Missoula in Missoula County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
Keim Building
Northside Missoula Railroad Historic District
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, August 21, 2019
1. Keim Building Marker
Inscription.
Keim Building. Northside Missoula Railroad Historic District. Arrival of the Northern Pacific in 1883 brought sweeping changes, and this elaborate 1891 business block is a grand illustration. The railroad prompted major building booms and made architectural pieces and parts readily accessible. Levi Keim, an early-day farmer and stage stop operator, worked as a Northside policeman when he built this commercial building as an investment. Originally a drug store was at street level and apartments were upstairs. Its varied tenants included the Northwest Steam Laundry in 1909 and A. W. Allen’s grocery in 1913. Keim spared no expense on the project. Romanesque arches with granite sills, a unique central gable above the roof, elegant brickwork, and a pressed metal cornice make the building a stellar example of Victorian-era commercial architecture. The mail-order cornice and plate glass windows arrived via the Northern Pacific. The availability of large commercial windows like these revolutionized advertising, offering merchants better opportunities to display their goods. Economic depression in 1893 ended construction projects and the period of flamboyant commercial architecture passed. The beautifully restored Keim Building is one of Missoula’s few surviving examples.
Arrival of the Northern Pacific in 1883 brought sweeping changes, and this elaborate 1891 business block is a grand illustration. The railroad prompted major building booms and made architectural pieces and parts readily accessible. Levi Keim, an early-day farmer and stage stop operator, worked as a Northside policeman when he built this commercial building as an investment. Originally a drug store was at street level and apartments were upstairs. Its varied tenants included the Northwest Steam Laundry in 1909 and A. W. Allen’s grocery in 1913. Keim spared no expense on the project. Romanesque arches with granite sills, a unique central gable above the roof, elegant brickwork, and a pressed metal cornice make the building a stellar example of Victorian-era commercial architecture. The mail-order cornice and plate glass windows arrived via the Northern Pacific. The availability of large commercial windows like these revolutionized advertising, offering merchants better opportunities to display their goods. Economic depression in 1893 ended construction projects and the period of flamboyant commercial architecture passed. The beautifully restored Keim Building is one of Missoula’s few surviving examples.
Erected by Montana National Register Sign Program.
Location. 46° 52.66′ N, 113° 59.657′ W. Marker is in Missoula, Montana, in Missoula County. Marker is on North 1st Street West near Woody Street, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 314 North 1st Street West, Missoula MT 59802, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Second Floor main hallway of the Keim Building. All the original materials including wainscotting trim/casements baseboard and floors were painstakingly stripped of layers of paint and refinished to their near-original tones.
Photographed By Mark Kersting, circa 2008
7. Keim Building Detail Metal Gable
Credits. This page was last revised on May 26, 2022. It was originally submitted on January 15, 2020, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 297 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos:1. submitted on January 15, 2020, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. 2, 3, 4. submitted on April 21, 2022, by Mark Kersting of St Ignatius. 5. submitted on January 15, 2020, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. 6, 7. submitted on July 7, 2020, by Mark Kersting of St Ignatius.
