🧱 Odd Fellows Building aka Barnes–Shope North

Address:  139 & 141 S. Chicago Street, Hot Springs, SD

Date Built: 1893

Architect:  Charles Bruce

Contractor:  A.D. McKay

Architectural Style:  Pressed brick with sandstone trim and elaborate terra-cotta cornice

Quarry:  Marty Quarry (sandstone trim only)

📜 Historical Overview

On March 11, 1892, Orland Ferguson sold a vacant lot on Chicago Avenue (where his earlier building had burned) to P.A. Shope for $1,500. By September of that year, construction began on what became the Barnes–Shope Building, later known as the Odd Fellows Hall.

Costing about $10,000, it was celebrated for its ornate cornice and brick façade. Early tenants included Al Dearduff’s Saloon on the south side, while the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) leased the upper story for their lodge.

The Odd Fellows purchased the building in two phases — the first in 1899 and the remainder in 1905 — and retained ownership of the lodge rooms until the mid-20th century. Today, the upper floor is privately owned.

🏛 Material & Style Notes

• Pressed brick façade with sandstone keystones and trim
• Stone pilasters dividing storefronts
• Terra-cotta details, including perforated sandstone keystones and decorative medallions
• Elaborate cornice with rowlock brick dentils, V-shaped projections, and circular medallions framed in billet molding
• At construction, featured Hot Springs’ only first-class brick sidewalk with cut stone curbing

🏢 Past & Present Occupants

• Al Dearduff’s Saloon (1890s)
• Upper story: IOOF meeting hall (1893–mid 20th century)
• Current Occupants (2025): Russell Law Office; Blew Taxidermy

🪨 Quarry Clarification

The Marty Quarry supplied sandstone details for the Odd Fellows building, while the bulk of the structure is pressed brick.

🔍 Research Notes & Requests

Save Our Sandstone is still seeking:

• Full timeline of ground-floor business tenants (1893–present)
• Interior documentation of the IOOF lodge
• Confirmed ownership transitions post-IOOF
• Construction photos or design notes from Charles Bruce’s original plans

QR Code Info:  Built in 1893 by architect Charles Bruce and contractor A.D. McKay, the Odd Fellows Building blended pressed brick with sandstone trim from Marty Quarry and an elaborate terra-cotta cornice. The ground floor first held Al Dearduff’s Saloon, while the Independent Order of Odd Fellows met upstairs for more than 50 years. Over time, it has remained an enduring downtown landmark, home to everything from saloons and shops to professional offices and studios.