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The Montana Hotel PAR

Historic | Feasibility Study | PAR

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Anaconda, MT

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A New Life for a Historic Hotel

  • The Anaconda Restoration Association (ARA) is restoring the old Montana Hotel (nicknamed “The Montana”) one floor at a time. SMA partnered with the ARA to complete a preliminary architectural report (PAR) of the historic building, including structural, mechanical, and electrical assessments. The Montana Hotel in Anaconda was built in 1888 by Marcus Daly, one of the Copper Kings. The building originally had four floors, two of which were removed in 1978.

“The Montana's” Colorful Past

  • Completed in 1888 at a cost of $125,000 - and opening with a lavish ball on July 4th, 1889, the Montana Hotel in Anaconda, Montana, was built by Marcus Daly on the premature hopes that Anaconda would be named the state capital of Montana. Intended to house legislators, dignitaries, and prominent visitors to the hopeful future capital, it was perhaps the most advanced and modern hotel in the northwest at the time – featuring telephones, running water, gas lighting, and steam heat. 


  • Designed by Chicago Architect W. W. Boyington, the structure featured a mix of Romanesque and French Renaissance architectural features, with a large, arched, central entrance, terra cotta columns and detailing inside and out. Lavish appointments such as lead glass mirrors, a large carved mahogany bar, and a wooden inlay in the bar floor of Daly’s favorite racehorse, Tammany could also be found in the building. 


  • The 185 room, four-story building was built of local red brick and terra cotta ornamentation, columns, and pediment over the main entrance. The basement featured boilers, a laundry, servant’s dining room, and a dynamo to generate electricity for electric lights throughout. The first and second floors contained the main dining room and kitchen, ladies ordinary, billiard hall and bar, drug store, and barber shop. The upper two floors contained hotel rooms.

Commons

  • With a vibrant commons and cafeteria adjoining the main entry, the school feels welcoming to students and the community, while a gym and stage holds other community events and performances. The school's entries are designed to activate the surrounding downtown and neighborhood areas. 

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