The Hands That Build: Community at the Heart of Oddfellow Manor
When you stand in front of the Oddfellow Manor, it’s impossible not to feel the weight of its history. The bricks are weathered, the windows a little tired, and the grounds carry the quiet stillness of a place that has been waiting, for years, for its people to return.
But what’s most remarkable isn’t what the building has been. It’s what it can become again.
The Manor was once a place of deep fellowship and self-sufficiency. In its earliest days, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows built it not just as a home, but as a living, breathing community. They planted orchards, tended gardens, and raised their own food. They worked side by side, bound together by a belief that neighbors could, and should, take care of one another.
And that is exactly what we are working to bring back to life.
Rooted in History, Growing Toward Tomorrow
The Odd Fellows built this property with an unshakable sense of purpose: no one should stand alone. They created a home where work, learning, and shared effort intertwined. There was beauty in its practicality; rows of fruit trees heavy with apples and pears, vegetable gardens that fed the whole community, and a landscape shaped by hands that knew how to provide for one another.
When we first stepped onto this property, we could feel that history humming under the surface. It wasn’t just a building; it was an invitation to pick up where they left off.
Our vision for the Manor isn’t simply to preserve its past, it’s to live it forward. We see orchards blooming again, berry rows lining the fence line, gardens alive with vegetables and flowers, and neighbors learning the old skills that once anchored this place: canning, blacksmithing, sewing, and working the land together.
A Gift of Grapevines
One of the first signs of life returning to the Manor came in the form of an unexpected gift.
Dr. Chua, a friend and supporter, arrived with a set of grapevines, plants with a story as rich as the soil they now call home. Their roots trace back to wild and wonderful West Virginia grapes, tamed, nurtured, and tended for decades on the family farm. When he placed them in our hands, he wasn’t just giving us plants. He was passing on history, tradition, and trust.
Today, those vines are in the ground, their roots settling into the Manor’s soil. They are a reminder that every step forward in this project is planted by the generosity of others, by neighbors and friends who believe in what this place can become.
Building More Than a Project
Oddfellow Manor isn’t just about restoring walls and rafters. It’s about building community.
This is why we’re creating spaces not only for work but also for play and rest. Among the most exciting plans is the addition of a disc golf course on the Manor’s wooded 15 acres. And within that, the quiet curve of our pond invites a slower kind of fellowship.
A gazebo overlooks the water; a place for neighbors to gather, fish, share a picnic, or simply sit and watch the world go still for a while. Because we believe that joy is as important as labor. We want this property to be a place where people come not only to volunteer but also to breathe, to connect, and to feel at home.
When you create places where people want to be, you also create places where community takes root.
The Road Ahead
As we look to the future, we see the Manor becoming more than just a historic landmark. We see:
Orchards and berry rows providing food for neighbors and teaching the next generation how to grow what they eat.
Gardens in full bloom, offering beauty, nourishment, and a reminder of the rewards of patient work.
A forge and workshops, where old-world skills like blacksmithing, woodworking, and sewing are passed on to curious hands.
Volunteer days, where laughter and the sound of tools mingle in the air as neighbors restore the Manor side by side.
A pond and gazebo, where families can fish, friends can meet, and the simple beauty of the land can be enjoyed.
Quiet corners for reflection and play, from the disc golf course to the flower gardens, where the property becomes a living sanctuary for connection.
A place to call home, a residential living space as not only assisted living, but a safe place for at-risk women and children, minimalist apartments for seniors and traveling professionals, and business space for the services to help keep our community happy and healthy.
This is the future we are planting together.
How You Can Help
Every step we take at the Manor is powered by community. You don’t have to be a builder or a farmer to be part of this story. You can:
Volunteer your time—whether for planting, clearing trails, or simply lending a hand where it’s needed most.
Donate, knowing that every dollar is rooted directly into the soil of this project, helping us restore the Manor piece by piece.
Share the story—because every time someone hears about Oddfellow Manor, another thread of community is woven into this tapestry.
Come visit—walk the land, throw a disc, fish by the pond, or simply sit a while. Let this place remind you that history isn’t just preserved; it’s lived.
A Living Invitation
The Oddfellow Manor is waking up.
You can feel it in the hum of work already begun: grapevines stretching toward the sun, berries lining the fence, and neighbors stepping forward to lend their hands. This is no longer just a dream. It’s happening, slowly, steadily, and beautifully.
But the truth is, this was never meant to be our project alone. It’s meant to be ours; yours, mine, and everyone who believes in the quiet power of building something lasting together.
So come. Bring your hands, your stories, or simply your presence. Help us turn this old Manor into a place where community doesn’t just visit. It lives here.
Because in the end, the Oddfellow Manor isn’t really about the building at all.
It’s about the hands that build it.
