Billy Webb Elks Lodge 1050

News

BILLY WEBB ELKS LODGE PROJECT UPDATE DISCUSSION

MEETING INVITATION

You're Invited to a Community Update & Feedback Session

We invite members and the broader Portland community to participate in a four-part public meeting series. These gatherings are designed to shape the future of the Billy Webb Elks Lodge through five core pillars: Community Voice, Membership Growth, Leadership Succession, Financial Sustainability, and Cultural Legacy.

Meeting Dates

• Tuesday, May 12, 2026

• Tuesday, May 26, 2026

• Tuesday, June 9, 2026

• Tuesday, June 23, 2026

Location

All meetings will be held at Works Realty, 2054 N Vancouver Ave. Time: 6:00 pm

Goals

• Gather Community Feedback - Understand the needs, expectations, and vision of our members & neighbors.

• Strengthen Membership Growth - Explore strategies to welcome

new members while deepening engagement with current ones.

• Plan for Leadership Succession - Ensure continuity through mentorship, development, & future leadership pathways.

• Advance Organizational Sustainability - Discuss programming relevance & long-term viability.

Why Your Participation Matters

This phase represents a significant step forward in restoring and strengthening our lodge as a cornerstone of the community. Your feedback will directly influence decision-making and help ensure the project reflects shared priorities and values. This is an opportunity for community members to shape the future of one of Portland's premier Black institutions.

We look forward to your participation and support! Parking and light refreshments are provided. Contact elks.1050@gmail.com for more info.

Mariah Rocker Oregon Black Pioneers

Oregon Black Pioneers. (link)

"I’m excited by the possibility of partnering with local artists to create engaging and innovative multimedia experiences. Such a collaboration would not only bridge cultural and generational gaps but also support our local arts community and attract new audiences. By working with local artists, I hope we can bring history to life in exciting and fresh ways." - Mariah Rocker

Mariah Rocker

Instagram: @mariahsminithings

Website (link)

Oregonian

This North Portland landmark survived fire and a century of history. Now it’s $300K away from reopening

Link

Community Meetings

BILLY WEBB ELKS LODGE PROJECT UPDATE DISCUSSION

MEETING INVITATION

You're Invited to a Community Update & Feedback Session

Source: Instagram

1803 Fund Community

As one of Portland’s oldest Black-owned third spaces, The Billy Webb Elks Lodge sits at the intersection of Place and Culture.

We are proud to include this historic meeting place as the latest member of our For the Future cohort family.

Originally built in 1926 as the segregated Williams Avenue YWCA, The Elks Lodge has been reincarnated for our community time and again.

For one hundred years, the building has been used by the United Service Organization as a music and recreation site for minority servicemen in WWII, a Red Cross center for Black families displaced by the Vanport Flood, a meeting place for the NAACP, Oregon Association of Colored Women, the Congress of Racial Equality, and the Urban League.

The building became The Billy Webb Elks Lodge in 1959, anchoring Black culture in Albina by hosting concerts, dances, sports, and a constellation of gatherings that magnified the brilliance of our community.

Since a devastating fire in 2021, The Lodge has struggled to return to its former glory.

We are proud to support its renaissance. Our partnership will support both the building’s reopening, and the expansion of community programming.

(Photos by Clatsop Community College Historic Preservation, Portland City Archives | AP/57755, and Restore Oregon via The Oregonian)

"Founded in 1977, Restore Oregon works on the front lines and behind the scenes to empower Oregonians to reimagine and transform their communities through the preservation and reuse of historic and cultural places." - Restore Oregon