Designed in the stick style by Longstaff, the church is quite elegant for a small town church of its vintage, showing substantial detail work, particularly on the façade and the tower. Fish scale shingling adorns the lower half of the front gable, with small brackets, scalloped shingles and a small rose window above. On the side elevations, small gable dormers supported by decorative brackets are cut into the eave line above some of the windows.
Atop the front gable peak is the less than ostentatious belfry and spire, with an interesting weather vane at the peak of the hipped spire. The tower's cornice is decorated with small ogee-like brackets, beneath which are simple Roman arched openings for the belfry, two per side. The bell in the belfry was installed in 1901, purchased by the congregation from Sears & Roebuck for $8.00.
Major renovations through the years include wiring the church for electricity in 1894, construction of a new parsonage in 1902 and adding a 3,000 square feet addition to the rear of the building in the 1970s, forming an ell with the sanctuary.
Today the building is home to
Bitterroot Family Church, which has merged with First Baptist Church.
First Baptist Church
The Stevensville Baptist congregation first organized as the Etna Baptist Church of Christ at the nearby Etna schoolhouse in 1882. In 1884 the growing membership purchased land in Stevensville and hired talented Missoula architect Thomas W. Longstaff to draw the plans for a church. The building, completed in 1886 at a cost of $2,904.39, is an excellent example of architect Longstaff's adaptation of the Stick Style. Clapboard siding with decorative vertical, horizontal and diagonal accents characterize this style, uncommon in Montana. The angles created through external ornamentation are intended to mimic the building's structural skeleton. The classical symmetry of the floor plan and window placement, lavish Queen Anne style details including fish scale shingling and beautiful stained glass, and the stick ornamentation blend to produce a statement of surprising elegance for a modest rural church. By 1887, all building expenses had been paid and the congregation had bought an organ. The church included Sunday school and baptismal services in the Bitterroot River. The bell, purchased by the membership from Sears Roebuck for eight dollars, was installed in the square bell tower in 1901. This architectural landmark, important for its association with one of Montana's most respected architects, is equally significant for its long service as the religious and social center of the local Baptist community.
From the plaque at the church