Missoula in Missoula County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
The Atlantic Hotel
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, August 21, 2019
1. The Atlantic Hotel Marker
Inscription.
The Atlantic Hotel. . The construction of the Milwaukee Road and the reconstruction of the Northern Pacific Railroad through Missoula sparked a second railroad-era building boom in the early twentieth century. The need for accommodations for both railroad workers and passengers occasioned the construction of several hotels at the city’s north end near the depot. The Atlantic Hotel was one such establishment, designed by Missoula’s most celebrated turn-of-the- twentieth-century architect, A. J. Gibson. Completed in 1902, the ground floor included a barber shop, saloon, and restaurant with the “best meals in the city.” Patrons could secure lodging on the two upper floors for seventy-five cents and up. Commercial façades often received more architectural attention than a building’s sides and back, and these differences often reveal stylistic changes. The hotel’s façade reflects twentieth-century tastes with its fine high-fire polychrome brick detailing, flat window heads, and elaborate molded metal cornice. The rest of the building exhibits more traditional construction of low-fire bricks and arched window design carried over from the previous century. Original signs adorning its side further enhance the historic charm of this well-preserved, turn- of-the-twentieth-century landmark.
The construction of the Milwaukee Road and the reconstruction of the Northern Pacific Railroad through Missoula sparked a second railroad-era building boom in the early twentieth century. The need for accommodations for both railroad workers and passengers occasioned the construction of several hotels at the city’s north end near the depot. The Atlantic Hotel was one such establishment, designed by Missoula’s most celebrated turn-of-the- twentieth-century architect, A. J. Gibson. Completed in 1902, the ground floor included a barber shop, saloon, and restaurant with the “best meals in the city.” Patrons could secure lodging on the two upper floors for seventy-five cents and up. Commercial façades often received more architectural attention than a building’s sides and back, and these differences often reveal stylistic changes. The hotel’s façade reflects twentieth-century tastes with its fine high-fire polychrome brick detailing, flat window heads, and elaborate molded metal cornice. The rest of the building exhibits more traditional construction of low-fire bricks and arched window design carried over from the previous century. Original signs adorning its side further enhance the historic charm of this well-preserved, turn- of-the-twentieth-century landmark.
Location. 46° 52.48′ N, 113° 59.56′ W. Marker is in Missoula, Montana, in Missoula County. Marker is on North Higgins Avenue near West Alder Street, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 519 North Higgins Avenue, Missoula MT 59802, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 19, 2020. It was originally submitted on January 20, 2020, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 192 times since then and 29 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on January 20, 2020, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.