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Marianna, Elks Club, 1911 (Photograph by Claudia Shannon)
Built for the local chapter of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE) by local Marianna contractor S. A. Keedy, this three-story Mediterranean Revival brick building features the classic Elk eleven o’clock frozen timepiece set in the shaped parapet of the facade. The BPOE was organized in New York in 1867–1868, and by 1920 every town with a population of five thousand or more had this fraternal order. The two-story red brick building, with its horizontal massing, grouping and placement of windows, and deep eaves, shows Craftsman influence. For this men’s club, the interiors were masculine in appeal, with oak millwork and beams and oak flooring. A stained glass window is on the landing of the staircase. The basement accommodates a kitchen, and the second floor includes a ballroom.
Nationwide in the Great Depression and in succeeding years, membership in the BPOE dwindled, and many of the larger buildings were sold. The Marianna branch equally suffered a loss of membership and in 1934 was obliged to sell the building to the City, which paid off the mortgage in an agreement with the Elks that it would always be used as a community facility. The building, first used by the city library, now houses the Lee County Museum, and many civic organizations also meet here.