The Adams Hotel, built in 1908 within a year of the Milwaukee Road's arrival, is a huge two-story Colonial Revival style building seemingly standing in the middle of nowhere. While the hotel survived, on and off, for many years, it was simply too ambitious an establishment for the size of town that Lavina grew to be. Early hopes were that the town would grow to be a major supply centre in the area, given that it was on the Milwaukee Road. Though early success inspired the owner to expand in 1911, by the 1920s drought descended on Montana, quickly reversing any growth experienced. As a result Lavina became a minor supply centre, never again growing sufficiently to require a hotel as grand and as large as The Adams.
In 1930 the Lavina Lutherans bought and moved into the Adams Hotel. Their cost was $750 plus back taxes. They remained there until 1973, at which time the high cost of maintaining and operating the large two story building forced the congregation to sell the building and move into the Lavina Methodist Church to share it with the Methodists.
After the Lutherans vacated the premises the hotel reopened for a short time, then once again succumbed to lack of customers. Today it is undergoing a restoration that has, to our knowledge, been ongoing for quite a few years.
At least one news article has been published concerning the restoration of the venerable old hotel, excerpts from one of which follow.
'WORTH SAVING'
Supporters look to restore historic
Adams Hotel in Lavina
By SUSAN OLP | Aug 28, 2016
LAVINA — The Adams Hotel in Lavina is like a grand dame who has lived past her prime.
Peeled white paint lends a shabby air to the exterior of the 108-year-old hotel. Its foundation is in critical need of repair, and additional restoration is required on the second floor.
But the once elegant Colonial Revival-style hotel has many unique touches, thanks to Raymond Barry, its most recent owner. And the Adams has a rich history, going back to the beginnings of the small town located 45 miles northwest of Billings.
A group, which includes descendants of the man who built the hotel, would like to drum up support to preserve the hotel, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Buildings. That’s why the Friends of the Historic Adams Hotel plan to host an open house over Labor Day weekend to kick off their campaign.
“It has an elevated status on the National Register because it was designed by Link & Haire, a prominent architectural firm in Billings,” said Catherine Thayer, president of the nonprofit organization and granddaughter of the hotel’s founder, Ludwig "Louie" Lehfeldt.
The prolific architects also designed such memorable buildings as the original Parmly Billings Library (now the Western Heritage Center), the Austin North home at 622 N. 29th St. (also called the Castle), the O'Donnell house at 105 Clark Ave. and two wings of the Montana State Capitol.
Read on at the Billings Gazette