Hancock Lodge 150 History

The I.O.O.F. Hall, known locally as the Odd Fellow's Hall, or simply the Hall, was built c 1909. Hancock Lodge 150 had formed two years earlier, at the heyday of fraternal organizations in this country, but it took several years for the group to decide and locate a suitable site for their building. A 40 foot by 85 foot building, three stories tall, with a twenty foot stage on the second floor was approved, and the building cost $5485 in 1909 dollars (valued at more than $1.4 million today). The building was dedicated on October 26, 1909.

With the exception of the first decade or so, the Hall has served as Swan’s Island’s unofficial community center ever since. Early on, the second floor has been one of the important features of the Hall; for decades innumerable dances, plays, celebrations, exhibitions and festivals have been held there. Starting in 1919 the annual Swan’s Island town meeting was held on the second floor until the construction of the consolidated school in 1991. Starting in 1922 a room on the first floor was used as the town office and this continued until the mid-1960s. The Eighth Grade graduation was held in the building for many years.

While membership in the lodge, both the Odd Fellows as well as the Rebekahs, has risen and fallen like the tides over the decades, occasionally dropping as low as one or two members, the Hall itself has not wavered as the town’s community center. The ground floor is the kitchen and dining area used for the many summer Sunday community breakfasts, and summer selectmen’s meetings, as well as a gathering spot for local fishermen to conduct their business and receive updates on their operations. The second story, an auditorium with a stage, seating more than two hundred and fifty, is the place where many community shows and plays are presented. The third floor houses the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Rebekah Lodge, now with membership of men and women of about twenty plus people.

In sum, today the Hall continues to serve as a key community center for the entire island, year-rounders as well as summer folk. The ever-popular community breakfasts, the many plays over the years staged by the Hocamock Players, the thirty plus year old Sweet Chariot Folk Festival, the twice a summer Open (art) Studio exhibition, and many other town events are held in the Hall, including an annual chowder cook-off and variety show. While the Hall receives a small annual stipend from the Town of Swan’s Island, the hall is independently owned, and is now in need of serious renovations to bring it up to modern safety and fire codes.

Looking Ahead

Most national Odd Fellows Halls are much smaller whereas this building, of great historic value to the Swan’s community, has more than ten thousand square feet. Following years of decline in the membership of the lodge a new membership drive recruited almost 20 new members. And it is one of the very few lodges in the country with a growing not decreasing membership. Most current members are hard at work preserving this structure as a community resource, recently establishing a separate 501(c)(3) charitable foundation to receive money for the upgrading and improvement of this building.

A small group of volunteers are starting to carry out the initial steps of this recent fund-raising effort. Thus far this summer, the recent donations were invested in a fire and safety code-analysis by a professional which resulted in a plan to remedy some obvious issues, which included: replacing old light fixtures and exit signs; installing fire blocking in the walls; ordering a fire alarm system plan and estimates; and asking the deputy sheriff and fire chief to assist us during major events.

Now it is on us to carry this work to completion. With volunteers on the island available and some smaller donations, it is now important to support this effort by widening our appeal to more donors in order to provide these volunteers with the necessary funds to keep them motivated and empowered. Please help preserve the Hall for future generations.  

- Peter Vorkink 2025