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BEACON ELKS

Program
NYS Historic
Subject
Building, Event
Location
897 Wolcott Ave, Beacon, NY 12508, USA
Lat/Long
41.4985984, -73.9681775
Grant Recipient
Beacon Historical Society
Historic Marker

BEACON ELKS

Inscription

BEACON ELKS
FOUNDED JULY 17, 1924.
PURCHASED "FAIRVIEW" ESTATE
IN 1925. APPROX. 1,500 WWII
MILITARY MEMBERS PROVIDED
FAREWELL DINNERS HERE.
WILLIAM G. POMEROY FOUNDATION 2024

Beacon Lodge No. 1493 of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks was founded July 17th, 1924. The next day, The Beacon Journal published an article with the title, “Brilliant Celebration Marks Institution of Elk Lodge Here,” detailing the event:

Beacon Lodge, No. 1493 B. P. O. E., was born with all the pomp and glory which usually attends such an occasion. The institution of the new lodge and the accompanying activities were carried out with a smoothness that augurs well for the efficient management and future progress of the local branch of the order.

Within a year, Lodge No. 1493 had purchased the “Fairview Estate,” which was built by William Rothery and offered a view of nearby Beacon Mountain. From their new headquarters, Lodge No. 1493 spearheaded several charitable initiatives, offering support to the surrounding Beacon community.

An example of such community service occurred during the war effort, which was reported in the Elks Magazine in the March 1944 edition:

Since the beginning of the war, No. 1493’s patriotic activities have been given precedence over those of a social nature…nearly 1,500 young men passed by the local draft board have been entertained before their departure for various camps, and dinners have been given for them, all of the expense being borne by the lodge.

These dinners were hosted in the front yard of the Lodge and were cooked and catered by members of the Elks, and they offered a farewell gathering for those soon to be sent to the European and Pacific theaters during World War II.

Along with the dinners mentioned in the Elks Magazine, Lodge No. 1493 also invested $20,000 in war bonds, organized aviation cadet classes, distributed more than $300 of shoes to children in need, and provided funding for a park

Since then, Beacon Lodge No. 1493 has remained a staple of the Beacon community, and this historical marker commemorates the history of the organization and the farewell dinners they hosted for those World War II soldiers heading overseas.

To learn more about the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, visit:


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