Woodmen Hall is an historic 2-story wooden

Woodmen of the World WoodmenLife (officially Woodmen of the World Life Insurance Society) is a not-for-profit fraternal benefit society founded in 1890, based in Omaha, Nebraska, United States, that operates a large privately held insurance company for its members. ...

building located 217 SW Akron Avenue, corner of SW 3rd Street in Stuart, Martin County,

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

. It was built between 1913-1914 by local master carpenter Sam Matthews. Like many fraternal buildings built in the late 19th century and early 20th century, the ground floor was designed for commercial use, while the upper floor was designed for use as a meeting room for Pineapple Camp No. 150, Woodmen of the World as well as community groups. Prominent members of Pineapple Camp include

George W. Parks George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Preside ...

, who had a general store in what is now the Stuart Heritage Museum and in 2000 was added to the state's list of ''Great Floridians''. Early users of the first floor include ''H.A. Carlisle's Feed Store''. From the 1930s until 1959,

Southern Bell Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company was once the regional Bell Operating Company serving the states of Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina prior to the breakup of AT&T. It also covered the states of Alabama, Kentucky ...

used the first floor as a business office, while the Stuart telephone exchange was located on the second floor. Recent uses have included a church (the Treasure Coast Presbyterian Church) and a coffee house and

open mic An open mic or open mike (shortened from "open microphone") is a live show at a venue such as a coffeehouse, nightclub, comedy club, strip club, or pub, usually taking place at night, in which audience members may perform on stage whether the ...

music venue. One group performing in it even calls itself, ''Woodmen Hall''. The building has been recently renovated through the efforts of Stuart Main Street. An elevator has been added. The double outside staircases on the eastern part of the south side have been reduced to one, while an outside staircase has been added on the north side toward Akron Avenue. The two large front windows differ from those shown in a 1925 photograph. "''A Guide to Florida's Historic Architecture'', 1989, Gainesville: University of Florida Press, p. 139, In 1989, Woodmen Hall was listed in ''A Guide to Florida's Historic Architecture'', published by the University of Florida Press. " Today Woodmen Hall is occupied by a regional insurance firm, Wiglesworth - Rindom Insurance Agency, Inc.Historical Vignettes: Stuart's Woodmen Hall, by Greg and Alice L. Luckhardt for TCPalm, May 5, 2017
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References

Buildings and structures in Martin County, Florida Buildings and structures completed in 1914 Woodmen of the World buildings Clubhouses in Florida 1914 establishments in Florida {{Florida-struct-stub