Years before the historic Billy Webb Elks Lodge in North Portland was damaged by a fire on Sept. 11, 2021, the century-old cornerstone of the Eliot neighborhood’s Black community was endangered. Membership in the fraternal organization for men and women had dwindled and the porous structure, originally a YWCA for people of color during segregated times, was either too hot or too cold inside, …
Fire shut down historic Portland Elks lodge, but its coming back
