Grand United Order of Odd Fellows - Washington Lodge #1513

Historical marker location:

New Castle, Kentucky

( 32 South Main Street, New Castle)

GRAND UNITED ORDER OF ODD FELLOWS

The Grand United Order of Odd Fellows (GUOOF) was formed in 1843; virtually all other fraternal organizations of the era were whites-only. The GUOOF provided vital support to its members and the local black community following the Civil War. Its work continues to the present.

WASHINGTON LODGE #1513

Former slaves founded Washington Lodge #1513 in 1872, seven years after the end of the Civil War. The Lodge has owned this building since 1886; it has one of the few remaining nineteenth- century facades in New Castle. This lodge is the only active GUOOF lodge in Kentucky and is one of the oldest African American fraternal organizations in the state.

Dedicated August 17, 2017.

African American Fraternal Organizations Reconstruction Era