Corsicana in Navarro County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Odd Fellow and Rebekah Children's Home
Photographed by James Hulse, September 5, 2026
1. Odd Fellow and Rebekah Children's Home Marker
In 1885 the Grand Lodge of Texas, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, founded the I. O. O. F. Widows and Orphans Home, one of the first fraternal orphanages in the state. Corsicana Lodge No. 63 and other local citizens gave 200 acres as a site for the facility. On April 26, 1886, the cornerstone for the first permanent building was laid. Only one child was residing here in 1891, but enrollment and financial support soon increased.
The home became a self-contained community with its own independent school district, farm and dairy, power plant, and water supply. Abel Rice Auditorium, built in 1911 when enrollment was over 300, contained a swimming pool and gym, and housed the fine arts department sponsored by the Rebekah lodges. This institution also served as a home for the aged from 1905 until a separate facility opened in Ennis in 1928.
After peaking at nearly 400 in the 1920s, enrollment dropped sharply in the 1930s and 1940s. The school closed in 1943, and students began attending Corsicana public schools. Campus buildings were modernized in a 1945 "reconversion program." Renamed in 1948, the Odd Fellow and Rebekah
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Erected 1977 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 7241.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Education. A significant historical month for this entry is April 1895.
Location. 32° 4.731′ N, 96° 30.361′ W. Marker is in Corsicana, Texas, in Navarro County. It is on West 2nd Avenue 0.1 miles east of N 45th Street (Farm to Market Road 2555), on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3440 W 2nd Ave, Corsicana TX 75110, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Prairies & Lakes Region. It is also in the American South. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the Republic of Texas, and one of the Confederate States of America.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: IOOF Home Memorial Bell Tower (a few steps from this marker); Meritt Drane
Photographed by James Hulse, September 5, 2026
2. Odd Fellow and Rebekah Children's Home Marker
Photographed by James Hulse, September 5, 2026
3. Odd Fellow and Rebekah Children's Home Marker
IOOF Administration Building
Photographed by James Hulse, September 5, 2026
4. Odd Fellow and Rebekah Children's Home Marker
IOOF Building
Credits. This page was last revised on September 5, 2026. It was originally submitted on March 3, 2013, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 1,597 times since then and 152 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on September 5, 2026, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.
