The "Then" photo here was taken not long after the completion of the building, possibly in 1910, but definitely before the construction of the Judith Theatre next door, which came about in 1914. Both photos were taken from across the Main Street-Third Avenue intersection, looking generally east.
The Bank of Fergus County built this Renaissance Revival/Beaux Arts inspired bank in 1904. It is no coincidence that it closely resembles the adjacent Judith Theatre in style. The bank built the theatre in 1914 and was so enamoured with the result that, when the bank building was remodeled in 1915 it chose to emulate the Renaissance Revival/Beaux Arts façade of the theatre.
While John H. Kent & C. E. Bell were chosen as the architects for the original 1904 building, much of what one sees today was the work of P. T. Ainge of Spokane, the result of the 1915 remodeling. Prior to 1915 the building was much more staid and conservative in appearance, lacking the large fluted pilasters with decorated capitals. Especially changed is the Greek Revival portico of the main entrance, with huge modillions across its bottom chord and the pair of ornately decorated brackets. The portico was designed to complement the widely overhanging cornice with similarly large modillions. In the space below the cornice the date of the original building, 1904, remains on display.
This building ceased to be used as a bank just two years after its remodeling and the Bank of Fergus County itself, them ensconced in the Montana Building across the street, was soon felled by drought and grasshoppers. Beginning in the early 1920s drought and insect infestations began a reversal of the influx of homesteaders to the area, the exodus precipitating the failure of all the banks in Lewistown and many of the businesses, all of which had relied heavily on the farming community for their business.
BANK OF FERGUS COUNTY
Kent and Bell, designers of the Montana State Capitol, drew the plans for this Renaissance Revival/Beaux Arts-inspired building of sandstone and brick, completed in 1904. The bank was Lewistown’s first, founded in 1887 by S. S. Hobson, James H. Moe, and merchant prince T. C. Power. Remodeling in 1915 added terra cotta window facings, pilasters, columns, and horizontal moldings intended to complement the design of the adjacent 1914 Judith Theatre. These embellishments demonstrate a shift along Main Street from the use of local materials to those imported by the railroad. The original wainscoting, high ceilings, and brass-trimmed swinging doors within reflect the wealth of a bygone era.
From the NRHP plaque at the building