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 Copper Village Museum & Arts Center - Anaconda, MT Posted by:  T0SHEA
N 46° 07.768 W 112° 56.888
12T E 349504 N 5110277
In the hope that Anaconda would soon become Montana's capital, the powers that be at the time furnished the city with a rather ambitious City Hall. Completed in 1896, though it no longer serves as Anaconda's City Hall, it remains a city landmark.
Waymark Code: WMKM0R
Location: Montana, United States
Date Posted: 04/29/2014
Views: 2
Of substantial brick and stone construction, the city hall originally housed the city government, the police and a jail, and the city fire department. The fire department has since departed and the city government has moved to newer premises, but the jail cells in the basement remain, now housing the historical society.
The basement and a smaller portion of the main floor are now the site of Anaconda's Copper Village Museum, which houses a multitude of artefacts from Anaconda's heyday, when the smelter belched smoke 24/7 and the town was a boisterous frontier village of miners and smelter workers. The museum also hosts various travelling exhibits and annual
quilting exhibits and student art displays.
CITY HALL
Copper magnate Marcus Daly had great expectations for Anaconda when the town was platted in 1883, hoping one day the town would become Montana’s capital. It was with that goal in mind that plans for a magnificent city hall were conceived. Architects Lane and Reber of Butte, winners of a competition for the building’s design, drew the blueprints for the symbolically and historically significant civic landmark, completed in 1896. Built in a “straightforward manner … using local materials,” the architects employed pressed brick, Anaconda granite, and Anaconda copper trim. The complex design illustrates the passionate eclecticism of the late Victorian era, incorporating elements of a variety of styles. A massive corner tower, bays, and pavilioned entrance visually define the original separate functions of the building: city government, fire hall, and police department. Contrasts of round and square forms serve to augment these divisions. Classical detailing, Roman and Romanesque style arches, Moorish “keyhole” windows, Gothic tracery, and a Chateauesque style roof capping one of the bays are a visual feast and showcase local craftsmanship. Abandoned in 1976 and slated for demolition, the building was rescued by local citizens in 1978. Though a clock tower housing the fire bell was removed, the rehabilitated City Hall Cultural Center is once again a thriving and impressive source of civic pride.
From the NRHP plaque at the building
Theme:
The history of Anaconda, MT and area
Street Address:
401 East Commercial Avenue
Anaconda, MT
59711
Food Court: no
Gift Shop: yes
Hours of Operation:
Tuesday to Friday
10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Cost: 3.00 (listed in local currency)
Museum Size: Medium
Relevant Web Site: [Web Link]
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Visit Instructions:
In order to log this waymark in this category, you must be able to provide proof of your visit. Please post a picture of yourself or your GPSr in front some identifiable feature or point of interest either in the museum, or on the museum grounds.
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