The Masonic Lodge is a three-story brick and terra cotta Beaux Arts
commercial building with seven front second- and third-story bays
separated by brick pilasters, an elaborate, crested, a terra cotta
cornice, terra cotta tile belt course separating upper two floors from
the first floor. The storefront area consists largely of metal frame
plate glass windows and two recessed entryways, both with anodized,
metal frame plate glass doors with transom windows and one recessed
entry way framed by terra cotta tile, also with anodized, metal frame
door and flanking and upper windows. The building is located on the
north side of East Broadway Avenue in the central business district, in an area of town that has lost some of its historic fabric due to
remodeling and the construction of new buildings and parking lots.
The terra cotta cornice of the building is large, elaborately detailed
with ornamental scrolled brackets that extend about four feet down the
upper level pilasters that divide the bays. Terra cotta globe finials
are regularly placed atop the cornice and run along the roof line.
Double layered dentilation runs just under the cornice. The frieze
consists of horizontal relief panels, each flanked by scrolled
ornamentation between each large, vertical bracket. The Masonic shield
is located at the center of the frieze with elaborate, scrolled
brackets located under it. "Masonic Temple" is inset in the frieze on
each side of the shield. The lower part of the frieze features
projecting, molded terra cotta tiles. The two end bays of the upper two levels project out about one foot from the facade of the building and feature two-story-high arched second- and third-story window insets. The third-story windows in these bays are wood frame arched with a fan light on top and square, fixed windows on the bottom. Second story windows are wood frame, double hung. The pilasters have terra cotta tile capitals and plinths. The third floor windows in the five central bays have square wood frames with horizontal lights and three ribbon, double-hung, wood frame windows with narrow side windows. The second story windows have been filled with glass blocks.
The lower level is separated from the upper levels by a terra cotta
tile belt course and metal framed glass panels. A large, flat,
rectangular canopy covering the street level shops is anchored to the facade of the building by large metal rods. The street level has
granite panels with flanking brick pilasters, which also flank the west side entryway.
This building was constructed in 1909, when the property was owned by
Hugh Forbis (1901). Subsequent owners included Hazel Forbis (1916),
Forbis Estate (1925), and C. L. and Josephine Forbis (1928). The
Masonic Temple Association purchased the property in 1954.
Hugh T. Forbis was born in Butte, Montana, in 1886 and graduated from the University of Montana in 1911. He organized the Forbis-Toole Company, with Forbis as president, J. H. Toole as vice-president, and A. E. Drew as secretary-president. It was primarily an investment company that handled farm loans, mortgages, and irrigation bonds.
The building was designed by Link and Haire, Montana's most prolific
early twentieth century architectural firm. When constructed, the
building was the Masonic Lodge, and had lodge rooms on the third
floor and club rooms and billiard rooms on the second and ground floors. The back portion of the building is also shown having four floors. Commercial businesses, offices, and even a commercial business college have historically occupied this building. Montana Power Company occupied the building, beginning in the 1920s. The lower portion of the façade was remodeled in 1959.
From the National Register