Filed Under Kalispell

Masonic Temple, Kalispell

Kalispell Main Steet Historic District

Seventeen charter members formed Kalispell Lodge No. 42 in 1892. Masons first held lodge meetings in several locations. Work began on this building in 1904, but when the Great Northern Railway moved its division point to Whitefish, the town paused and construction stopped. In a show of faith in the town’s future, the Renaissance Revival style temple was completed in 1905. Designed by architect George Shanley, the lodge hall was upstairs while commercial tenants, including J. C. Penney’s from 1924 to 1956, occupied the ground floor. During World War I, the Century Club ran a store in the basement. There, 115 “liberty-loving women”—including one who had also knitted during the Civil War—sewed and knit everything from surgeons’ gowns and bed caps to sweaters and socks for men in the trenches. The store raised $2,000 for the Red Cross. By 1922, Lodge No. 42 had grown to 400 members who filled the upstairs lodge hall. Despite some changes, the Renaissance Revival style upper story remains pristine, featuring grand arched windows with keystones, intricate brickwork, and ornamental concrete and rough-cut stone.

Images

Masonic Temple, Kalispell, Montana
Masonic Temple, Kalispell, Montana Illustrated postcard of Masonic Temple, Kalispell. Carter Mercantile Co. visible in lower level. No postmark; unused postcard. PAc 2013-50 Kalispell - Buildings, General - Masonic Temple Source: Montana Historical Society Research Center Photograph Archives, Helena, Montana Creator: Publisher unknown Date: no date
Masonic Temple, street view
Masonic Temple, street view photo adhered to info sheet with Ref. #11g-241 (verso unavailable) b&w print Source: Official records of the Montana State Historic Preservation Office, Helena, Montana Creator: Unidentified photographer Date: ca. 1990s
View of Main Street, Kalispell.
View of Main Street, Kalispell. View looking north on Main St. from just south of Third St., Kalispell, Montana. Decorative street lamps line the sidewalks on both sides, two people ride bicycles near automobiles in the distance, while a street sweeper pushes a broom in the gutter on the right. Visible buildings and establishments include (from left to right) J.C. Penney Company, Wilson's store, Kalispell Hotel, Cannon's clothing store, F & S Drugs, K & T Rooms, the Masonic Temple, Buck's Grocery, and the Kalispell Furniture & Mfg. Co. Catalog #948-821 Source: Montana Historical Society Research Center Photograph Archives, Helena, Montana Creator: Photographer unidentified Date: October 1923
View of Main Street, Kalispell.
View of Main Street, Kalispell. View looking north on Main St. from the intersection of Main and Third streets, Kalispell, Montana. Decorative street lamps line the sidewalks on both sides and numerous automobiles are parked along the street with several driving in the street. Several people walk across the street and a boy rides a bicycle in the street. Visible buildings and establishments include (from left to right) Wilson's store, Kalispell Hotel, Cannon's clothing store, Jones Drug Co., F & S Drugs, K & T Rooms, Glacier Park Photo Shop, and the Masonic Temple. Catalog #948-827 Source: Montana Historical Society Research Center Photograph Archives, Helena, Montana Creator: Photographer unidentified Date: October 1923

Location

239 South Main Street, Kalispell, Montana | Private

Metadata

The Montana National Register Sign Program, “Masonic Temple, Kalispell,” Historic Montana, accessed March 29, 2024, https://historicmt.org/items/show/2388.