Drive through the heart of Burlington’s North End, and you might see the striking new mural that adorns the Odd Fellows lodge at 1416 North Ave.
The lodge’s facade, formerly a faded brick wall bearing traces of graffiti, now sports a shining eye surrounded by floral imagery and vibrant colors. Along the building’s right side, two open hands stretch toward one another under floating banners that say “Community” and “Mutual Aid.”
The mural’s completion marks the revival of the Odd Fellows’ North End lodge, whose membership has increased dramatically this year. With this influx of new members, the Lodge has begun to reposition itself as a community center after a long period of inactivity.
“It was looking dead for a while, but then this year, right around March or so — that’s kind of when the fire was lit there,” said Alex Kensington, a member of the organization. “I mean, it really has grown.”
Kensington said that the lodge, whose membership had dwindled to just half a dozen by early last year, has accepted 20 new members this year and intends to initiate a few more in December.
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows is an international fraternity (now genderless) that traces its roots back to mid-18th-century England, with lodges in the United States like the one in Burlington popping up in the mid-1800s.
Although the single-story building is of modest size, with just one large central room and a basement, the lodge has previously been a vibrant community center, especially during the early aughts, when it served as a popular music venue for the city’s burgeoning punk and hardcore scenes.
For more than a decade, though, the building has remained mostly unused, a result of a declining and aging membership. Now, the arrival of new blood offers the potential for a return to the lodge’s glory days.
Although Kensington joined the North End lodge two years ago, he has been a member of the Odd Fellows for 20 years and is excited that younger members are rejuvenating the order.
“This younger crew is all about it,” he said. “We want to have some more shows. We want to have more events that serve the community up here.”
In Kensington’s view, the Odd Fellows’ specific orientation toward compassion and aid has been the dominant force behind the renewed interest, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns, which he believes sparked a renewed interest in community-building.
“The Odd Fellows have always been more about community service. It’s a mutual aid society,” Kensington said, comparing the Odd Fellows to other fraternal orders. “The Freemasons, for example, are more about personal self-improvement, and then things like the American Legion are convivial clubs, which basically means they get together and party.”
“People want to be part of something like this again,” he said. “They find a real benefit of being part of a small community that helps itself and helps its greater community.”
Noble Grand Ryon Frink, the lodge’s head officer, expressed excitement about the organization’s future. In an interview with VTDigger, he laid out a number of goals, including plans to boost fundraising for the organization’s food pantry and perpetual clothing drive, which he said serve about 600 individuals a month.
“Our biggest aim is really to have the building busy and active and alive again,” Frink said. “Anyone who’s been in the neighborhood for a while knows that the building looked abandoned for a long time, and now it no longer looks abandoned. Now we’re trying to bring the whole project entirely back to life again.”
For instance, on Oct. 21, the lodge hosted its first concert since the late 2000s. After what Frink called a “punk rock flea market” during the day, where vendors sold art that loosely fit the punk aesthetic, three bands played to a crowd of over 75.
“It was a good turnout for, you know, just a little show in the neighborhood. The bands were all absolutely fantastic,” Frink said.
The event was substance-free and open to all ages, as most events at the lodge will be, he said.
“I think the community needs a place for all-ages, substance-free events, and we think that’s something we can provide,” Frink said. “We want to be a place for kids and teenagers and adults to come together and do something.”
Not only will the Odd Fellows host concerts and other events, but the lodge building will eventually open up for public rentals, too.
“If somebody wants to do a kid’s birthday party or a small wedding or yoga classes — it’ll be a great place for all of those,” Frink said.
Frink said the organization is still ironing out its rental policy, and he hopes rental opportunities will be available in the spring. The group also hopes to double its membership by this time next year.