LIMA — The Lima Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks Lodge 54 closed its doors Saturday night marking the end of an era, said John Murray, a lodge officer with the title Inner Guard.
The lodge is located at 302 W. North St. and has been the home to many club and group meetings for many years in its upstairs banquet hall. The club also had dining rooms, a kitchen and a bar.
The Lima Lodge was chartered in 1886 and was the eighth lodge in the state at the time and the 54th in the United States.
The Lima Lodge surrendered its charter in 1891 for accepting somewhat unsavory candidates for membership and problems in management, but five months later reorganized and was given a new charter number, No. 162.
In 1908, the lodge requested its original charter number, No. 54, and has been that ever since.
The lodge was originally built in 1911 at the corner of North and Elizabeth streets. The building is still standing and is one block east of the current location.
The current building was built in 1947 without debt.
A sign on the door reads “closed today” but there is no indication on the door it was closing for good.
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