After almost 130 years, the Oddfellows Lodge 279 has sold its building on Clothier Street East in Kemptville, and its extensive archive of documents, insignia, and other historic artifacts has been inventoried and donated to the City of Ottawa Archives. The Kemptville Lodge had close ties to an Ottawa Branch, and it was felt that the Ottawa Archives was the most appropriate location to store the collection. After a thorough inventory had been compiled by local archivist, Rowena Cooper, the Oddfellows had an important local artifact which they wanted to retain in local hands.
It is a portrait of one of the charter members of the Lodge when it was founded in 1890, Dr. John A. Jones. In last week’s issue, we published a biographical piece on Dr. Jones and his place in Kemptville history. The portrait will be held by the North Grenville Historical Society (NGHS) at its current Archives in the old Town Hall on Water Street.
