Anaconda in Deer Lodge County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
Electric Light Building
Anaconda Commercial Historic District
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, July 11, 2021
1. Electric Light Building Marker
Inscription.
Electric Light Building. Anaconda Commercial Historic District. A heavy metal cornice, cast iron columns, and a metal frieze still embellish this building, constructed in 1895. Two cast-iron oriel windows once also graced the upper story. The Anaconda Company’s foundry produced the decorative metal front, a prime example of the many iron fronts that once ornamented Anaconda’s business blocks. The building, constructed by Conrad Kohrs, W. H. Gehrman, and J. M. Boardman, apparently with Anaconda founder Marcus Daly’s backing, housed the Montana Butchering Company. Beef sold here in the early years likely came from Daly’s Bitterroot Stock Farm and Kohrs’ Deer Lodge ranch. Though the building and business changed hands, a butcher shop remained a prominent fixture on this corner until 1910. That year the Anaconda Company purchased the building for its Electric Light and Railway Department, Water Department, pay office, and medical offices. To promote the use of electricity and advertise its role in power production, the Company illuminated the façade with a row of light bulbs, the sockets for which are still visible along the roofline.
A heavy metal cornice, cast iron columns, and a metal frieze still embellish this building, constructed in 1895. Two cast-iron oriel windows once also graced the upper story. The Anaconda Company’s foundry produced the decorative metal front, a prime example of the many iron fronts that once ornamented Anaconda’s business blocks. The building, constructed by Conrad Kohrs, W. H. Gehrman, and J. M. Boardman—apparently with Anaconda founder Marcus Daly’s backing—housed the Montana Butchering Company. Beef sold here in the early years likely came from Daly’s Bitterroot Stock Farm and Kohrs’ Deer Lodge ranch. Though the building and business changed hands, a butcher shop remained a prominent fixture on this corner until 1910. That year the Anaconda Company purchased the building for its Electric Light and Railway Department, Water Department, pay office, and medical offices. To promote the use of electricity and advertise its role in power production, the Company illuminated the façade with a row of light bulbs, the sockets for which are still visible along the roofline.
Location. 46° 7.807′ N, 112° 57.149′ W. Marker is in Anaconda, Montana, in Deer Lodge County. Marker is at the intersection of Main Street and West Commercial Avenue, on the right when traveling north on Main Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 101 Main Street, Anaconda MT 59711, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on September 3, 2021. It was originally submitted on September 3, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 105 times since then and 12 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on September 3, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.
