Choir performs in ornate hall with large pipe organ - masonic and fraternal halls

Self-guided · County in New York

Masonic and Fraternal Halls in Ontario County, NY

Masonic temples, Odd Fellows halls and grange halls near you, the meeting places of the old fraternal orders.

Ontario County is one of 62 counties in New York. Buildings like these are easy to drive past because they are still in use. The register listing is what tells you why they matter.

Woman stands on piano addressing a large crowd - masonic and fraternal halls — Photo: Smithsonian on Unsplash

Red neon sign for masonic temple at dusk - masonic and fraternal halls — Photo: Matt Benson on Unsplash

A large stone building - masonic and fraternal halls — Photo: Abel Doñé on Unsplash

On the record near Ontario County, NY

The 12 nearest

19 listed sites on the record match masonic and fraternal halls within 120 miles of Ontario County, NY, out of 240 listed sites of every kind within 25 miles. 50 listed sites carry Ontario County as their county.

Knights of the Maccabees Hall6.2 miles from the center of Ontario County · Building · Cheshire · listed 2013National Register of Historic Places
South Bristol Grange Hall 110715 miles from the center of Ontario County · Building · Bristol Springs · listed 1997National Register of Historic Places
Webster Grange No. 43623 miles from the center of Ontario County · Building · Webster · listed 2016National Register of Historic Places
Odd Fellows Hall45 miles from the center of Ontario County · Building · Holley · listed 2015National Register of Historic Places
Odd Fellows Lodge and Temple57 miles from the center of Ontario County · Building · Syracuse · listed 2014National Register of Historic Places
Belmont Grange #124361 miles from the center of Ontario County · Building · Belmont · listed 2006National Register of Historic Places
Smithville Valley Grange No. 139781 miles from the center of Ontario County · Building · Smithville Flats · listed 1998National Register of Historic Places
Pleasant Valley Grange Hall92 miles from the center of Ontario County · Building · Pleasant Valley · listed 1999National Register of Historic Places
Rome Elks Lodge No. 9694 miles from the center of Ontario County · Building · Rome · listed 2013National Register of Historic Places
Star Grange No. 994 miles from the center of Ontario County · Building · Hounsfield · listed 1989National Register of Historic Places
Chaumont Grange Hall and Dairymen's League Building99 miles from the center of Ontario County · Building · Chaumont · listed 1990National Register of Historic Places
Leon Grange No. 79599 miles from the center of Ontario County · Building · Leon · listed 2014National Register of Historic Places

Distances are straight-line from the center of Ontario County, NY. Many sites are private property or working buildings - view them from the public way. See them on the map.

Fraternal Halls in Ontario County, step by step

1
See every listed site of this kind in the area
2
Sort by distance and pick the closest few
3
Read the record for the year, the builder and the use
4
View from the public way and note what has changed
5
Collect the set and move on to the next county

What people in Ontario County, NY ask first

How much does it cost to visit these sites in Ontario County, NY?

Most listed sites can be seen from a public road or sidewalk at no cost, and the app is free to use. Some sites are private homes, working churches or museums with their own hours and fees. The record for each one says what it is, so you know before you go.

Where does the information on these sites come from?

From published records: the National Register of Historic Places, the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark program, and the Georgia Historical Society and Georgia Department of Natural Resources marker program. Every site on the page names its source.

Are these buildings open to the public?

Some are, many are not. Churches, courthouses and libraries usually keep regular hours. Houses, barns and mills are often private and best seen from the road. The record for each site tells you which kind it is.

What does it mean when a site is on the National Register?

It means the property was documented and accepted as historically significant. Listing honors the site, it does not open it to visitors or stop an owner from using it.

How a visit works in Ontario County

Step 1
Find the place
Every stop starts as a pin with real coordinates. In Ontario County, NY the map shows what is listed around you and how far each one is, so the first decision is where to go, and it takes a few seconds.
Step 2
Read the story
The record behind each marker is kept whole: what happened there, when, who was involved, and why it was worth a sign. You read it standing where it happened, which is the part a textbook cannot give you.
Step 3
Get there under your own power
Walk it, run it, hike it, ride it or drive it. Stops in Ontario County, NY are chained into routes that fit the way you move, so a lunch break, a long run or a Saturday drive can all pass through history.
Step 4
Collect it and come back
Each stop you reach counts toward a badge, and a photo or a correction you send makes the record better for the next person. The map remembers where you have been, so the next trip starts where the last one ended.