BEDFORD — Today — five days before a ceremony to mark its donation to the city — the Bedford Elks Lodge was formally placed on Indiana Landmarks' list of 10 Most Endangered historic properties in the state.
The lodge, at 1102 15th St., was donated by the Elks to the Bedford Urban Enterprise Association. Dan Kirk, the city's planning director said the city has no specific use for the property. BUEA plans to hold it until a suitable buyer and new use can be found.
A formal ceremony to mark the donation is scheduled for Tuesday evening at the Lawrence County Museum of History, 929 15th St. Scheduled to attend are Larry Shaver, past state Elks president, a member of the board of grand trustees and a trustee of the now-defunct lodge in Bedford; Joey Elliott, treasurer of the now-defunct lodge; Shawna Girgis, mayor of Bedford; and Harold Turner, BUEA president.
The Elks were among fraternal orders that once thrived across the United States. The Masons, Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, Moose, Elks, and others built modest and grand lodge halls, many designed by notable architects.
According to Historic Landmarks, the Bedford Elks hired Indianapolis architect Elmer E. Dunlap — designer of Indianapolis schools and courthouses in Carroll, Pike, and Spencer counties — to design a 11,435-square-foot lodge. The building was completed in 1917. The brick-and-stone structure incorporated a full-sized gym and roof garden, along with the main meeting hall and meeting rooms.
But membership in such organizations, including the Bedford Elks, has been falling rapidly for the past several years. The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, for example, has declined from over 1.6 million in 1976 to 850,000 today. The local Elks found they could no longer properly maintain the historic structure.
Historic Landmarks reports the Bedford lodge remains one of the state’s finest examples of the Italian Renaissance Revival style. But the building is in jeopardy. Inside, plaster flakes and falls, the result of a leaky roof and gutters. And electrical, plumbing and HVAC systems are antiquated. Outside, stone and brick show signs of deterioration.
A building assessment has documented urgent stabilization and repair needs. BUEA is challenged to find a new use for the structure while seeking money for repairs.
The story of the Elks Lodge is similar to those of other endangered landmarks.
Circumstances that land properties on among the 10 Most Endangered generally involve: demolition threat, abandonment, neglectful owner, dilapidation, obsolete use, lack of money for repairs, unreasonable above-market sale price, out-of-the-way location or encroaching sprawl.
“Indiana Landmarks works to save vintage places well before the eleventh hour, but sometimes very important structures reach a dire point, and calling attention to them via the 10 Most Endangered list helps rescue them,” Marsh Davis, president of Indiana Landmarks, a nonprofit preservation organization, said in a prepared statement. “They’re not lost causes. All have the potential for revival and reuse.
“These landmarks preserve connections to community heritage. Time and again, we find that restoring one important place spurs broader revitalization in a community,” Davis adds.
Indiana Landmarks uses the Most Endangered list to bring attention to the imperiled sites and find solutions that will ensure their preservation.
Since the first 10 Most Endangered in 1991, 104 historic places in severe jeopardy have appeared on the list, with only 13 lost to demolition. (The West Baden Springs Hotel was once on the endangered list.) This year’s list includes seven new entries and three landmarks making repeat appearences.