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 Sacajawea Hotel - Three Forks, MT Posted by:  T0SHEA
N 45° 53.717 W 111° 33.135
12T E 457157 N 5082561
An 1882 and 1910 building, the Sacajawea Hotel has welcomed guests to Yellowstone Country for well over a century.
Waymark Code: WMW6JA
Location: Montana, United States
Date Posted: 07/16/2017
Views: 0
While two sections of the hotel, the northeast apartment wing and the southeast wing with private dining room and main kitchen, were built in 1882 as the Madison House, the main section was built in 1910 as the Sacajawea Hotel. The Madison House was initially in "Old Town" Three Forks, a mile downstream on the Missouri River. John Q. Adams, purchasing agent for the Milwaukee Railroad, purchased it and had it moved to its present site. After splitting it into two sections Adams built the hotel around it.
The design of the main hotel was by an architect with a name very familiar to Montana historians, Fred Fielding Wilsson, the most prolific Bozeman based architect of the twentieth century. His vision was of a somewhat Revival, somewhat Colonial exterior with a bungalow arts and crafts interior. The result is a somewhat formal exterior as viewed at the entrance, with a less formal, more inviting, interior. Though the hotel remains open today, it nearly succumbed to the economic ups and downs endured by Three Forks, being shuttered in 2001 and remaining closed until being bought by a third generation Montana family in 2009. The building then underwent its most major renovation to date and was reopened in time for its 100th anniversary.
With 29 luxury rooms, the hotel has won acclaim for both its accommodations and its food, as found in Pompey’s Grill, named for the son of Sacajawea.
Apparently there is a typo on the NRHP plaque, whose text was written by the Montana Historical Society. The Madison House appears to have been built in 1882, not 1862, as stated on the plaque.
SACAJAWEA HOTEL
Arrival of the Milwaukee Railroad caused Three Forks to move (1908-1910) one mile up the Missouri River from its 1863 townsite, as happened with many sister towns in the developing West. Milwaukee Railroad purchasing agent John Q. Adams saw need for a hotel to serve travelers and residents, and he thriftily purchased the Madison House (built 1862) and had it moved from the “old town” on log rollers. The Madison House’s front half is the apartment wing on the northeast end of the hotel, and its rear half forms the main kitchen, a dining room, and staff rooms in the southeast wing. The 1910 construction houses the main lobby and hotel rooms. With the Milwaukee Railroad depot across the street, the Sacajawea Hotel promptly became a business and social center for the area. Only five years later, the railroad removed most of its facilities, slowing Three Forks’ growth. The formal exterior proclaims the Sacajawea as a classic pioneer town grand hotel, but its Arts and Crafts style interior is warmly informal and welcoming, as intended by Bozeman architect Fred Willson.
From the plaque at the building
HISTORY
The Three Forks area marks one of the most significant points along the Lewis and Clark Trail. Here at the headwaters of the Missouri River, Sacajawea was reunited with her brother and brokered safe passage for the explorers. Following on the heels of this epic American tale, the Sacajawea Hotel was constructed in 1910.
Mr. John Q. Adams, a purchasing agent for the Milwaukee Railroad, built the hotel as a rest stop for passengers and train crews. The heart of the hotel is the Madison House, a private residence which was built in the old quarter of Three Forks in 1882. Mr. Adams hired a contractor to move the house to the new hotel site. Halfway through the relocation, the contractor — a bit of a gambler — lost his horse team in a poker game. After sitting in a bog for a season, Madison House was finally delivered to its current location. Bozeman architect Fred Wilsson designed the remainder of the building, which today stands in stately white-clapboard elegance.
Through the 20th and into the 21st century the Hotel weathered many hardships. In 2001, the Sacajawea was boarded up. However, in 2009, the Folkvords, a third-generation Montana farming family, purchased the Hotel. The family held the goal of restoring the structure to its original grandeur. Over eight months, they accomplished just that.
Today, the Sacajawea Hotel boasts 29 luxury guest rooms, two full-service bars, meeting space, wedding venues and Montana’s finest steakhouse, Pompey’s Grill. The Hotel has quickly garnered the reputation of “one of the finest historic hotels in the West.” Nominated as the only Montana property to join as a member of Historic Hotels of America and receiving the 2011 Historic Preservation Award of Excellence, the Sacajawea Hotel is open year-round to Montanans and visitors from afar who wish to experience its rich ambience and friendly staff.
From the Sacajawea Hotel
Name of the Hotel: Sacajawea Hotel
Address:
5 North Main Street
Three Forks, MT United States
59752
Number of Rooms: 29
Height in floors: 2
Hotel since: 01/01/1910
Date Building was built: 01/01/1910
First use of building:
Hotel
Historic Hotel (Historic Building, National Monument or similar): yes
Urban Hotel (located in a village or town): yes
Mountains Nearby (less than 25 Kms / 15 Mil): yes
Beachs Nearby (less than 25 Kms / 15 Mil): no
Hotel website (if available): [Web Link]
Hotel Rating: Not listed
Historic Place nearby (Unesco or National monument/site less than 25 Kms / 15 Mil): Not Listed
Major Pilgrimage Place Nearby (less than 25 Kms / 15 Mil. Consider any religion).: Not Listed
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