Livingston Commercial District - Livingston, MT
Posted by: T0SHEA
N 45° 39.717 W 110° 33.754
12T E 534077 N 5056582
The Livingston Commercial District encompasses 13 blocks of downtown Livingston, centered on Park and Main Streets.
Waymark Code: WMW93R
Location: Montana, United States
Date Posted: 07/27/2017
Views: 5
Anchored by the showcase Northern Pacific Depot, the finest ever built by the railroad, the historic district contains 126 buildings, of which 97 are contributing as either primary or secondary contributors. Construction dates within the district range from 1883 to ca. 1915. While the majority are commercial, industrial or retail buildings, there are several hotels, the railway depot, fraternal organizations and a couple of government buildings. These last include a Post office (1912) and City Hall (1896). The 1896 courthouse, once located in the district, has since been replaced by a newer building outside the district.
LIVINGSTON COMMERCIAL DISTRICT
As the Northern Pacific Railroad pushed its tracks westward in 1882, representatives arrived at this bend in the Yellowstone River to open a company store. They pitched a tent, stocking it with 140,000 pounds of goods hauled by ox-drawn wagons. Other merchants set up shop as track-laying crews spilled into Clark City. By 1883, Northern Pacific surveyors had platted a townsite nearby for their division headquarters, and Clark City's tents moved to the new town of Livingston. Named after a company director, Livingston's early Main Street was a muddy track bordered by wooden sidewalks, and the false-fronted wooden stores, offices, and many saloons did a lucrative business. Madame Bulldog's Bucket of Blood Saloon served a rowdy and transient clientele, among them the notorious Martha "Calamity Jane" Cannary. In 1885-86, fires destroyed much of downtown prompting reconstruction of more substantial, permanent brick buildings. Advertising painted on downtown buildings boasted all manner of goods and services while local cigar factories, mills, brickyards, and breweries further assured Livingston's survival. By the 1890s, the town had become essential to tourists as the departure point for Yellowstone Park. Finally, the construction of the grand Northern Pacific depot in 1901-02 displayed the railroad's promotion of Park tourism and commitment to Livingston's future.
From the NRHP plaque
Northern Pacific Depot
This latter building [the Northern Pacific Depot] consists of a large, three-story office
and waiting room structure and two, lower wings containing the baggage room and a cafe, all connected by a curved colonnade. The composition recalls a Palladian villa. Terra cotta ornamentation is richly plastic, especially in the colonnade pediments, where N.P. "monads" are treated as cartouches. The Depot is the most prominent landmark in the city because of its location, size, and design quality.
The Northern Pacific's interest in Livingston, its Yellowstone Division headquarters and departure point for Park tourists, is evinced by construction of the monumental Passenger Depot between 1901 and 1902. To design it, the company employed Reed and Stem of St. Paul, an architectural firm which specialized in railway stations. While Livingston's Depot was under construction, Reed and Stem, with Warren and Wetmore, undertook the design for Grand Central Station, New York City. Other Reed and Stem commissions include depots or stations in Tacoma, Missoula, Bismark, Troy, and Scarsdale. The Livingston Depot is an architectural work of national significance for both the quality of its design and as a relic of the great age of American railroading, Burlington Northern maintains offices in the building today.
From the NRHP Nomination Form
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Northern Pacific Depot |
Street address: Park, C, Clark, 3rd, and Callendar Streets Livingston, MT United States 59047
County / Borough / Parish: Park County
Year listed: 1979
Historic (Areas of) Significance: Entertainment/Recreation, Transportation, Commerce, Architecture
Periods of significance: 1925-1949, 1900-1924, 1875-1899
Historic function: Commerce/Trade, Domestic, Government, Transportation
Current function: Commerce/Trade, Government, Transportation
Privately owned?: yes
Primary Web Site: [Web Link]
Secondary Website 1: [Web Link]
Season start / Season finish: Not listed
Hours of operation: Not listed
Secondary Website 2: Not listed
National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed
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Visit Instructions: Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.
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