The West Side Hotel in 1908Manitou Lodge 1107, Loyal Order of Moose, was organized 93 years ago on August 30, 1912, at the Eagles Hall which was located on the top floor of the Zimmerman Brothers Furniture Store, southwest corner of Main and Sixth Street.
The lodge quite likely continued to meet at the Eagles Hall until February 20, 1917, when the Moose purchased for its home the second floor of the building at 116 East Eighth Street, now occupied by The Rochester Sentinel.
The second floor was bought for $1,600 from the Redmen Lodge which was becoming inactive after 12 years. In only four years of existence, the Moose had 187 members and was one of the city’s largest organizations.
On January 15, 1924, the Moose purchased the two-story Academy of Music building at the southwest corner of Main and Fifth Streets for its lodge home. A new heating system and electric lights for the entire building were to be installed.
The lodge paid about $5,000 to the estate of William Davidson who had built the Academy of Music in 1875. For more than 40 years it was the theatrical center of the city, hosting touring actors and entertainers. The lodge occupied the upper floor of the building, renting the lower floor to retail businesses. On October 25, 1941, the Moose purchased the Manitou Lodge building on the north shore of Lake Manitou from Mrs. Edna Foy and remodeled it for the lodge home.
Its location is the site today of the Jasper Dulin residence. In 1948, the West Side Hotel was put up for sale, having been a fixture on the lake for 70 years. Moose officials seized this opportunity to give lodge members a permanent home, which in fact it has become.
