Lewistown Church of Christ - Lewistown, MT - Religious Buildings Multifarious on Waymarking.com

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Lewistown Church of Christ - Lewistown, MT

in Religious Buildings Multifarious

Posted by:  T0SHEA

12T E 619361 N 5213458

Flanked by a pair of brick buildings of similar vintage, the McDonald & Charters Block, once housing a billiards hall, now houses a church.

Construction on this two story brick business block commenced on September 25, 1905 with the laying of the foundation. Completion took place around the First of June of the next year. The original tenants were the Lewistown Bakery, operated by Francis Sullivan, and C. E. Shoemaker & Co., a mortgage company, while the Knights of Pythias met in an upstairs room.

Today the only tenant, on the ground floor, at least, appears to be the Lewistown Church of Christ. Their website indicates that they have recently relocated to this address, but their website doesn't seem to have been updated since 1911, giving us an estimate of when they came to this place.

Lewistown Church of Christ is a self described non-denominational church, as stated on their website:

The Lewistown Church of Christ is a non-denominational, dedicated group of Bible believers working to serve the community in and around Lewistown, Montana. We offer Bible classes for small children, teens and adults.
From the Church

The Story of the Building

Charles McDonald and John Charters were owners of the "fine two-story business block adjoining the First National Bank corner". The brick and stone structure, erected by local contractor, George Wells, is an integral part of what is now a three building unit in the 500 block of the central business district.

It was originally the home of the Lewistown Bakery ("Mother's Bread", our specialty) and C. E. Shoemaker & Co. (farm mortgage loans). The Knights of Pythias met in the second floor lodge hall.

A two-story combination common bond brick and cut stone commercial facade. The elaborate cornice is an extension of the Italianate cornice of the "Judith Bank", but the frieze is a simple flush brick band with multiple corbel tables below. The corbel tables define a recessed field for second floor windows that is further framed by a pilaster at the south corner and a "hallway width" projection or pilaster at the east corner that serves as an entry access to upper residential living quarters. Second floor double hung windows have rounded heads framed with cut stone and a beaded archivolt at the extrados of the arch. The arches terminate into cut stone "springstones" at the haunch of the arch. The windows have cut sandstone sills. A series of recessed panels occurs below the rounded windows.
From the NRHP Nomination Form, site No. 178