For over 100 years, the Alpena International Order of the Odd Fellows and the Daughters of Rebekahs were cloaked in secrecy and were a prominent part of Alpena’s history as well as the history of the iconic Centennial Building, constructed in 1876 and originally owned by Samuel and Samantha Hitchcock. However, little has remained intact.

Mike and Kate Phillips, who recently purchased the Centennial Building, are passionately seeking to restore and preserve the building while also uncovering the missing pieces of the building’s history.

Passionate about history, the Phillipses immediately began the intensive application for the Centennial Building to become a part of the National Register of Historic Places Program, the official list of the nation’s historic places worthy of preservation operated through the State Historic Preservations Officers.

SHPO holds the responsibilities of surveying, evaluating and nominating buildings, sites and structures to the register. Mike said he is hopeful the Centennial Building will be considered in September.

“Becoming a part of the register will open up opportunities for grant dollars,” Mike said. “Alpena has always been an industrial town and with that comes 139 years of pollution on the outside (of the Centennial Building).”

The Phillipses hope for the first floor to become some type of community room whether be it historical, artistic or education outreach.

“Somehow we want to give the community a chance to experience the building. Most everybody I talk to all know about the building but have never been in it,” Mike said.

A part of this process includes uncovering the history surrounding the building. Mike said the building has been cleaned out of any history, “if only the walls could talk, that’s all we could have left.”

While the walls do not talk, Mike and Kate have thoroughly explored the building and continue to uncover interesting tidbits regarding the many changes and updates the building has gone through during its history.

One example Mike shared is in the mystery of the original staircase to the third floor. While a staircase was later added by the Odd Fellows extending from the first floor to the third, Mike said it is still a mystery how they originally got up to the third floor.

However, on a plaque above the third story of the Chisholm Street entrance is the most common symbol of IOOF, a three link chain with the letters “F,” “L,” and “T” signifying Friendship, Love and Truth.

The temple, located on the third floor, holds hints of the once sacred space.

Gaining entry to the room is still guarded by a door on each side of an anteroom.

“A sentry would stand here,” said Mike, who placed himself just inside the first sliding door peeking through a wicket peephole. “He would ask the member for a password and sign before opening the first door to let him into the anteroom. Then a second sentry would look through the wicket, ask for the same things and talk to the chief patriarch before allowing the member into the temple.”

Mike said it was important for the doors to never both be open at once in order to protect the temple from nonbelievers. This secrecy was more about protecting the identities of the people who needed the help of the Odd Fellows as opposed to protecting secrets of the fraternity according to Mike.

“Since the Odd Fellows were helping people in need that’s where the secrecy came in. It was about not exposing people who were in need, but when you have grown men walking around with skulls and candles what are you going to think?” he said.

At the southwest corner of the temple, original paneled cabinets exist with four doors and three embossed brass plates name three of the four lodges. Only the Alpena Lodge No. 170, the original IOOF chapter, is missing.

The four lodges, IOOF Alpena Lodge No. 170 and Myrtle Lodge No. 432, and the Rebekahs, Primrose No. 364 and Beulah No. 91 , all occupied the Centennial Building beginning with the Alpena Lodge since the construction of the Centennial Building in 1876. The lodges remained there until 1969, seven years shy of occupying the building for 100 years.

Other hints of the Centennial Building’s history show traces of renovations made in early years including a diagonal shadow on an exposed brick wall. This shadow is likely left from the staircase which would have existed at the original street entry at the center of the building on the Washington Avenue side between 1901 and 1910, after the Odd Fellows purchased the building from the second owner, Charles B. Williams.

A large arch bay window with slightly different colored bricks gives only a slight indication from the exterior of the prior front entrance, however, photos predating the renovations show entry into the building from this point.

Kate’s favorite aspects of the building include the flatiron shape, the location, the many original features and the changes made within the first 20 years being built.

Friends of the Centennial Building continue to look for memories, photographs and any memorabilia relating to both the Alpena Odd Fellows, Rebekahs and the Centennial Building in a hope of preserving the history and sharing with future generations.

“The more we know about it, it will help us to decide what should be done. Especially for first floor, we do really want to keep it for public use because so many people have said how much they love it and that they haven’t been inside,” Kate said.

The friends may be contacted at 356-6107 or kateandmike321@hotmail.com.

Paige Trisko can be reached via email at ptrisko@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5693. Follow Paige on Twitter @pt_alpenanews. Read her blog, Scribbles on Pa(i)ges, at www.thealpenanews.com.