In all probability built in 1907 as a funeral parlor, this two story building was built with a brown brick façade, divided into three bays above and what now appears to be four bays below. An overhanging presser metal cornice with a string of large modillions, then slightly smaller dentils below, is situated just below the roof line which has another pressed metal molding along its edge. Corner brick pilasters are accented with sets of molded capitals, probably terra cotta.
The lower floor, with four bays defined by three large windows and a recessed entry door, all with glass transoms above, has been recovered with faux brick in later years, neither the color or the type matching the rest of the building.
Browsing through century old newspapers we discovered that funeral parlors ot the time used a somewhat sneaky method of advertising their businesses. Their ads would be disguised as death and/or funeral notices, with the business information attached on the bottom. This particular ad wasn't quite as blatant as some we saw in that it only includes the business name and the fact that they are undertakers & embalmers. It was placed on Page 3 of the April 03, 1917 edition of the Butte Daily Post.
JOSEPH RICHARDS, UNDERTAKER
Joseph Richards came to Butte in 1892 and established an undertaking parlor in the Stephens Block on West Park. Victorian-era funerals were customarily conducted from the home of the deceased. It was the undertaker’s job to help the family prepare the body, provide the casket and mourning paraphernalia, and make burial arrangements. As undertaking establishments began to conduct funerals on the premises, the need arose for more diverse facilities. In 1907, Richards built this building as a funeral home, which offered a parlor for services, morgue, workroom, casket display room, and upstairs living quarters. It was the first such facility built in Butte, and the first in Montana to possess a motorized hearse. Although decorative sandstone covers the original first floor brick, the three display windows and transoms are unchanged. The original Renaissance Revival styling is readily evident in the handsome three-bay second story, which features a polygonal oriel window, beveled glass transoms, and stone trim. In 1974, the Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie #11 purchased the building for use as a lodge.
From the NRHP plaque at the building