Fergus County High School - Lewistown, MT - Photos Then and Now on Waymarking.com

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Fergus County High School - Lewistown, MT

in Photos Then and Now

Posted by:  T0SHEA

12T E 619488 N 5213202

It took quite a while to build this school, almost 20 years, in fact.

When the "Then" photo here was taken the grounds looked fairly mature and all the concrete sidewalks and retaining walls were in place. As a result, we would have to guess that, though the school was built in 1919-20, the photo wasn't taken until the 1940s or even the 1950s. The photos were taken looking directly south at the far north corner of the school.

In 1918 Lewistown's high school burned to the ground in a fire set by arsonists on April 30, 1918, precipitating the construction of this more fireproof structure as a replacement. In 1919 Montana suffered its worst drought in recorded history, which was promptly followed by several more years of drought and insect infestations. Consequently, money was at a premium in Fergus County, a county which had relied heavily on agricultural products for income, just when money was required for a new school. As a result, the school was built in three stages, the first in 1919. Link & Haire were the architects for the first unit, J. G. Link and William S. Devine (an associate of the Link & Haire firm for many years) for the second, and G. G. Cottier for the third. Apparently the first unit consisted of classrooms, the second, which came about in 1927, added a gymnasium, while the third, completed in 1937 as a WPA project, added more recreational facilities.

While not overly decorated, the building sports quite a bit of terra cotta, trom the terra cotta caps on the parapet to an extending terra cotta cornice below, terra cotta inserts sprinkled about in the brick facing, terra cotta capitals on large Doric pilasters, terra cotta window surrounds and, on the front face, terra cotta medallions with garlands hung on round posts.

No longer the Fergus County High School, this building has been replaced by a more contemporary school and has been turned into condos - Esplanade Condominiums.

Fergus County High School

The school was built in 1919, replacing a structure which had been burned to the ground on April 30, 1918, during World War I hysteria. Because of depressed economic conditions during the 20s and the 30s, the school was built in units rather than in one single structure as originally planned in 1918. The County High School Law, passed by the Montana State Legislature in March 1899, required that the school be built to accommodate all high school students in Fergus County, which at that time was comprised of all Fergus, Petroleum, and most of Judith Basin counties. By means of the Milwaukee Railroad, the high school dormitory, and employment in private homes, students could commute to, and room and board, in Lewistown, no matter where they lived in the vast county.

The Trustees desired uniformity in design and composition on the second and third units, which were built in 1927 and 1937. The foundation, particularly under the first unit, which rises from a hillside in a central location, is of handcut local sandstone, as is the enclosed entrance, which was built to protect waiting students from the elements. Improved railroad service by 1908 provided more ready access to a variety of building materials and the stone masonry building tradition that characterized the early structures in Lewistown began to pass (except for additions to extant structures and foundations). The impervious dark brick of the Lewistown Brick & Tile Co. was used in the construction of all three units.
From the NRHP Nomination Form