Cornerstone for Whitefish

The construction of the Masonic Temple building at the corner of Second Street and Lupfer Avenue was highly anticipated in the summer of 1915.

Plans for the building were unveiled with a large front-page spread in the July 15, 1915 edition of the Pilot describing the building and showing a rendering as designed by architect J.B. Gibson.

“The building will be a distinct advantage to Whitefish, and according to the design should be a building that a city, twice the size of Whitefish should be proud of,” the Pilot wrote. At the time there 125 members of the Masonic lodge.

The Masonic Temple has continued to stand at the corner for 100 years. Although the Masons were eventually forced to sell the building in 1997, the building has since been the home for several Whitefish businesses.

The fraternal organization the Freemasons formed a Whitefish Lodge in 1906 and were dedicated in 1908. The lodge met in various locations around town until 1912 when the Masons announced they would construct a Temple.

During a smoker and banquet fundraiser in July 1915, the Masons continued to raise funds to be added to the pledges already received and were well on their way toward securing the funds needed for construction of the building.

Construction of the building was expected to cost between $11,000 and $12,000. Adding furniture for the lodge room and banquet hall made the total investment about $14,5000.

The Temple was described to be made of “Solid brick” with a full basement of concrete foundation. The basement was planned for the heating plant, a kitchen, store room, a ladies’ room, and a smoking room, all in addition to the main banquet room which would have a maple floor, making it an “ideal place for social functions.”

The upper floor was planned as the lodge room, ante-rooms, lockers and a large commodious library with 20-foot ceilings and sky ventilators.

Contract for the structural work was to go to Caesar Haverland and plumbing to William M. Beauchamp & Co., both of Kalispell.

The cornerstone of the brick building was laid in August 1915. A ceremony marking the occasion was attended by Masons form the surrounding towns and was followed by a benefit banquet at the Robinson building on Central Avenue where 200 plates were laid out.

Made of gray sandstone, the cornerstone was set to house a casket containing “mementos of the occasion and memorials of the present day to the end that the future generations may have an adequate conception of the progress of the race at this date,” the Pilot wrote in 1915.

A list of the articles deposited: a copy of the Holy bible, plans and specifications of the building, copies of the Whitefish Pilot, copy of the Kalispell Interlake, notice of the Grand Lodge #64 1913 and 1915, a list of officers and members of vista chapter #44 Order of the Eastern Star, a list of federal, state, country and city officials, school trustees, teachers, officers of the First National Bank, report on Masonic relief association of the United States and Canada for July and August 1915, Masonic traveling card for 1915, one dime 1915 deposited by Frank Trippet, one U.S. five cent piece Buffalo and Indian design issued 1914, photo of U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, list of the 14th legislative assembly of Montana, copy of ballot used by the lodge to determine the location of the Temple, names of trustees of the Whitefish Masonic Temple Association 1915, names of the architect and contractor for construction of building, United States 1 cent and 2 cent postage stamps, business cards of F.W. Merrigold and E.L. Geddes, copy of poem entitled “The Petition” deposited by J.A. Sampson, U.S. flag, Masonic silver pocket piece with blue lodge emblems, copy of Literary Digest containing summary of European war to date under date of July 31, 1915.

The Masonic Temple was used for lodge actives for the first time on Dec. 20, 1915. The annual election and installation of officers for the Masons and the Order of the Eastern Star, a body of Freemasonary open to both men and women, were held and following was a program, lunch and dancing.

After the building was constructed, through the 1920s and into the 1930s the building appears to have played host to many major events in Whitefish hosted by the Masons and others. The Masons held their annual masquerade ball there and the Mason women put on a “circus event” there in 1916. The Temple also was the spot of a “patriotic meeting” in 1918, the high school talent show in 1919, and the State Press Association annual convention in 1921. Boxing matches were held there as staged by the American Legion and a socialist rally was held at the Temple in 1932.

Don Slaybaugh, who marks his 51st year of membership with the Masons this year and grew up in Whitefish, recalls many a train employee union meetings being held at the building and the Moose Lodge members met there also. Community dances were also often held there.

“It was the center of the community,” he said. “In the 1920s and 1930s it was the principal place for meetings in town.”

The Masonic lodge had 250 members in the 1950s, according to Slaybaugh, but declining membership eventually forced members to sell the Masonic Temple building. The Masons is still active today and continue their community activities in Whitefish, but now meets at the Masonic Temple building in Kalispell. There are about 40 members of the Whitefish lodge.

In 1940 the lodge underwent a major remodel, the Pilot reported in March that year. A crew of carpenters and other workers were busy at the Temple making considerable changes that would double the kitchen and restroom modernized. The floor in the ballroom was being rebuilt and once completed was expected to be “one of the best in the state” and the building would be able to take care of large numbers at banquets and entertainment without any trouble.

Even while still under the ownership of the Masons, the building served double duty.

The lower level of the building was the location of the U.S. Post Office for a decade starting in 1947. An article in the Pilot in 1975 announced a day care center opening in the basement.

After the building was sold, a hostel opened there in 1998. An antique store opened there in 2006 and an event center was created on the upper floor of the building in 2011.

LouLa’s restaurant has operated in the basement of the building since 2002.

The upper floor was converted into two office spaces in 2014 and now is the home of Old Town Creative and Montana Building Company.