Community Hall – Lodgepole MT

City:
Lodgepole, MT

Site Type:
Civic Facilities, Community Centers

New Deal Agencies:
Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), Work Relief Programs, Works Progress Administration (WPA)

Completed:
1936

Description

The Lodgepole Community Hall was dedicated in November 1936 in a ceremony the Harlem News called an interesting mix of “Indian tribal tradition and modern governmental activity.” In fact, that mix can be seen in the hall itself. Works Progress Administration (WPA) crews built the hall with timber likely logged in the Little Rockies by members of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Both the WPA and CCC were New Deal programs aimed at putting people to work in the midst of the Depression. The hall’s log walls—now concealed by exterior siding—reflected the Rustic style often favored by the WPA. Inside the hall evenly spaced vertical logs line the walls to provide structural stability. An eighteen-foot-ceiling shelters the expansive dance floor, which is also marked out for a basketball court. Bleachers overlook the dance floor and a raised stage sits at one end. The hall’s irregular shape echoes the shape of round halls built on Fort Belknap at the turn of the century. These, in turn, mirrored the temporary arenas Assiniboines created for dances by circling their wagons. In the 1930s, the hall was the site of children’s programs, basketball games, “white dances,” and such feature films as Call of the Rockies and Last of the Mohicans. Such programs nurtured the community by providing opportunities to gather. So, too, did the frequent traditional feasts and dances—including weeklong dances held at Christmastime—that played an essential role in sustaining Assiniboine cultural traditions.

Source notes

The Montana National Register Sign Program

Site originally submitted by Natasha Hollenbach on November 7, 2016.

Location Info


Lodgepole, MT Blaine County

Location notes: General location marker for community

Coordinates: 48.0347, -108.5332

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2 comments on “Community Hall – Lodgepole MT

  1. Kristen Inbody

    You’ve located this in the wrong spot. You want the Little Rocky Mountains and Fort Belknap Reservation.

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Contribute to this Site

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2 comments on “Community Hall – Lodgepole MT

  1. Kristen Inbody

    You’ve located this in the wrong spot. You want the Little Rocky Mountains and Fort Belknap Reservation.

Join the Conversation

Please note:

  • We are not involved in the management of New Deal sites and have no information about visits, hours or rentals.
  • This page shows all the information we have for this site; if you have new information or photos to share, click the button above.

Your email address will not be published, shared, or sold.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.