Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks Lodge No. 389
The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks Lodge No. 389 in Charlottesville was founded in 1897 under the leadership of Moses Leterman, owner of the town’s largest department store. Early that year, Leterman persuaded a group of local business and professional men that Charlottesville was ready for an Elks lodge. A Grand Lodge officer was invited to present the organization’s principles and objectives, leading to its formal establishment.
On October 19, 1897, forty-one charter members were initiated, each paying a $15 fee. Early meetings were held at the Masonic Temple of Widow’s Son Lodge No. 60. The lodge’s membership included merchants, attorneys, farmers, and city officials, reflecting a broad cross-section of the community.
In 1903, the lodge completed its first permanent home at 411 East High Street. Designed in the Colonial Revival style, the building featured a library, card room, billiard parlor, bowling alley, and other amenities. By about 1906, it had acquired a distinctive four-column front portico with an elk head mounted above the entrance.
A fire on March 30, 1960, destroyed the portico, leaving only the column bases. The building later served as the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court before ultimately being demolished to make way for a new courthouse.
As one of Charlottesville’s earliest fraternal organizations, the lodge played a significant role in the city’s social and civic life during the first half of the twentieth century. Contemporary accounts praised its rapid growth and prosperity, noting that its $20,000 clubhouse—complete with lodge rooms, parlors, baths, and recreational facilities. By the early 1900s, membership had reached approximately 175, including many of the city’s most prominent citizens.
Appendix: Officers and Leadership of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks Lodge No. 389 (c. early 1900s)
Exalted Rulers (1905)
- James B. Wood
- Moses Leterman
- J. W. Fishburn
- W. H. Wood
- H. M. Lewis
- G. B. Goodyear
- Stuart Hanckel
- T. C. Conlon
- B. W. Leterman
- Joel M. Cochran
Current Officers (1905)
- Exalted Ruler: Joel M. Cochran
- Esteemed Leading Knight: G. Burnley Sinclair
- Esteemed Loyal Knight: Harmon Dinwiddie
- Esteemed Lecturing Knight: Ed. A. Joachim
- Treasurer: George E. Walker
- Secretary: Charles E. Jones
Trustees
- Phil Leterman
- Fred W. Twyman
- Sol. Kaufman
Board of Governors (New Home / Building Committee)
- T. C. Conlon
- Sol. Kaufman
- B. W. Leterman
- J. E. Early
- J. P. Michie