Friendship Lodge #37 - Lewistown, MT - Masonic Temples on Waymarking.com

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Friendship Lodge #37 - Lewistown, MT

in Masonic Temples

Posted by:  T0SHEA

12T E 619401 N 5213517

Built by a mining superintendent in 1904, the H. H. Lang Block remained in the Lang family until 1941.

Built solely as an investment property by H. H. Lang, superintendent of the Kendall Gold Mine at Kendall, Montana, this block housed not only retail establishments but was also the home of Lewistown Masonic Lodge #37, which had lodge rooms on the second floor. On August 26, 1908 the Masons laid the cornerstone for their own building, foreboding the end of their sojourn in the Lang Block.

Dedicated on July 20, 1909, their new temple, also a stone building, was designed by a Freemason, Otto F. Wasmandorff, and George D. Eastman. Today it is a Nationally Registered Historic Place.

H. H. Lang Block

This property is significant because of its association with H. H. Lang, who was superintendent of the Kendall Mine, one of the four most productive gold mines in Central Montana.

Investment property in the growing Lewistown was nearly as lucrative. The H.H. Lang Block stands as a visible sign of the development and prosperity of what was becoming a permanent city in 1904.

The two-story stone structure is a fine example of the stone masonry building tradition that characterizes the early architecture of Lewistown. Nearby quantities of good building stone sponsored the settlement of Croatian craftsmen in the growing community. Many present structures dating from the turn of the century stand as proof of their craftsmanship, and of the development of the fledgling community.

The H. H. Lang Block originally housed the Fergus County Hardware Co. (W. H. Fernald, General Manager), the Fad Shoe and Clothing Co. (Arthur L. d'Autremont, Albert S. j d'Autremont and Murray H. Deaton, co-partners), and the second floor served as lodge rooms for Lewistown Lodge #37 A.F. and A.M.

The d'Autremonts occupied the entire ground floor with the "The Fad" in 1920 (for about 10 years).

The H. H. Lang Block remained in the possession of the Lang family until 1941.
From the NRHP Nomination Form, Site# 171