Chartered in 1866, Gallatin Masonic Lodge No. 6 built this brick corner block in 1883 for an estimated $20,000, then a princely sum. The grandest of several buildings erected during the early 1880s following the arrival of the railroad, this Masonic temple was constructed despite an earlier schism among Bozeman’s Masons caused by opposing Civil War sympathies. Accusations that “only the sons of members or Confederates could gain admission to the Gallatin Lodge” led to the creation of Bozeman Lodge No. 18 in 1872, and both lodges struggled with small memberships. Nevertheless, the two lodges remained friendly, and the Bozeman Lodge also sometimes used this meeting hall. The Masons rented the first floor to various businesses, including Bozeman National Bank. Although the exterior of the building has been modernized, the Masons still meet on the second floor. The original carpet, imported from England in 1884 and intricately woven with Masonic symbols, remains in place. The horse sign, installed in 1968 atop the marquee to advertise a first-floor clothing store, is now a Bozeman landmark.
Images