Mariners Lodge No. 53, IOOF

Mariners Lodge No. 53 located in the Village of Round Pond, Bristol, Lincoln County, Maine is significant for its association with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and their work promoting charity, community service, and philanthropy. The building was constructed in 1891 with a first-floor dining hall that was available for use by the community at large and a members-only second-floor hall where their meetings and rituals awarding degrees took place. The hall is significant at the local level for social history and entertainment/recreation. The Odd Fellows as well as other fraternal organizations of the period provided recreational and social benefits to their members. The organization also provided sick and death benefits to members and families at a time when such insurance was otherwise out of reach for most workingmen. The organization’s focus on charity and philanthropy extended to the wider community as well through donations to scholarship funds, educational funds, and homes for the disabled. The building was also open to community use by other local organizations and hosted musical and literary programs that were open to the non-members within the community.