Between the second and third story of this building Bakke placed a beltline of large terra cotta or stone panels, all identical, each containing a pair of woodsmen's axes and a green tree with an "
M" (for Montana) superimposed. The keystone of the entranceway arch sports a similar, smaller, emblem. Just below the cornice are a number of terra cotta shields.
Completion of this facility in 1922 provided the School of Forestry a permanent home. In the Renaissance Revival style specified by Carsley-Gilbert’s master plan, Missoula architect Ole Bakke designed a distinctive building that vividly proclaims its discipline. Simple lines enhance the beautiful green pine and ax emblem repeated in terra cotta thirty-seven times around the building. Murals within depicting the history of forestry in Montana by Helena artist Irvin “Shorty” Shope further individualize this unique facility. The building’s only significant alteration is a greenhouse added in 1951, named in memory of six students who perished fighting the 1949 Mann Gulch fire.
From the NRHP Plaque