Dedicated on January 4, 1891 as a Congregational Church, this wooden church has many of the earmarks of a late nineteenth century church. The square corner tower, unusually, was not directly used as an entrance, but set back slightly from the front of the building. With additions each side, though, the tower's bottom serves as a narthex. The belfry vents are rectangular, as opposed to having Gothic arched tops, as are all windows in the building. Atop the belfry is a shingled spire with slightly flared eaves, very much nineteenth century in its form. It is topped with an interesting finial, having a design comprised of a pair of two dimensional globes with two part circles in their lower halves. We would imagine this to be a religious symbol.
The church has a steeply pitched gable roof and a single dormer on one side. In both gables are scalloped shingles. Just back of this dormer the sanctuary appears to have been extended to the rear at some time. While there is no stained glass in the building, all windows have substantial rectangular tracery around their perimeters. The contractors for the building were the Sawyer Brothers of Billings.
Bolted to the concrete sidewalk in front of the church is a large (36") bell, possibly originally in the church's bell tower, possibly not. It was cast by Blymyer, Norton & Co, of Cincinnati, Ohio. A predecessor to the Cincinnati Bell Foundry Company, Blymyer produced church, school, fire alarm and farm, cast iron bells from about 1875 (and possibly earlier) to about 1920.
The congregation of Calvary Episcopal Church once used the building. Calvary's first services were held in a log cabin. The Congregational Church was subsequently used prior to 1900, followed by the Methodist Episcopal Church building. (See the
Billings Gazette). We have found no information concerning the year this church became a Baptist Church, or even in which decade that might have happened.
Beartooth Mountain Baptist Church
The building on the front of this card was the first church building to be built in Red Lodge, MT. It was built in 1890! It became known as the Congregational Church and was dedicated on January 4, 1891. Throughout the years it has boasted several names and has had many pastors. Today it is known as Beartooth Mountain Baptist Church pastored by Pastor Russell Pruitt.
From Beartooth Mountain Baptist