Hamilton Town Hall - Hamilton, Montana
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member Volcanoguy
N 46° 14.759 W 114° 09.520
11T E 719030 N 5125302
The historic City Hall/Fire Department building in Hamilton, Montana.
Waymark Code: WMFGRX
Location: Montana, United States
Date Posted: 10/18/2012
Published By:Groundspeak Charter Member BruceS
Views: 1

The brick building was designed by A.J. Gibson of Missoula, MT and was built in 1906 by W.T. Adair. The building originally housed the city offices, fire department, and the library. The library moved to a new building in 1914 and city offices moved in 1990. The fire department still uses the building.
The Town Hall was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 21, 1980 and was also listed as a contributing structure for the Hamilton Commercial Historic District on Sept 1, 1988.
There is a history sign in front of the building. Text of Sign:
Town halls originated in twelfth-century Italy, where bells were rung to call public assemblies. Missoula architect A.J. Gibson’s city hall design references this history. Allusions to Italy include such Italian Renaissance features as a low-pitched hipped roof, wide eaves, an arch above the front door, and a symmetrical facade. The prominent bell tower, common to American town halls, symbolizes the significance of democratic assembly. The building was designed in 1906 to house city offices, the fire department, and the public library. Originally, two sets of large bay doors, used for horse-drawn fire wagons, flanked the front entrance. Small communities frequently combined city services under one roof, but multiple use was not always ideal. Hamilton library patrons, for example, sometimes complained about the smell of horse. The library moved to a new facility in 1914, and in 1940 Hamilton remodeled the city hall/fire station, adding a truck bay to the building’s south side. While city offices moved to South Second Street in 1990, the fire department continues to operate from its original home.
Street address:
175 S. 3rd Street
Hamilton, Montana United States
59840


County / Borough / Parish: Ravalli

Year listed: 1980

Historic (Areas of) Significance: Event, Architecture/Engineering

Periods of significance: 1900 - 1924

Historic function: Government

Current function: Government

Privately owned?: no

Primary Web Site: [Web Link]

Secondary Website 1: [Web Link]

Season start / Season finish: Not listed

Hours of operation: Not listed

Secondary Website 2: Not listed

National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.
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