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Front Page
The Woodmen Circle Home comes back to life
By Carrie Chambers, Denison Arts Council and event volunteer
Sep 30, 2010
Even if it was just for a day, it was the first time in decades the old grounds at Woodmen Circle Home were opened to the general public - and the public came.
An estimated 800 to as many as 1,000 people turned out Saturday, September 25 for the “History Comes Alive” event and fundraiser at Woodmen Circle Home presented by the Red River Historical Museum in downtown Sherman. Marcia Rolbiecki, museum director said that it was an “extremely successful fundraiser, selling well over 600 tickets in advance.”
The allure and grandeur of the large old buildings have captivated Sherman natives and passersby for decades. Unfortunately the same curiosity and mystery that contributed to the events success has also lead to its current condition of near disrepair from vandalism.
However, despite graffiti, burnt interiors, collapsed roofs and rainy weather, the tours of the three main buildings and lectures from orphans, past residents, historians, and the last surviving employee shed much light on the mysteries and rumors surrounding the home.
It’s not haunted and no one was ever murdered there, but rather it was a place of “good memories” recalls Linda Robertson who began working at the home when she was only 13 years old.
Completed in 1930, the Woodmen of the World insurance company and fraternity were able to raise enough money at the brink of the Great Depression to build the home for their aged members and orphans of members.
After closing its doors in 1971 due to dwindling business and regulations, the property decreased from what was once a sprawling 254 acres to a mere 15 acres. The site has had several occupants and owners, including a questionable church commune, but was left vacant in since the 1980s and is now owned by a local attorney.
