Our 1877 Lodge stands in the heart of the village and boasts a proud past built on friendship, love, and truth. Founded in 1838, Lafayette Lodge No. 18 of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows is the oldest fraternal organization in the Town of Wappinger. Our 1877 Lodge stands tall in the heart of the Wappingers Falls Downtown Historic District and boasts a proud past built on friendship, love, and
truth. For generations our members have enjoyed social interaction within our Lodge lounges all while continuing our mission of being charitable to our community. Instituted on January 4, 1838, Lafayette Lodge, No. 18 of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows has long been a cornerstone of the Wappinger community. Stewart, George Chatillion, Joseph R. Young, William A. Tyler, Jno. Ellison, and Joseph Blackburn met in what was then the Village of Channingville on West Main Street. By 1877, the lodge had grown to over 160 members and our Lodge Hall was constructed on South Avenue on land donated by the Mesier family. Members of Lafayette Lodge constructed the building themselves at a cost of $7,000. It's said that the members dug and constucted the foundation in one afternoon. The Independent Order of Odd Fellows was founded in Baltimore by British immigrant Thomas Wildey on April 25, 1819. As an Englishman, Wildey had found it difficult to establish friendships in a city still smarting from the War of 1812. Placing an ad in the paper, Wildey found four others willing to join; together they established Washington Lodge Number 1. Members of the order are "bound together by the ties of friendship, love, and truth for the purposes of alleviating the sufferings of humanity." This "three-link-fraternity" is based on two Biblical stories; that of Jonathan and David, a parable of friendship and mutual relief; and the story of the Good Samaritan, which illustrates the second principle, love. Truth, the third link, binds the first two together. The all-seeing eye at the top of this image commands its members to "Visit the sick, relieve the distressed, bury the dead, and educate the orphan." Female figures of Charity and Faith stand on either side with a cornucopia and anchor, respectively. Fraternal organizations committed to public service became common in the United States, offering members fellowship while strengthening ties within a larger community.
