Lewistown was founded in 1882 and Catholics were some of its early residents. These included French-Canadians, Cree and Red River Indians, and white settlers. The first church building, a wood-frame structure, was built around 1888. Priests from St. Peter's Mission, Fort Bent, and Great Falls came to celebrate mass until the first resident priest was appointed in 1893. Lewistown grew significantly between 1907 after the Northern Pacific Railroad built a line to the town in 1903; other railroads operated in Fergus County as well. As a result, the population in Lewistown increased to 3,400 by 1908 and to 9,600 by 1918. The influx of residents prompted the Catholic community to build St. Leo's, which held its first service on October 15, 1916 and it was dedicated on November 12th. Leo's has remained a vital part of the community ever since.

St. Leo's Catholic Church was built in 1916 and is an exceptional example of Italian Early Christian architecture.

Website

St. Leo's Catholic Church is one of Lewistown's most striking landmarks. It was erected in 1916 and designed by well-known Montana architects J.G. Link and Charles Haire, who designed many other buildings throughout the state. The church is a beautiful example of the Italian Early Christian style with Romanesque elements included. It's most notable feature is the square bell tower, which reaches a height of 95 feet and has arched openings on each side. The church also features rose and arched windows with stained glass, decorative brickwork and terra cotta highlighting, blind arcading (a set of arches that doesn't against a wall), and exterior buttressing. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

St. Leo's Catholic Church

This walk through downtown Lewistown begins at the Fergus County Courthouse and includes landmark buildings such as the city's Carnegie Library, Montana Building, Masonic Temple, and some of the city's historic downtown churches. 

Architect Newton C. Gauntt, who was based in North Yakima, Washington, designed the courthouse. Construction was delayed for six months because the original contractor, William Oliver, did not intend to use native stone but brick instead. This resulted in a public outcry and an injunction prevented the start of construction. At the time, many of the new buildings being constructed in Lewistown were built using native stone and it seems the residents wanted the courthouse to continue that trend. Gauntt devised a new, slightly smaller plans for the courthouse. Apparently, the only contractor who bid on the project was Oliver and the courthouse was, in the end, built with brick. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.

Standing prominently along Main Street, the Fergus County Courthouse has served as the seat of county government since its construction in 1908. It is the centerpiece of the Lewistown Courthouse Historic district, which includes 21 buildings in the surrounding neighborhood. The courthouse is three stories tall and features curvilinear gables, a geometric dome with four clocks supported by an octagonal structure with arched windows, a light and dark-brick facade, and two large Ionic columns at the main entrance. The courthouse was built in response to the growing population in Lewistown in the early 20th century. 

Fergus County Courthouse 

The first library in Lewistown was established in 1897 and was located in a hat shop and had a collection of 269 books. It operated there for two years before being moved to the county superintendent of school's office. In 1905, the town received a grant from steel magnate and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, who helped communities around the country (and around the world) build libraries in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Carnegie sent a $10,000 grant to Lewistown and residents matched that amount along with a $1,000 for maintenance. In 1959, an addition called the Busch Memorial Library was built on the library's northeast slope. It appears that another addition was built in 1990 along Main Street, giving the library its current appearance.

The Lewistown Public Library—originally known as the Lewistown Carnegie Library—is one of several historic buildings in the city constructed by Croatian immigrant stone masons using locally sourced sandstone. After three years of construction, it finally opened in 1908. It consists of the original 1908 portion and modern additions that extend towards Main and 7th Streets and serve as the library's lower level. The original part is 1.5 stories tall and features a rough sandstone facade, a main entrance with four sandstone columns and arched entryway, and a wreath and medallion motif below the eaves that surrounds the building. The library was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

Lewistown Carnegie Library

The history of the church dates back to 1890 when Presbyterian services were first held in Lewistown, which was then a settlement of approximately 400 residents. The community wasn't without a religious presence, however, as there were Methodist and Catholic congregations. The first Presbyterian church was built in 1893. In the early 1900s, Lewistown experienced a period of growth, especially after the Northern Pacific Railroad arrived in 1907.The influx of new residents increased the size of the congregation, which prompted the establishment of a building committee in 1909 to explore the possibility of either expanding the church the congregation worshipped in or building a new one (they met in three locations. They chose to build the present church but it took until 1911 before work got underway. It was completed in 1912 and formally dedicated in early 1913. The congregation built an administration and education addition 1965. Other renovations have occurred since then.

First Presbyterian Church was built in 1912 and is an excellent example of a religious building with Gothic Revival influences. It is one of many buildings in Lewistown constructed with native sandstone. Additionally, like those those buildings, the church is also significant in that it was built by Croatian stonemasons. In terms of design, the church features typical Gothic elements such as arched stained glass windows, a crenelated bell tower, and butresses. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. 

