National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Bryant Masonic Lodge

Merkel, Joanne; Mattesini, Sofia

A National Register of Historic Places Registration Form for the Bryant Masonic Lodge. Narrative Description Summary Paragraph: "The Bryant Masonic Lodge is a rectangular two-part commercial block structure with a flat roof, and Italian Renaissance Style influences. It's oriented north-south with a small alley along the eastern side, located at the intersection of Main Ave. and N. Underwood St. The building is currently owned by the Bryant American Legion Post 37, which occupies the ground floor. The lodge retains good overall of location, setting, design, workmanship and materials, which leads to a high integrity of feeling and association...." Statement of Significance Summary Paragraph: "The Bryan Masonic Lodge is locally significant under Criterion A in the context of social history for its association with the local chapter of the Masonic Lodge. The building exemplifies the important role fraternal organization played in encouraging social order, moral character, and charitable endeavors. The Bryant Masonic Lodge organized community wide events and provided gender-exclusive socialization opportunities for the newly-settled region. For these reasons, the Masonic Lodge served as an important contributor to social development in Bryant. The lodge is also significant under Criterion C as it is locally significant for its architecture. The building is a good example of the Italian Renaissance style and the only building of this style in Bryant. Its facade presents the style's key elements, which includes strong division of floors with differing window types, a rusticated first story, a parapet roof, and arched windows divided by pillars. The building's period of significance is from 1911 to 1969. Per National Register guidelines the building doesn't convey sufficient significance to go past the fifty-year cut off. The structure was originally built for the Masonic Lodge and was transferred to the American Legion in the 1980s. Overall, the building presents good integrity of location, setting, design, workmanship and materials and continues to convey its historic and architectural significance." Project funding was provided in part by a Historic Preservation Fund grant to the South Dakota State Historical Society administered by the State, Tribal, Local Plans and Grants division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior (grant number P18AF00022).

National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Bryant Masonic Lodge

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