Elks Lodge Repurposed As Rental Apartments, Litchfield, Illinois
Image by myoldpostcards
Located on the east side of Library Park is this former Elks Lodge. The building was constructed in 1923 for Litchfield’s Elks Lodge No. 654, which formed in 1901. This building was paid for with about 5,000 in bonds that were paid off in 1941.
Architect Oliver W. Stiegemeyer designed the building in a Classical Revival style with a significant Beaux-Arts influence, particularly in its form. The main section of the front facade has five bays and features terra cotta pilasters along the corner bays. The building’s front porch, which projects from the three center bays, has a balustrade supported by three arches and decorated with terra cotta. The red tile mansard roof has five dormers and a bracketed cornice along the bottom.
In the basement was a swimming pool and bowling alley. The pool only lasted a few years because of the operating expense. The bowling alley was used for many years. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. The Elks moved out of the building in 1987, and the building has since been repurposed as rental apartments.
Litchfield, a city in Montgomery County, is located in South Central Illinois less than an hour drive from Illinois’ Capital City of Springfield to the north, and St. Louis, Missouri to the south. Two separate alignments of historic U.S. Route 66 (a.k.a. the Mother Road ) run through Litchfield. It is a city known for its Route 66 icons, expansive lake, and lush landscapes. The population of Litchfield at the 2020 census was 6,605.
