Centralia Elks Lodge

The Centralia Elk's Lodge
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	328 E. Broadway, Centralia, Illinois
Coordinates	38°31′39″N 89°7′53″W / 38.52750°N 89.13139°WCoordinates: 38°31′39″N 89°7′53″W / 38.52750°N 89.13139°W
Area	less than one acre
Built	c. 1930
Architectural style	Classical Revival
NRHP Reference #	08001171[1]
Added to NRHP	November 7, 2011

The Centralia Elks Lodge is a historic building located at 328 E. Broadway in Centralia, Illinois. The Classical Revival building was constructed between 1929 and 1931 for Centralia Lodge 493, the city's chapter of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. The entrance to the building is flanked by Ionic columns. The second-story windows on the front facade are topped with limestone pediments and segmented arches; the windowsills feature decorative brackets. Limestone cornices top both stories of the building, and a cartouche bordered by scrolls sits on the roofline above the central front window.^[2]

In 1938-39, the Elks sold the building to a group of local businessmen. The businessmen then leased the building to the Shell Oil Company, and the building became known as the Petroleum Building; around this time, a bowling alley opened in the basement. In 1946, the Centralia chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars purchased the building and used the second floor as a meeting hall. A fire in 1951 caused the bowling alley to close; however, the VFW continued to use the building. As of 2011, the building was unused.^[2]

The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 7, 2011.^[1]

References

1. "Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 11/07/11 Through 11/10/11". National Park Service. Retrieved February 9, 2014.
2. O'Brien, Jessica (September 2008). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Centralia Lodge 493 of the B. P. O. E." (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved February 9, 2014.