Red Men Hall (Lagro, Indiana)

The Red Men Hall is a historic clubhouse in Lagro, Indiana completed in 1911. The National Register of Historic Places listed the building in 2020.^[1]

I.O.R.M. Hall, Tonkawa No. 126
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
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Location	820 Washington Street, Lagro, Indiana 46941
Coordinates	40°50′11″N 85°43′41″W
Built	1911
Architectural style	Vernacular, Early Commercial
Restored by	Lagro Canal Foundation
NRHP reference No.	100005871[1]
Added to NRHP	December 1, 2020

History

The Improved Order of Red Men is a fraternal organization that established a Lagro chapter or "tribe" in 1888 and named it after the Tonkawa people. The group's rituals are based on perceived Native American customs.^[2]

As of 1904, the local group had 41 members and, by 1911, was large enough to fund construction of a lodge building, called a "wigwam". ^[3] However, by 1948, the declining lodge surrendered its charter.^[4]

Beginning in 2017, the volunteer-based Lagro Canal Foundation has gradually rehabbed the building by replacing the roof, restoring the facade, and removing debris from the interior.^[5] The group plans for historic preservation to encourage economic redevelopment.^[6]

Architecture

The 1911 building reflects both vernacular and early commercial architectural styles. The two-story structure consists of a street-level storefront while the second level contains a meeting room for the lodge. The building shares a common wall with the Masonic Temple, forming a commercial block. The facade of the building is brick with three bays and an inlaid "IORM" detail.^[4] When the front facade was repointed in 2020, the locally sourced bricks were found to be a non-standard size, so replacements bricks were repurposed from the hidden side wall.^[5]

See also

• List of Improved Order of Red Men buildings and structures
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Wabash County, Indiana