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.
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