Most anyone could be forgiven for mistaking this for a post office building, as its staid and solid neoclassical appearance is quite reminiscent of government structures. Three storys in height if we include the tall basement, the brick structure stands on a granite block foundation, the blocks left uncovered across the front, but parged with mortar on the other sides of the building. The building has quite a noticeable amount of terra cotta trim, including that on the overhanging cornice with rather outsized modillions on its underside.
Built in 1919 - 1920, the Administration Building was designed by local architect William A. O’Brien for Butte's School District Number One. The school district seems quite enamored with the building, as they remain in it today. Well kept, its appearance nearly matches that of 1920, when it was newly completed, with little apparent wear and tear.
An Arts Center, or gallery, was begun on the second floor of the building early in 1938 by the Federal Art Project. Exhibits varied from time to time, but always included representative works by Montana artists. The centre has since been moved elsewhere.
SCHOOL DISTRICT #1 ADMINISTRATION BUILDING
William A. O’Brien, architect of the Leonard Apartments and the Kelly and Hennessy mansions, designed this handsome building of brown brick veneer in 1919. In 1920, the offices of District #1 moved from their longtime quarters at Butte High School to the new facility. At that time, Superintendent W. E. Maddock administered twenty-four schools including the high school, a junior high school, an industrial school, seventeen elementary schools, and four ungraded rural schools. The 311 district employees, 286 of them women, served a total of 19,296 students.
This familiar Butte landmark, significant for its attractive architecture as well as its long service, well represents the solid foundations of Butte’s public school system. Doric columns and an eighteen-light transom frame the entrance, while glazed terra cotta finishes the multi-paned windows, cornice, and parapet. The building’s historic appearance extends to its well-maintained interior, which features the original plaster walls and oak trim.
From the NRHP plaque at the building