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All the United States Virginia Alexandria The Elk of Prince Street
AO Edited

The Elk of Prince Street

A massive, majestic mammal watches over pedestrians from his perch atop a former B.P.O.E. lodge.

Alexandria, Virginia

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Ian Hall
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The Elk of Prince Street   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
The Elk of Prince Street   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
The Elk remains out front   Jason Michael Walker / Atlas Obscura User
Elk   Jason Michael Walker / Atlas Obscura User
🦌   Jason Michael Walker / Atlas Obscura User
Former Elks Lodge #758.   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
The Elk of Prince Street   schnaars / CC BY-SA 2.0
The Elk of Prince Street   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Old Elks Club   Jason Michael Walker / Atlas Obscura User
Elk in January 2025   jsbarclay / Atlas Obscura User
April 2022   hedayat / Atlas Obscura User
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About

A beloved beast in bronze sits beneath the central arch of a historic edifice, one of two visible clues that point to the past life of this Beaux-Arts building. The other symbol is a concrete slab directly above the elk's head engraved with the letters "B.P.O.E."

Land for the headquarters of the Alexandria Elks Club was purchased in 1902, the same year the chapter was founded. Plans for the lodge were drafted in 1909 and Lodge #758 was completed the following year. The former club building still stands on this spot.

The lavish club featured a nicely outfitted rathskeller, complete with gaming tables for billiards and cards. The elk is said to have been sculpted in Salem, Ohio, and was installed in 1910, two months before the club opened.

The building was sold to developers in the 1980s, but at the urging of erstwhile Mayor Charles E. Beatley, Jr., who argued that the elk was part of the "architectural fabric of the city," the Elks begrudgingly agreed to leave their iconic idol behind.

The Elks built a new lodge at 7120 Richmond Highway in Alexandria, Virginia, but the first and last member of the original lodge remains a permanent resident at the original location. 

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The former Elks Lodge #758 building has been converted into condominiums, but the original elk statue and B.P.O.E. initials can be easily seen from the street.

Community Contributors

Added By

blimpcaptain

Edited By

hedayat, jsbarclay, heidicgobble, Jason Michael Walker

  • hedayat
  • jsbarclay
  • heidicgobble
  • Jason Michael Walker

Published

April 5, 2021

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Sources
  • https://www.alexandriava.gov/uploadedFiles/historic/info/attic/2007/Attic20071018ElkClub.pdf
  • https://www.elks.org/lodges/home.cfm?LodgeNumber=758
  • http://www.virginiaelks.org/lodges/alexandria/alexandrias%20old%20elk%20lodge%20building.htm
The Elk of Prince Street
318 Prince St
Alexandria, Virginia, 22314
United States
38.803229, -77.043538
Get Directions

Nearby Places

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Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Alexandria

Alexandria

Virginia

Places 34

Nearby Places

Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum

Alexandria, Virginia

miles away

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miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Alexandria

Alexandria

Virginia

Places 34

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