{"id":230,"featured":0,"modified":"2026-04-17 19:40:06","latitude":47.8172081000000019912477000616490840911865234375,"longitude":-110.66793250000000625732354819774627685546875,"title":"Masonic Lodge #25, Fort Benton","subtitle":"Fort Benton Historic District","fullsize":"https://historicmt.org/files/fullsize/4d80ced1677795aeff9a73dd93c177bd.jpg","address":"1418-20 Front Street, Fort Benton","all_locations":[],"zoom":17,"creator":["Montana National Register Sign Program"],"description":"Members of Masonic Lodge #25 built this brick structure in 1882, housing their temple on the second floor. Grocer W. H. Burgess rented first floor space. Economic decline in the late 1880s caused the Masons to lose title, and Burgess, too, went broke. The lodge rented space until 1901, while the lower floor accommodated the Sharp Brothers’ Store. The sons of the Sharp brothers became two of Fort Benton’s famous admirals. Originally one of a pair, the structure displays elaborate brick corbelling typical of the 1880s commercial architecture.","sponsor":null,"accessinfo":"Private","lede":"","website":"","related_resources":["<a href=\"https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/93a6b19f-3094-4f72-bc7b-de4d946d408c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Read about the Masonic Building</a>","<a href=\"https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/7f12d817-c4ee-40ec-b627-7616e6a26a32/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">See photos of the Masonic Building</a>"],"factoids":[],"files":{"https://historicmt.org/files/fullsize/4d80ced1677795aeff9a73dd93c177bd.jpg":{"id":1986,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Masonic Temple","description":"Masonic Temple. Front to side view of the building, facing north on Front Street near the site of the Shep Memorial. | Montana State Historic Preservation Office | July 2018 | Photographer unidentified","thumbnail":"https://historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/4d80ced1677795aeff9a73dd93c177bd.jpg"},"https://historicmt.org/files/fullsize/c5cdbc2d7063f5a66dc03175cb64cc19.jpg":{"id":1987,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Masonic Temple","description":"Masonic Temple. Front view of the building (close/zoom view), facing northwest on Front Street. | Montana State Historic Preservation Office | July 2018 | Photographer unidentified","thumbnail":"https://historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/c5cdbc2d7063f5a66dc03175cb64cc19.jpg"},"https://historicmt.org/files/fullsize/7e20f1f55196fb0d55e2e5de502d52ce.jpg":{"id":3321,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Masonic Building","description":"Masonic Building. Front view of the building, facing northwest on Front Street. Digital photograph. | Montana Historical Society | June-Aug. 2019 | Joe Furshong","thumbnail":"https://historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/7e20f1f55196fb0d55e2e5de502d52ce.jpg"},"https://historicmt.org/files/fullsize/1a0e1463b45a88394f99c65b3e1194cc.jpg":{"id":3322,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Masonic Building","description":"Masonic Building. Close view of the front to side of the building and the window framing design above the front entry access, facing north on Front Street. Digital photograph. | Montana Historical Society | June-Aug. 2019 | Joe Furshong","thumbnail":"https://historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/1a0e1463b45a88394f99c65b3e1194cc.jpg"},"https://historicmt.org/files/fullsize/1060e88a17139e755d65fcb6156b1706.jpg":{"id":4736,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Masonic Lodge #25, Fort Benton","description":"Masonic Lodge #25, Fort Benton. Front to side view of the building, facing west to southwest on Front Street. | Overholser Historical Research Center, Fort Benton Tour; Fort Benton, MT | Public Domain | Ken Robison","thumbnail":"https://historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/1060e88a17139e755d65fcb6156b1706.jpg"}}}