Jim Grey Avatar
      Jim Grey

      The lower cladding is just paint — should be removable if necessary someday.

      I think I’ve been through Dundas, albeit more than 20 years ago!

      Reply

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