Exhibits & Memory Sites
The MCAAHA has researched numerous landmark buildings and sites of African American significance in Madison County. We are actively engaged in the preservation of some of these historical sites, such as the early 20th-century Odd Fellows Lodge Hall at 700 S. Main Street and the Red Rooster Juke Joint in Elly. We also have curated collections available for viewing at the Lodge Hall Museum, including a display of early 20th-century African American schools in the county, a tribute to Black soldiers from the county who served during the Civil War, memorabilia from Madison County’s Grand United Order of Odd Fellows, and historic artifacts and photos from several Black families.
The MCAAHA has also partnered with the University of Virginia Special Collections Library in the stewardship of several historic documents and artifacts from the local chapter of the Odd Fellows. Our work also includes working in partnership with farm owners in Graves Mill to preserve, maintain, and memorialize a cemetery for the enslaved. Read more about all of these efforts below.
Special Announcement: the MCAAHA is currently researching the history of our segregation-era African American schools for a new exhibition entitled Striving for Excellence: A Century of African American Schools in Madison County. If you attended one of these schools prior to or during integration in the 1960s, we want to hear from you!
Madison Friendship Lodge
The Madison Friendship Lodge #2121 is located at 700 South Main Street. Built in 1917, the structure served originally as the home of the Grand United Order of Odd Fellows in Madison.
This local chapter of the Odd Fellows received its charter from England in 1880 and provided fellowship for African American men as well as support to local families, churches, and schools. The Odd Fellows’ companion organization, the House of Ruth, brought African American women together in a location on Mud Room near Antioch Baptist Church (photo at lower right).
In the late 19th century, the Odd Fellows membership, at that time consisting of formerly enslaved men, helped build the now historic Antioch Baptist Church on Mud Road, and used a second floor there for the organization’s meetings. The second floor of the church was also believed to have served as a school for African American children. In 1917, with the purchase of the lot at 700 S. Main Street, the Odd Fellows built a new freestanding lodge hall. The second floor of the church was removed, with those building materials used to construct the lodge hall.
The historic lodge hall on Main Street has also been used as a dance hall, pool room, and auto body shop. The building now serves as the MCAAHA’s headquarters and museum, and further restoration efforts are planned.
The lodge hall museum is open by appointment, and we welcome visitors! Many photos, documents, and unique artifacts are on display, including 19th-century ceremonial items belonging to the Odd Fellows that were discovered in the building (photo below, left).
Also featured is a unique collection of hair care equipment (photo below, right) once owned by Mrs. Ellen Stewart, one of the successful agents of Madame C.J. Walker’s hair products. Mrs. Stewart was a prominent entrepreneur and member of the Madison Community. In addition to her thriving hair care business, she owned the popular Red Rooster Juke Joint (yellow building with red roof, featured below).
Red Rooster Juke Joint
The Red Rooster Juke Joint in the Elly neighborhood was well known for its food and lively music. Now owned by Nancy Garnett Williams, MCAAHA’s founder, the building has been saved and is being restored. Nancy’s uncle, William “Buster” Garnett was the renowned proprietor of this fascinating mid-20th-century cultural spot. The Red Rooster is one of few remaining juke joint structures remaining in the American South.
Graves Mill Cemetery for the Enslaved
The MCAAHA has partnered with farm owners in Graves Mill to preserve, maintain, and honor a recently discovered cemetery for the enslaved. This sacred site, set on a hilltop ridge overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains, is a place of reverence, and we remember the suffering, strength, and spirit of those laid to rest here. To learn more about this site, and our memorialization event held in the fall of 2025, visit our cemetery sites page.
