Masonic Temple. Forsyth Main Street Historic District. Terra-cotta medallions sporting the Masonic emblem of square and compass and the words “Masonic Temple” centered beneath the cornice proudly announce this building’s primary purpose. Chartered in 1898, the Forsyth Masonic Lodge met in borrowed quarters until 1905, when enthusiastic Mason Hiram Marcyes included a lodge room in his new Commercial Hotel. Six years later, the Masons hired Miles City architect Brynjulf Rivenes to design this Beaux Arts style temple, constructed of local brick from Marcyes’ brickyard and finished with a façade of high-fire Hebron brick trimmed with Bedford limestone. Rent from the first-floor storefronts subsidized the building’s $21,000 price tag. The second floor boasted the lodge room as well as a cloakroom and clubroom designed for members of the short-lived Forsyth Club. During the 1918 flu epidemic, clubrooms were converted into a temporary hospital. In 1921 the public library, founded by the Forsyth Woman’s Club, occupied the space. While the library moved to the old courthouse in 1927 and into its current building in 1971, Masons continue to meet in this lodge, built by their predecessors in 1911.
Terra-cotta medallions sporting the Masonic emblem of square and compass and the words “Masonic Temple” centered beneath the cornice proudly announce this building’s primary purpose. Chartered in 1898, the Forsyth Masonic Lodge met in borrowed quarters until 1905, when enthusiastic Mason Hiram Marcyes included a lodge room in his new Commercial Hotel. Six years later, the Masons hired Miles City architect Brynjulf Rivenes to design this Beaux Arts style temple, constructed of local brick from Marcyes’ brickyard and finished with a façade of high-fire Hebron brick trimmed with Bedford limestone. Rent from the first-floor storefronts subsidized the building’s $21,000 price tag. The second floor boasted the lodge room as well as a cloakroom and clubroom designed for members of the short-lived Forsyth Club. During the 1918 flu epidemic, clubrooms were converted into a temporary hospital. In 1921 the public library, founded by the Forsyth Woman’s Club, occupied the space. While the library moved to the old courthouse in 1927 and into its current building in 1971, Masons continue to meet in this lodge, built by their predecessors in 1911.
Erected by Montana Historical Society.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture
Location. 46° 15.983′ N, 106° 40.641′ W. Marker is in Forsyth, Montana, in Rosebud County. Marker is on Main Street near 10th Avenue, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1041-1047 Main Street, Forsyth MT 59327, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, September 13, 2020
2. Masonic Temple and Marker
The marker is to the left of the brown door.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 14, 2021. It was originally submitted on January 14, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 287 times since then and 44 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on January 14, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.
