Shiloh Meeting Hall, Springdale Travel Guide

The Shiloh Meeting Hall, located in downtown Springdale, Arkansas, has been a cornerstone of the community since its construction in 1871. Originally known as Shiloh Church and later the Odd Fellows Lodge, this two-story frame building was a joint effort by the Shiloh Regular Baptist Church, Liberty Missionary Baptist Church, the Methodist Episcopal Church South, and the Springdale Masonic Lodge No. 316. Reverend John Holcomb donated the land for the building, which cost $973.43 to construct, with lumber sourced from Van Winkle Mill near War Eagle.Over the years, the Shiloh Meeting Hall has hosted church services, fraternal organization meetings, and various civic gatherings. Shiloh Primitive Baptist Church was the last congregation to hold regular services there, disbanding in 1928. In 1935, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) New Era Lodge No. 36 acquired the building and used it for local and state lodge meetings for the next seventy years.In 2006, the building was renamed Shiloh Meeting Hall to better reflect its diverse history as a community gathering place. Today, it is part of the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History, serving as a meeting place and exhibit hall. The Shiloh Museum, founded in 1968, is dedicated to preserving and interpreting the history of the Arkansas Ozarks, with exhibits, historic buildings, and a vast research library. The museum grounds also feature other historic structures, including an 1850s log cabin, an 1870s general store, and an 1880s doctor's office.