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 Adams Block - Three Forks, MT Posted by:  T0SHEA
N 45° 53.589 W 111° 33.131
12T E 457160 N 5082324
Named after, and built by, John Quincy Adams, the Adams Block stands along Main Street in Three Forks, a reminder of the man instrumental in the development of the town.
Waymark Code: WMWN7X
Location: Montana, United States
Date Posted: 09/20/2017
Views: 0
John Quincy Adams was a land agent for the Milwaukee Road who, given foreknowledge of the route the railroad was going to follow on its way across Montana, was able to capitalize on this knowledge. He bought 5,400 acres of land in the Three Forks area alone, platted the townsite of Three Forks and proceeded to sell building lots. Much of this land, though purchased by Adams personally, may have been purchased on behalf of the railroad.
Adams, however, was not one to simply take the money and run, as he invested considerable money and time in the development of Three Forks. He built the two storey brick Adams Block, the most prominent building on Main Street, as well as the Sacajawea Hotel across from the Milwaukee depot shortly after the railroad arrived. Adams formed the Sacajawea Club, a private men's social club, which he housed on the second floor of the Adams Block, as well as establishing a real estate outlet and an investment company in the town. For their part, the Milwaukee Road moved its division point from Lombard to Three Forks in 1909, building a locomotive roundhouse and repair shop.
In June of 1993, the Adams Block was sold to Beverly Llewellyn, of Llewellyn Architects, who occupied the building's first floor until May of 1997, at which time Llewellyn Architects moved its offices to the second floor. Shortly after they began a restoration of the building. They have since vacated the premises, which are now owned by Industrial Automation Consulting (IAC).
Adams Block
The Adams Block is located on Main Street in Three Forks, Montana. The local newspaper proclaimed the prominent two story building as "one of the most modem stores in the state of Montana" upon its completion in 1918. The building, approximately 50'-0" by 90'-0", is a large rectangular mass that dominates the corner of Main and Cedar streets. Elegant brick work and the careful use of proportion reflect an attention to detail that must have been provided by a (as of yet unidentified) professionally-trained architect. The Adams Block is a significant, representative example of early twentieth commercial architecture on the local level. The local newspaper's description of the building being "modern" had a basis in fact. The building's simple lines and clean appearance contrast with the fussy ornamentation of Three Fork's earlier buildings.
The Three Forks Herald of March 28, 1916 reported that foundations were being laid for the new J.Q. Adams building. No further mention is made of the building for two years, so if it is the same building, wartime building restrictions may have delayed construction. Finally, in March 1918, the paper reported completion of the Adams Block — "one of the most beautiful [buildings] in the state." The Robertson Jewelry and Drug Company opened in the corner storefront as the building's first tenant. Reuben Robertson operated the jewelry store and his brother, R.L. (Ralph) Robertson, oversaw the drug store. The Robertson store offered a complete line of prescription and patent medicines plus the newest designs in stationery, soaps, rubber goods, perfumes, powders, and toilet waters. The drug store included a soda fountain with an onyx back-counter and an opal-glass front counter. The Wilmarth Company of Grant Rapids, Michigan supplied the store's furnishings and fixtures.
The Adamses' Three Forks Land Company first occupied the northern storefront. The Three Forks Furniture Company had the contract to furnish the office in the "metropolitan style." Sometime during the 1920s, the Adamses began liquidating their Montana properties. They sold the Adams Block to the Robertson Jewelry and Drug Company, and it took over the entire first floor of the building.
Within the town of Three Forks, the Adams Block is an important reminder of the town's founding father and a prominent building on Main Street. Adams, identified as the "father of Three Forks," was an official in the Milwaukee Land Company, a subsidiary of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway. Adams and his son, Ben, promoted the town long after the initial sale of townsite lots.
The town of Three Forks takes its name from its location near where the Gallatin, Jefferson, and Madison rivers join to form the Missouri River. A small community developed one mile from the present town in 1863. The town saw limited growth until the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway (Milwaukee Road) began building its tracks through the area in 1908. Like many other small Montana towns, however, the railroad bypassed the older community.
Sometime before the railroad's route became publicly known, John Quincy Adams of Iowa purchased 5,400 acres in the Three Forks area from the estate of Marcus Daly. Part of this land was soon platted as the new Three Forks townsite. John Quincy Adams held the position of general land agent with the Milwaukee Land Company and his son Benjamin was the company's townsite agent. This company was a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Milwaukee Road. The relationship between the
Milwaukee Road, the Milwaukee Land Company, and John Quincy Adams in the development of Three Forks is tangled. Railroad town historian John Hudson notes that executives of railroads often received the financial benefits from developing townsites, although the railroads maintained an active role in selecting their locations.
At Three Forks, the Milwaukee Land Company held a successful lot sale in September 1908, with the many anxious purchasers confined to tents along the railroad's right-of-way. Within a month of the sale, construction projects employed 125 carpenters and masons. The railroad assured a strong economic base for the new community by establishing it as headquarters for the Rocky Mountain Division. Three Fork's population neared 2000 five years after its founding, and local boosters
projected 10,000 residents by 1918.
From the NRHP Registration Form
ADAMS BLOCK
John Quincy Adams of the Milwaukee Land Company, a subsidiary of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway, platted the present town of Three Forks in 1908. Unlike most railroad officials, Adams and his son, B. S. Adams, took an unusual personal interest in the town’s development. Foundations were laid for the J. Q. Adams Block in 1916. In March 1918, the Three Forks Herald finally reported completion proclaiming it “one of the most beautiful [buildings] in the State.” The Neo-classical style building represents what might today line Three Forks’ commercial district had drought, World War I, and depression not intervened. Elegant brickwork and sophisticated proportion reflect the talents of an anonymous, finely trained architect. A significant representative example of early twentieth century “modern” local architecture, the clean lines and symmetry contrast sharply with Three Forks’ earlier, more heavily ornamented commercial buildings. The upper façade remains unchanged. The first ground-floor occupants were the Robertson Jewelry and Drug Company and the Adams’ Three Forks Land Company. A private men’s social club occupied the second floor. Members played billiards and pool in a large arched open space surrounded by oak panels. The club had a kitchen, dining area, and quarters for the live-in steward. The billiards room and sitting room with fireplace remain intact on the second floor. The tin ceiling, mosaic floor tiles, and two vaults survive on the main floor. The exterior masonry and windows are as originally designed except the tin storefront and glass were removed and “modernized” in 1972.
From the NRHP plaque at the building
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