Filed Under Butte

Scandia Hall

Butte National Historic Landmark District

The Scandinavian Brotherhood, organized at the Silver Bow County courthouse in 1889, endeavored to unify Scandinavians through fellowship, promote high standards of citizenship, and “fulfill a vacancy in the social world.” Butte No. 1, the mother lodge, built this ornately embellished three-story meeting hall with residential and commercial space in 1898. It was the first lodge hall built by this national organization. Early businesses included Rosina Stuart’s popular neighborhood grocery and both electricians’ and bricklayers’ union offices. By 1919, the Brotherhood had become the Scandinavian Fraternity and counted women among its members. Intensive rehabilitation during the 1990s has restored much of the building’s 1890s elegance. This grand landmark, the neighborhood’s only fraternal hall, features an unusual arch motif repeated in the third-story windows, centerpiece, and in miniature along the parapet.

Images

Scandia Hall
Scandia Hall Scandia Hall (PAc 91-51 B3 Roll05 F17). Front view of the building, facing west on South Main Street. B&W. Source: Montana State Historic Preservation Office from the Photograph Archives at the Montana Historical Society Creator: Martha Catlin Date: 1983
Scandia Hall
Scandia Hall facade Source: Montana Historical Society Creator: Bryan Baldwin Date: July 3, 2022
Scandia Hall
Scandia Hall North elevation Source: Montana Historical Society Creator: Bryan Baldwin Date: July 3, 2022
South corner
South corner South elevation Source: Montana Historical Society Creator: Bryan Baldwin Date: July 3, 2022

Location

535-539 South Main Street, Butte, Montana | Private

Metadata

The Montana National Register Sign Program, “Scandia Hall,” Historic Montana, accessed March 28, 2024, https://historicmt.org/items/show/1985.