On February 1, 1917 this building opened as a dormitory for rural students attending school in Lewistown. The school district was already under financial stress so the Lewistown business community came together, formed the Central Montana Improvement Corporation, and raised $30,000 was by the sale of stock. Three stories in height, it looks lower as it was built with the ground floor half
in the ground.
When built it contained a full kitchen, dining room and laundry on the lower f1oor, rooms for young gentlemen on the main floor, and rooms and parlor for young ladies on the top floor. It was immediately filled. From 1918 on the dorm was used only for the young ladles. This is presently the south side of the Calvert. Because of the dormitory's success, an addition was made to the north side sometime around l9l9, giving double the rooms, an infirmary, larger dining room and staff housing. In 1925, because of drought and the resulting poor economic climate, the dormitory was forced to close and stood idle until 1928 when it was bought by Mrs. Emma Marsh, who, with her husband George, converted the building to a hotel, adding many private bath rooms and much furniture.
The hotel has not been greatly altered and it exists in many respects as it was constructed. The building was renovated in 1978 and renovated again very recently. It remains open today as the Calvert Hotel, proud of its history and its relatively unchanged ambiance and aura. In 1980 the Calvert Hotel was listed in the National Register.
On-site is an American restaurant serving dinner daily and brunch on Sundays, as well as a bar with Montana beers on tap and an extensive wine list. Some of the features offered by the hotel include:
- Custom Tiled Bathrooms
- Deluxe Hot Breakfast Bar
- Complimentary WiFi
- In-Room Keurig Coffee
- 50" Smart TVs
- Comphy Brand Luxury Bedding
- Beekman 1802 Amenities
- Hair Dryers
- Iron/Ironing Board
And a meeting space with:
- Two unique areas available
- Robust wireless internet to reliably accommodate laptops and other devices
- 60? Smart TV to facilitate training sessions, presentations and meetings
- Chairs and tables provided along with seating arrangements customized for your group
- The gorgeous Onyx Bar for one-of-a-kind food and drink presentation
- Lounge chairs and fireplace
- Custom catering for meals, snacks and drinks (available for additional cost)