History sign on Pythian Castle building in Baker City Historic District.
Marker Name: Pythian Castle
Marker Text: In addition to being a commercial hub, early Baker City served as a regional religious center. Pope Leo XIII established the Catholic Diocese in Baker in 1903, which included all of Oregon east of the Cascade Mountains.
An imposing cathedral was constructed in 1905. Two years later, the Catholic Knights of Pythias order built a lodge two blocks south of the cathedral, in the cathedral’s Gothic Revival style and of the same volcanic tuff material. The building had stained glass upper windows.
Typical of the many lodge halls in the city, the lodge occupied the upper level and the lower floor was leased to commercial tenants. The upper floor had a ballroom with a surrounding balcony.
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