The Independent Order of Odd Fellows has been part of Santa Paula's history since April 26, 1884, when Lodge No. 314 was established with city founder Nathan Weston Blanchard serving as its first Noble Grand. As Santa Paula's oldest fraternal organization, the lodge has spent more than 140 years promoting the Odd Fellows' principles of Friendship, Love, and Truth while serving its members and the surrounding community.

A Landmark Takes Shape

The lodge originally met in Cleveland Hall, which it purchased in 1889. When the Great Fire of 1903 destroyed the building, lodge members and the community rallied to construct a new home.

The present Odd Fellows Hall, located at 868 East Main Street, was completed in 1905. During construction, lodge member Billy Stein proposed adding a clock tower and helped secure contributions from local merchants and farmers to purchase the clock. Manufactured by the Seth Thomas Clock Company of Connecticut, the four-faced clock became a defining feature of the building, which was dedicated on December 13, 1905.

The tower, with its distinctive copper dome and the Odd Fellows' three-link emblem above each clock face, soon became one of Santa Paula's most recognizable landmarks.

Keeping Santa Paula on Time

For decades, Billy Stein personally maintained the clock, winding its massive weights by hand. In 1952, the clock was converted to electric operation after its original weight cables deteriorated.

Following years of mechanical difficulties, volunteers from the Ventura County Chapter of the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors undertook an extensive renovation. In October 2007, the clock's restored chimes once again rang out over Main Street.

Officially designated the Odd Fellows Town Clock as a county landmark in 1984, the tower remains an enduring symbol of Santa Paula and a source of community pride.

A Tradition of Service

Throughout its history, Lodge No. 314 has remained committed to the Odd Fellows' longstanding mission of visiting the sick, relieving distress, burying the dead, and caring for those in need.

Generations of members have helped preserve both the lodge and its historic building. Among them was Past Noble Grand Les Maland, whose leadership helped revitalize the organization and improve the hall. The building's meeting hall and the plaza outside bear his name.

Today, Santa Paula Odd Fellows Lodge No. 314 continues its tradition of fellowship, community service, and stewardship of one of the city's most treasured historic landmarks.