Built in 1921 as the Algeria Shrine Temple, the building was taken over by the city in 1938. The station here is the point at the top of the tall spire atop the building. This point would be the top of the second or third highest structure in the city of Helena.
STATION DESCRIPTION
DESCRIBED BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1954 (WTJ)
DESIGNATION - HELENA MASONIC BUILDING SPIRE
PID - RX0880
STATE/COUNTY- MT/LEWIS AND CLARK
COUNTRY - US
USGS QUAD - HELENA (1985)
THIS BUILDING IS NOW THE HELENA CIVIC CENTER. THE STAR HAS
BEEN REMOVED FROM THE SPIRE. THE POINT USED ON THIS SURVEY
WAS THE POINT AT THE TOP OF THE SPIRE. THE BUILDING IS LOCATED
ON BENTON AVENUE AT THE INTERSECTION OF NEILL AVENUE.
From the NGS Datasheet
SHRINE TEMPLE
The Algeria Shrine Temple, completed in 1921, was built by the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine both for their use and for public events in Helena. George S. Carsley and Charles S. Haire, prominent architects of the era, designed this Moorish Revival building. Its minaret rises seventeen stories, and its façade six. Upon completion, the auditorium was ninth-largest in the nation, seating 2,608 people. The ballroom accommodates 500 dancing couples. The fire station, a 1939 addition, carries out the polychromatic design of the exterior brick. Severe damage by earthquakes in 1935 was beyond the financial means of the local Shrine to repair, yet the facility remained in demand for public use. The City of Helena purchased this structure in 1938, when it became the Civic Center, housing city government departments until 1979. The citizens of Helena, through local government and a Civic Center Advisory Board, have worked for the renovation and preservation of this building that serves many cultural needs of the Helena community.
From the NRHP plaque at the building