First Presbyterian Church

The idea for the Montana Building originated from a group of local businessmen who expected the town's development to continue. They hired well-known Montana architects J.G. Link and Charles Haire, who designed many buildings around the state including county courthouses and St. Leo's Church here in Lewistown. One of the businessmen was George J. Wiedeman, the owner of the Montana Hardware Company, which, along with the Bank of Fergus County, originally occupied the building. However, the construction of the Montana Building came towards the end of Lewistown's early period of growth. After 1916, the town experienced periods of drought and economic uncertainty, especially in 1924 when the banks closed after homesteaders left the area. In December of that year, the First National Bank (the predecessor of the First Bank of Montana) opened in the building and has remained ever since. The hardware store moved to a new location in 1960.

Situated at the corner of Main Street and 3rd Avenue, the Montana Building is the centerpiece of the Lewistown Central Business Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The six-story-tall building was built c.1916 and designed in the Neoclassical and Renaissance Revival styles. Notable features include its white terra cotta exterior, an elaborate cornice (the top edge of a wall), and three-story pilasters (decorative elements that look like columns) topped with Corinthian capitals.  It represents the growth, prosperity, and optimism Lewistown was experiencing in the early 1900s. Today, the First Bank of Montana and a cafe occupy the building, which remains an important landmark in Lewistown. 

Montana Building 

The Knerr-Tubb Block is two-stories tall. It features a brick facade, arched windows, and a decorative sheet-metal cornice. There is also a large rectangular pediment on the roof with globe finials on each end, a teardrop finial in the middle, and the words "Knerr and Tubb" and "1909." The first owners of the building were Thomas Tubb and brothers Christian and Levi Knerr. Over the years, formal balls, weekly dances, and dance classes were held here. Initially, a restaurant called the Montana Cafe occupied the first floor. Later, a cafe, barbershop, a clothing store, and a billiards and pool business. Today, a furniture store occupies the building.

Also known as Armory Hall, the Knerr-Tubb Block building is historically significant for its striking architecture that combines the Classical Revival, Romanesque Revival, and Renaissance Revival architectural styles. Built in 1909, the building was also home to a popular dance hall for a number of years beginning in 1914. The structure is a contributing property of the Lewistown Central Business Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

Knerr-Tubb Block

Although the Great Depression began in 1929, Montana had been experiencing economic difficulties since the early 1920s as a result of drought and low grain prices. Lewistown grew significantly in the 1910s but the population decreased to around 5,300 in 1930. The construction of the post office, then, was big boost to civic pride and represented the successful collaboration between local civic groups and politicians and the federal government. As evidence for this pride, around 2,000 people—more than a third of the city's population—attended the building's cornerstone ceremony. It has continuously operated as a post office and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.

Built in 1931, the U.S. Post Office & Federal Building was Lewistown's first post office erected by the federal government. It was also the only major building erected in city during the 1930s. In terms of architecture, it is an excellent example of the Beaux-Arts style, featuring a red brick and white terra cotta facade, and an impressive Neoclassical main entrance with a triangular pediment supported by fluted pilasters (columns) topped with Ionic capitals. Building the post office was a significant achievement for the city in the midst of the Great Depression. 


U.S. Post Office & Federal Building 

Croatian immigrants began to arrive in Lewistown in 1897. Many came from the small Croatian town of Bribir, which is located near the Adriatic Sea. While stone along the eastern shore of the Adriatic was plentiful, trees were not, forcing people to build homes and other structures with stone. As a result, masonry was an obvious vocation for men of the area. One of these masons was Peter Tuss, who would become the main contractor for the temple building. He, and presumably other Croatians, had already been in Montana when they heard about work opportunities in Lewistown. Their success prompted more Croatians to immigrate to America and settle in Lewistown. It is believed that of the 373 Croatians living in the county in 1915, around 100 were in Lewistown. Along with temple, they built many of the other stone buildings in town including the Carnegie Library (now called the Lewistown Public Library). The first floor was and continues to be leased business and organizations. The lodge occupies the upper two floors.

Lewiston's historic Masonic Temple building was completed in 1908 and is significant for both its architecture, its association with the local masonic lodge and the community, and the Croatian immigrant craftsman who built the structure. The lodge was designed by Otto F. Wasmandorff and George D. Eastman in the Classical Revival and Romanesque styles. The three-story-tall building features a rough sandstone exterior, arched windows on the third floor, an entryway with a free-standing arch supported by columns topped with Corinthian capitals, and two-story-tall pilasters (decorative features that look like columns) topped with Ionic capitals. Croatian stonemasons constructed the building with locally sourced sandstone. It appears that the lodge, which is named Friendship Lodge #37, has met here continuously since 1908.  

Lewistown Montana Walking Tour

St. Leo's Catholic Church

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information