In 1908, a group of Masons from the Elkridge and Laurel lodges organized a lodge in Odenton. They initially met in the ca.1892 Odenton School, which still stands on Odenton Road. Soon, they erected a meeting hall at the corner of Odenton Road and Second Avenue (now Waco Avenue). The cornerstone bears the year 1909, and a history of the lodge states that the hall was ready for occupancy by 1912. The Masons constructed the building themselves. The kitchen wing was added soon after the building opened.

The Masons met in this building for almost 90 years and erected a new Odenton Masonic Center in 2001. The Odenton Heritage Society purchased the Old Masonic Hall from the Masons with the generous support of Anne Arundel County. The OHS is adapting the wood-paneled rooms to serve as a local history museum, public archives, the Society's office, and a gathering place for lectures, educational and cultural events, fundraising activities and other functions that support and fulfill the Society's mission. The society also plans to restore the building to it's 1912 appearance and is actively seeking funds for this project.

Many parts of the hall are original and unchanged, including the porches, front door and fanlight, foyer, stairway, and much of the interior paneling and doors. The original windows are protected by plywood covers. In 1948, the second story meeting room was remodeled in an art deco style through a gift from Ephraim Winer, president of National Plastic Products Company in Odenton. The first story multi-purpose room and kitchen were remodeled at an unknown date.

Photo of Old Masonic Hall