The Odd Fellows Wildey Monument was erected in 1865 right after the Cival War. The monument was dedicated to Thomas Wildey who founded American Odd Fellowship in 1819 at the Seven Stars Tavern in Baltimore Maryland. After coming from England Wildey lived in Baltimore until his death, the Monument was erected not far from the Seven Stars Tavern, also at the time of the monuments construction and until 1982 Baltimore served as the National Headquarters for the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
The Monument stands on Broadway Avenue in a wide median in the historic Washington Hill section of Baltimore. Over 52 feet high the white granite monument towers over the avenue below. The monument is a pillar which upon the top rests a widow and her two orphans. Under the widow and her orphans are 5 symbols. The five symbols are the three links of a chain, the axe, the bundle of sticks, the heart and hand, and the world in darkness. The symbols represent the following. The first symbol the axe represents Wildey's pioneer sprit in bringing the Order to the United States from his native England, the world in darkness represents mans ignorance, the bundle of sticks represents strengh in union, the heart and hand (which is pictured) represents charity and good works, and the three links represent Friendship, Love and Truth. At the base of the pillar are four large bronze seals one of which appears. The first seal is the official seal of the Sovereign Grand Lodge, the second seal is of a women resting on the ten commandments. The last seals the one which is pictured states the following inscription. "This column erected by the joint contributions of the Lodges, Encampments and Indivdual members of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows of the United States of America and jursdiction thereunto belonging Commemorates the founding of that Order in the City of Baltimore on the 26th Day of APRIL 1819 by Thomas Wildey." Below the four sides of the seals the monument becomes a base which contain the following inscriptions; "Thomas Wildey Born January 15, 1782", "The site for this Monument was Unanimously voted by the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore ANNO DOMINI MOCCLXV" and the following verse "He who realizes that the true mission of man on earth is to rise above the level of the individual influence and to recognize the fatherhood of God over all and the brotherhood of man is natures true Nobleman."
Over 50,000 spectators attended the unveiling ceremony, among the more notable attendees was the General of the Baltimore garrison and prison along with his inmate Jefferson Davis the former President of the Cofederacy both of whom were Odd Fellows. Others in attendance included the Mayor of Baltimore and the Govenor of Maryland as well as numerous congressman and other city officials. The monument helped unite Odd Fellows from the North and the South after the terrible years of the Cival War making the Odd Fellows the first national organization to do so. Through the late 1800's and into the early 20th century the monument was a source of great pride for the Odd Fellows appearing on official docuents, lithographs, posters, and post cards. Presently with the exception of this website; photos found on the internet are 80 to 120 years old.
The Monument today is maintained by the City of Baltimore as a treasured part of its Cival War past. The small trees planted some 80 years ago around the monument are now fully grown and make photographing the full monument difficult, however these same trees create a beautiful canopy that the top of the monument emerges from. Sadly few Odd Fellows go to see the monument since the Sovereign Grand Lodge moved its headqaurters from Baltimore to Winston-Salem in the early 1980's. Although there is a Pilgrimage to the Wildey gravesite also in Baltimore there is no such Pilgrimage to the monument and still sadder the monument serves no cermonial purpose for the Order.
This site is maintained by the Harry Marsh Odd Fellows Lodge No.45 in Edgewater, Florida. The site is an effort by the Lodge to promote Odd Fellowship to the general publc and educate current Odd Fellows of our Orders rich hisory and renew interest in the monument. The website was designed by Brother Paul Mitchell the Lodge Secretary with the help of photos taken by a member of our Lodge from the Baltimore area now residing in Florida.
Please give us your feed back,
email us at:
marshmitchell@hotmail.com
(All email should be titled Monument or Odd Fellows for response)
(C) Copyright 2005
Harry Marsh Lodge No 45 IOOF
PO BOX 1042
Edgewater FL 32132
Last Update 11/10/05
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