Filed Under Red Lodge

Red Lodge Labor Temple

Red Lodge Commercial Historic District

Red Lodge Miner’s Local No. 1771 had grown to more than a thousand members when this labor temple was built in 1909. The United Mine Workers of America organized nationally in 1896 and by 1898, Local No. 1771 had 200 members. The building is a testament to the labor struggles of Red Lodge coal miners and the primary symbol of labor history in the area. John Horne of Laurel designed the $36,000 building and Butte Local #22 contributed major funding. John Massow, building committee chairman, took the train to Butte and returned with a $10,000 loan in his pocket. Carved sandstone with the words “Labor Temple” at the center of the parapet proclaims the building’s purpose. The temple included a union meeting hall, union offices, a library, and a saloon for members called the Workers’ Club of Carbon County. Old-timers say club patrons were mostly Welsh, Scottish, and Irish; miners of other ethnic groups frequented local establishments run by their compatriots. The Finnish Kaleva Cooperative Mercantile, a reflection of the town’s colorful ethnic diversity, was the original ground floor tenant.

Images

Labor Temple, Red Lodge
Labor Temple, Red Lodge Still image capture of the Labor Temple façade. Image adhered to paper with typed information. b&w print. Source: Official records of the Montana State Historic Preservation Office, Helena, Montana Creator: Patricia Bick Date: 1985
Labor Temple
Labor Temple Still image capture of the Labor Temple in Red Lodge, Montana. Image information drawn from print verso. b&w print. Source: Official records of the Montana State Historic Preservation Office, Helena, Montana Creator: Kommers, McLaughlin, & Leavengood, Architects Date: September, 1981
Labor Temple (from side)
Labor Temple (from side) Still image capture of Labor Temple in Red Lodge, Montana. Image information drawn from print verso. b&w print. Source: Official records of the Montana State Historic Preservation Office, Helena, Montana Creator: Kommers, McLaughlin, & Leavengood, Architects Date: September, 1981

Location

224 Broadway Avenue North, Red Lodge, Montana | Private

Metadata

The Montana National Register Sign Program, “Red Lodge Labor Temple,” Historic Montana, accessed March 28, 2024, https://historicmt.org/items/show/44.