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 Big Timber Town Hall - Big Timber, MT Posted by:  T0SHEA
N 45° 50.024 W 109° 57.226
12T E 581254 N 5076106
Built in 1909, this was the town's jail from 1913 to 1955, city hall from 1909 to 1966 and fire hall from 1909 to 1995.
Waymark Code: WMWKJ4
Location: Montana, United States
Date Posted: 09/15/2017
Views: 0
The two storey brick (on the front) and stone (on all other walls) building was built with the fire department housed on the ground floor, town hall, council chamber, police court and clerk's office on the upper floor. In 1913 the single story jail, likely brick, was added to the rear of the building.
In 1955 the fire hall was expanded to the rear, doing away with the jail. In 1966 the town hall was moved out of the building when the town bought a commercial building in the town and converted it into their new town hall. By 1995 the fire department was in need of new and larger quarters. The sale of this building to a private party for $100,000 helped pay the $160,000 paid for the NAPA building, once an auto parts store, at 111 Anderson Street. The fire department remains in this building today.
The purchaser of the building has restored it, rebuilding the bell tower and removing the overhead door used by the fire department. They initially opened a "Country Store" in the building, which is now history. The building now houses a fitness centre, possibly other enterprises, as well.
BIG TIMBER TOWN HALL
As civic reforms swept the nation at the dawn of the twentieth century, Big Timber’s Citizens’ Progressive Party followed national enthusiasm by electing Progressive officials when the city incorporated in 1902. Then on March 13, 1908, a spark from a passing locomotive set fire to the Northern Pacific stockyards. High winds carried flaming embers, starting fires in several places at once. The Livingston fire department arrived by special train to save the community from annihilation, but one-half of Big Timber’s commercial houses and one-third of its homes went up in flames. In the aftermath of this calamity, the civic-minded city council approved construction of a combination town hall and fire hall. Frank Larson submitted a low bid of $4,805 using his own plans and specifications. Constructed in 1909, Larson’s thoughtfully designed building adapts the Western Commercial style of architecture to a civic application. The flag flying atop the belfry, and the fire bell within, signified the building’s official function. An undivided first floor provided space for the fire trucks and equipment, while a three-room second floor housed the council chamber, the “fire laddies,” and a watchman. The hall served Big Timber until 1966. Under the leadership of Mayor John F. Ashbury (1902-1913), the Citizens’ Progressive Party effected numerous civic improvements. Among them is this town hall, a stellar example of Montana’s Progressive era and a worthy example of the town’s role in the national municipal reform movement.
From the NRHP plaque at the building
Street address:
225 McLeod Street
Big Timber, MT United States
59011
County / Borough / Parish: Sweet Grass
Year listed: 1998
Historic (Areas of) Significance: Politics/Government, Social History, Architecture
Periods of significance: 1900-1924
Historic function: Government - City Hall, Fire Station
Current function: Retail - Commercial
Privately owned?: yes
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
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