It was constructed as a funeral home, a new phenomenon during the early twentieth century, which provided complete funeral services. It also is an excellent example of
commercial architecture combining elements of Neoclassical design and
period commercial architecture using high-fired brick, squared,
flattened corners, flattened arches, and polychroming. The building is
in excellent condition and carries a strong sense of association with
the period in which it was constructed. It is one of the best examples
of late 1920s and early 1930s commercial architecture in the Missoula
commercial district.
This building was constructed between 1929 and 1932 as a funeral home,
when the property was owned by Luther and D. H. Powell. The first
occupant was Marsh and Powell, Funeral Directors, which occupied the
building through the historic period. The building has been a funeral
home since it was constructed. At the time of its construction, it
represented a new phenomenon—a building constructed as a funeral home
with all the services and facilities needed to prepare the body for
the funeral and to perform the funeral services. It is one of the few
remaining commercial buildings within the Missoula central business
district that was constructed during the Depression.
From the National Register