Anaconda in Deer Lodge County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
Hearst Free Library
West Side Historic District
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, July 11, 2021
1. Hearst Free Library Marker
Inscription.
Hearst Free Library. West Side Historic District. Phoebe Hearst, wife of wealthy California senator George Hearst, had a special relationship with Anaconda. Hearst was one of Daly’s principal investors and Mrs. Hearst took an active interest in improving Anaconda’s cultural opportunities. She asked city fathers for suggestions. Receiving no reply, Mrs. Hearst proposed a library. Citizens agreed that was what they had in mind, but had not wanted to burden her with such a costly suggestion. Mrs. Hearst was touched by their sensitivity and financed Anaconda’s first “reading room” in 1895. It was so popular that she soon funded construction of this larger facility. San Francisco architect F. S. Van Trees designed the building; local builder J. C. Twohy completed it in 1898. The grand monument features classical granite columns, a heavy copper cornice, and graceful arched windows. Fine woodwork, brass railings, chandeliers, and an impressive fireplace adorn the richly finished interior. Mrs. Hearst financed the library until 1903 when the city accepted ownership. Listed in the National Register in 1973, this landmark is now a primary element in the historic district.
Phoebe Hearst, wife of wealthy California senator George Hearst, had a special relationship with Anaconda. Hearst was one of Daly’s principal investors and Mrs. Hearst took an active interest in improving Anaconda’s cultural opportunities. She asked city fathers for suggestions. Receiving no reply, Mrs. Hearst proposed a library. Citizens agreed that was what they had in mind, but had not wanted to burden her with such a costly suggestion. Mrs. Hearst was touched by their sensitivity and financed Anaconda’s first “reading room” in 1895. It was so popular that she soon funded construction of this larger facility. San Francisco architect F. S. Van Trees designed the building; local builder J. C. Twohy completed it in 1898. The grand monument features classical granite columns, a heavy copper cornice, and graceful arched windows. Fine woodwork, brass railings, chandeliers, and an impressive fireplace adorn the richly finished interior. Mrs. Hearst financed the library until 1903 when the city accepted ownership. Listed in the National Register in 1973, this landmark is now a primary element in the historic district.
Erected by Montana Historical Society.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education •
Location. 46° 7.618′ N, 112° 57.209′ W. Marker is in Anaconda, Montana, in Deer Lodge County. It is at the intersection of Main Street and East 4th Street, on the left when traveling south on Main Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 401 Main Street, Anaconda MT 59711, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in andspecifically outhwest Montana, in Gold West Country, in Mining Country. It is also in the American Mountain West and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor. Globally, it is in North America, the Rocky Mountains, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once Rupert’s Land and also the Louisiana Purchase.
1898 - 1998
In Gratitude to Phoebe A. Hearst
Whose gift of this library has been a 'Potent Factor' in the lives of the people of Anaconda for 100 years.
Clock Fabricator
Mike Kovacich
Artists Murals
Vera Haffey
Bob Vine
Fred Boyer
Ross Evans
Credits. This page was last revised on September 4, 2021. It was originally submitted on September 3, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 329 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on September 4, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.
