Great Falls in Cascade County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
New Park Hotel
Great Falls Central Business Historic District
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, August 19, 2019
1. New Park Hotel Marker
Inscription.
New Park Hotel. Great Falls Central Business Historic District. Town founders Paris Gibson and Herbert Chowen built the original Park Hotel in 1892 to serve travelers disembarking at the nearby Great Northern Depot. When the hundred-room hotel burned in a 1913 fire, Park Hotel owners hired prominent Great Falls architect George Shanley to design a new building worthy of the booming metropolis. Gibson and Chowen originally estimated the New Park Hotel’s construction would cost $75,000. Ultimately, however, contractors Leigland, Kleppe and Co. built the five-story, fire-resistant, concrete and steel structure for an estimated $200,000. Plans specified a ballroom, banquet room, and dining room on the first floor and a Turkish bath in the basement. The building’s distinctively curved parapets and the balcony accentuated by prominent wooden brackets reflect the Mission Revival style. Inspired by California’s historic Spanish missions, railroad architects increasingly adopted the style for depots, with Great Falls’ 1914 Milwaukee Depot a case in point. The New Park Hotel’s Mission style references complemented the depot without tying it directly to the Milwaukee line. The hotel, after all, served passengers from both railroads.
Town founders Paris Gibson and Herbert Chowen built the original Park Hotel in 1892 to serve travelers disembarking at the nearby Great Northern Depot. When the hundred-room hotel burned in a 1913 fire, Park Hotel owners hired prominent Great Falls architect George Shanley to design a new building worthy of the booming metropolis. Gibson and Chowen originally estimated the New Park Hotel’s construction would cost $75,000. Ultimately, however, contractors Leigland, Kleppe and Co. built the five-story, fire-resistant, concrete and steel structure for an estimated $200,000. Plans specified a ballroom, banquet room, and dining room on the first floor and a Turkish bath in the basement. The building’s distinctively curved parapets and the balcony accentuated by prominent wooden brackets reflect the Mission Revival style. Inspired by California’s historic Spanish missions, railroad architects increasingly adopted the style for depots, with Great Falls’ 1914 Milwaukee Depot a case in point. The New Park Hotel’s Mission style references complemented the depot without tying it directly to the Milwaukee line. The hotel, after all, served passengers from both railroads.
Erected by The Montana National Register Sign Program.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture
Location. 47° 30.317′ N, 111° 18.343′ W. Marker is in Great Falls, Montana, in Cascade County. Marker is at the intersection of Central Avenue and Park Drive North, on the left when traveling west on Central Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 100 Central Avenue, Great Falls MT 59401, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 19, 2020. It was originally submitted on December 22, 2019, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 652 times since then and 36 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on December 22, 2019, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. 4. submitted on December 22, 2019.
