Odd Fellows Hall
Also known as: Odd Fellows Building
Why it's listed
Built in 1906, this three-story brick building at 309-311 North Main Street in Santa Ana combined street-level shops with a two-story lodge hall for Odd Fellows Lodge No. 236. Architect C. B. Bradshaw drew the plans and local contractors Funk and Bird built it. The front is glazed brick in beige, tan and dusty rose, topped by a metal cornice on 22 scrolled brackets and divided by five Tuscan pilasters. The design is described as unusual among Santa Ana buildings and as one of the last remaining late Victorian commercial examples in the city. Inside, the lodge room, upstairs meeting rooms and basement dining room retain much original woodwork and detail, though the first floor was completely altered. The lodge met here until 1981 and provided aid to the sick, aged and dependent. The Santa Ana Register, later Orange County's largest newspaper, was the first tenant at Number 311, from 1906 to 1913. Restoration for commercial use was under way when the property was nominated.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is a rare surviving late Victorian commercial structure in Santa Ana, with a facade unusual for the city. It also housed Odd Fellows Lodge No. 236 from 1906 to 1981, a group tied to prominent local citizens and charitable aid. Its ground floor was the early home of the Santa Ana Register, later Orange County's largest newspaper.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 83001218, listed August 18, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 309-311 N. Main St., Santa Ana |
|---|---|
| County | Orange County |
| Listed | August 18, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83001218 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1906 |
| Architect / builder | Funk & Bird/C.B. Bradshaw |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian in character; interior woodwork is Colonial Revival |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Storefronts last vacated in 1980; rehabilitation for commercial use was in progress at the time of nomination. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Within district | Downtown Santa Ana Historic Districts (North, Government/Institutional and South, Retail) |
| Coordinates | 33.74749, -117.86719 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 83001218.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7077362
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.