The I.O.O.F. Building, Mason Valley. A monument to... what, exactly? Community development? The questionable architectural choices of one Frederick J. DeLongchamps? It’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which, if you ask me, is just a glorified to-do list for people with too much time and an unhealthy obsession with the past. The building itself, located at 1 S. Main St. in Yerington, Nevada, was erected between 1913 and 1914. A quaint little slice of history, I suppose, if your idea of history involves fraternal organizations and slightly uninspired design.
The official line is that it’s significant for its “association with the community development of Yerington.” Apparently, the International Order of Odd Fellows – a name that practically screams "we're definitely not a cult" – played some sort of pivotal role. And then there’s DeLongchamps, a name whispered with reverence in certain circles, I’m told. He designed it, you see. As if that’s supposed to imbue the structure with some sort of mystical significance. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 4, 1983, under reference number 83001111. Because, of course, it was.
The designation, according to the paperwork, is primarily for two reasons: its supposed connection to the town’s growth, with the Odd Fellows as the alleged catalysts, and the fact that DeLongchamps, a prominent Nevada architect, lent his hand to its creation. It covers less than an acre, a rather modest footprint for a building deemed worthy of such official recognition.
The building itself, as of 2024, stands at 1 S. Main St. The coordinates, should you feel compelled to verify its existence, are 38°59′2″N 119°10′11″W / 38.98389°N 119.16972°W / 38.98389; -119.16972. It's a structure that occupies a space on the National Register of Historic Places within Lyon County, Nevada. Other notable sites in the county include Buckland Station, the East Walker River Petroglyph Site, Fernley Community Church, Fort Churchill, the Lyon County Courthouse, the US Post Office-Yerington Main, and Yerington Grammar School. All of them, no doubt, with their own fascinating tales of community development and architectural significance. Or perhaps just a testament to the sheer volume of things people find important enough to document.
This particular entry is, by Wikipedia's own admission, a stub. Which is rather fitting, isn't it? A stub for a building that’s apparently significant but not that significant. You can, if you feel so inclined, help Wikipedia expand upon it. Though I suspect the building itself would prefer to be left to its own quiet, unremarkable existence. It’s a part of the larger list of National Register of Historic Places listings in Nevada and falls under the Nevada State Historic Places by county template.
The references cited for this information are the National Register Information System maintained by the National Park Service, and a document by Lloyd A. Hoopes and James Hamrick from May 1983 detailing the inventory and nomination for the I.O.O.F. Building, Mason Valley, which includes four photographs from the same year. All rather official, I'm sure. Just don't expect me to join the Odd Fellows to get the full, unvarnished truth. Some things are best left unexamined.