An interesting granite building sits next to the historic bridge on Bridge Street in Arroyo Grande. The South County Historical Society acquired the property which was formerly the meeting place for the International Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF).

The hall is located at 128 Bridge Street and was built in 1902 on land donated by Mrs. Elston in 1898. The building was completed in six months at the cost of $5.500.00. A local contractor, Ben Stuart did the stone work with native sandstone which came from a quarry just south of Arroyo Grande.

The Hall was placed on the National Register of Historical Places in 1991.The South County Historical Society is raising money to have this historical building restored, with the first step being Earthquake retrofitting. The first floor of the Hall will house the Museum with a display of its large collection of historical artifacts from the South County area. The second floor houses a historical library, study area and Society and Museum offices.

The Historical Society owns and maintains four other buildings nearby. Heritage House, 126 S. Mason St.; Barn Museum, 127 Short St.; Maunela Schoolhouse, 127 Short St.; Paulding History House, 551 Crown Hill St. Call: (805) 473-5077. Estimated annual visitors are approx. 6,000 and admission is free. www.southcountyhistory.org. Ranked 6th among San Luis Obispo County museums for annual visitors, Heart Castle experiences an estimated 676,000 annual guests.

The estimated project cost: Over $100,000

Eight years before Arroyo Grande was incorporated the IOOF building was dedicated on Jan. 10, 1903.

Business partners instrumental in refurbishment of the building include Howard Mankins.