I.O.O.F. Building

4301 West Holt Road, Holt, Michigan

Status: Demolished in 1995

Opened: 1915

Architect: Unknown

The Holt Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.) lodge was established on October 4, 1911. The first meetings were held in the old building on the southwest corner of Holt Road and Cedar Street. In 1914, that building burned down and the following year, 1915, the most prominent building on the corner, the brick I.O.O.F. building, was built. It was a two-story brick building that housed countless businesses over the years. The second floor was the Odd Fellows hall for decades by the Holt I.O.O.F. Lodge No. 562 and Holt Rebekahs (women’s auxiliary) Lodge No. 446.

One of the longtime occupants was Albert’s Grocery Store which was owned by Alan Albert from the 1930s until 1946 in the east half of the building. In 1946, Johnny Fay and Leonard Potter bought out Albert’s and rebranded the business as Holt’s Food Center. Holt’s Food Center remained in the building until 1953 when they moved locations just next door around the corner.

Cliff Crysler’s Holt Variety Store opened about 1945 in the west half of the building. The Variety Store remained in business until 1965 when Cliff Crysler passed away. The Holt D&C 5 and 10 cent store started in the building, but later moved into the Holt Plaza which opened in 1966. Sode-Bennett electric occupied the building for many years. In the period of 1977 to 1995 Nancie Bauer’s Dance Studio called the building home.

Due to an apparently crumbling foundation, the building was demolished in 1995. That demolition cleared this entire corner and the current Holt Courtyards plaza was built.