D. G. O'Shea Block - Red Lodge Commercial Historic District - Red Lodge, MT - NRHP Historic Districts - Contributing Buildings on Waymarking.com

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D. G. O'Shea Block - Red Lodge Commercial Historic District - Red Lodge, MT

in NRHP Historic Districts - Contributing Buildings

Posted by:  T0SHEA

12T E 637696 N 5005276

Built in 1899 beside a 1900 building, its next two neighbours to the north are of the same vintage, even a few years older. This was one of the first blocks to be filled in Red Lodge's 1895 to 1905 construction boom.

Beginning in the 1980s Red Lodge experienced a revival in interest in the historic content of the town. As a result, a great many of the buildings in the historic district had the later, non sympathetic renovations and coverings reversed or removed, exposing as much as possible of the original materials and design of the buildings. This building, unfortunately, was remodeled on the ground floor using brick to create arches that didn't appear on the building in 1899. Undoing the change would be cost prohibitive, so the arches remain.

In the original nomination form this building is referred to as the Carbon County Mercantile Company while, by the time of the second boundary increase it was referred to as the D. G. O'Shea Block. Why, we know not.

Bozeman brick masons, John and Leslie Devitt, were hired to build the Spofford Hotel (1893), and returned to Red Lodge to erect the D. G. O'Shea Block (1899), the W.R. Hall Building (1900), and Albert Budas Building (1900) during the city's greatest construction boom.
From the NRHP Registration Form

Carbon County Mercantile Company

C-6 Carbon County Mercantile Company, 15 North Broadway, 1899
This two story masonry building was the original section of an early dry goods store. The upper story retains good architectural integrity with four double hung 1/1 windows with rusticated stone sills, a corbelled brick band forming parapet, and sandstone.coping. Entrance to upper level on front facade remains in place although first floor modern brick archways have compromised original architectural integrity.
From the NRHP Nomination Form, Page 5