IOOF Hall and Fromberg Co-operative Mercantile Building - Fromberg, MT
Posted by: T0SHEA
N 45° 23.514 W 108° 54.529
12T E 663689 N 5028614
While known to the National Register as the IOOF Hall and Fromberg Co-operative Mercantile Building, today it is neither.
Waymark Code: WMXTVD
Location: Montana, United States
Date Posted: 02/26/2018
Views: 0
Built and financed in 1906 by the Odd Fellows of Fromberg, the two story brick building immediately became the IOOF Hall upstairs while the downstairs was rented to the Fromberg Co-operative Mercantile for use as a department store. This was the first building in Fromberg to be built of masonry, in this case bricks and mortar. Owned by the patrons of the co-op, its profits were divided among them according to the dollar value of purchases made. The co-op folded in 1911.
The first masonry building in Fromberg, the hall was built by John Gibson, a local contractor, with little money wasted on decoration and embellishment, the only real decoration being brick corbelling at the cornice on the two street sides of the building, serving as cornice brackets, modillions or dentils, depending on one's paradigm. As well, a concrete medallion is inset at the center of the front parapet, just below the cornice, holding metal figures "IOOF," "1906," and the Odd Fellows emblem.
The Odd Fellows themselves were only active for about 20 years, after which the building's fate is unknown until 1964, when the post office moved in, remaining there today.
Street address: 123 West River Street Fromberg, MT United States 59029
County / Borough / Parish: Carbon County
Year listed: 1993
Historic (Areas of) Significance: Exploration/Settlement, Commerce, Social History, Architecture
Periods of significance: 1900-1924
Historic function: Commerce/Trade, Social - Department Store, Meeting Hall
Current function: Government - Post Office
Privately owned?: no
Hours of operation: From: 12:01 AM To: 11:59 PM
Primary Web Site: [Web Link]
Secondary Website 1: [Web Link]
Season start / Season finish: Not listed
Secondary Website 2: Not listed
National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed
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