Designed by architect Walter Arnold, the F & W Grand Building was built in 1930 as a dry goods emporium. It was noted on the NRHP plaque that it covered a full city block. Such appears not to be the case as it shares its present block with many other buildings. It is a relatively large building however. Designed with a fair amount of decoration in the stonework of the façade, this must be the only building in Butte, possibly the entire state, which is graced by no less than ten terra cotta lions arrayed across its parapet. Each lion holds a shield and stands above another, slightly more elaborate, shield below the cornice.
Far from its origins as a dry goods retail store, the building is now home to the
Military Entrance Processing Station. It appears that the processing station leases about ¼ of the building.
Note the typo in the Nomination Form's listing for the building - "S & W Grand Building". The "Ben Franklin's" seems to refer to a
Ben Franklin's Five & Dime which opened in the building some time later.
F & W GRAND BUILDING
Walter Arnold, architect for the Butte Civic Center, designed this commanding two-story commercial building, which covers a full city block. It replaced four existing businesses and was built to house a branch of the F & W Grand Silver Store, a dry goods emporium. This was the national chain’s ninety-sixth store, built at a cost of $200,194 in 1930. One of the few major downtown buildings constructed during the Depression, the project helped local businesses because all related building contracts were awarded locally. Black and gold Montana marble quarried at Radersburg and white-glazed terra cotta complement the dark brown brickwork and concrete, while terra cotta lions keep vigil atop the parapet wall.
From the NRHP plaque at the building