Montana Club - Helena, MT - NRHP Historic Districts - Contributing Buildings on Waymarking.com

Members of the Montana Club built a seven-story building on this site in 1893, but fire consumed that landmark in 1903. A new Montana Club literally rose from its ashes. Cass Gilbert, architect of the Minnesota State Capitol and New York City's famed Woolsworth building, incorporated the original first-floor stone arch design into the new plans. Completed in 1905, the American Renaissance style building sheathes a contemporary structural system in a classical facade. Over the years members have included copper kings, millionaires and politicians who hosted such notables as Theodore Roosevelt and Mark Twain. Perseverance and adaptability have seen the club through hard times and change. In 1915, women were first invited to the New Year's celebration, and gender segregation eventually became a thing of the past. Today, the Montana Club is one of Helena's most commanding anchors, and ambassador from another era where tradition endures in grand style.

Changing Symbols

The stone arches and the swastikas at the Montana Club's entry are all that remain of the first Montana Club building, destroyed by fire in 1903. Ancient, cross-cultural symbols used for six thousand years to mean abundance and prosperity; swastikas are formed by bending the arms of a Greek cross in either direction. In Sanskrit "swastika" means well being, good luck, or success. The symbol has been found on ancient Tibetan, Thai, and Turkish artifacts. To Hindus swastikas symbolize the sun's rotation; Buddhists consider them Buddha's footprints. Swastikas long symbolized friendship to American Native tribes, and to the Hopi of the southwest they also depict the migration routes of Hopi clans. To the Navajo, swastikas represent the whirling log legend of an outcast tribal member who rolled downriver in a hollowed out log. The ancient symbol was carved into many buildings, including the Capitol in Washington D.C. And in 1893, Montana Club founders placed swastikas at their club's entrance to wish friendship and prosperity to all who entered. It was not until after World War II that Adolf Hitler transformed the symbol from one of friendship to one of hate.

Name of Historic District (as listed on the NRHP): Helena Historic District Link to nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com page with the Historic District: [Web Link] Address: 24 W 6th Ave Helena, MT 59601 How did you determine the building to be a contributing structure?: Plaque on building (Photo in gallery) NRHP Historic District Waymark (Optional): Not listed Optional link to narrative or database: Not listed

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   06/02/2014 WalksfarTX visited it 06/15/2013 ZenPanda visited it 04/29/2012 teamhelena visited it

View all visits/logs