Helena in Lewis and Clark County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
Boston Block
Helena Historic District
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, July 14, 2021
1. Boston Block Marker
Inscription.
Boston Block. Helena Historic District. Historic maps and early directories reveal that this splendid business block was constructed circa 1890. Morris Auerbach, in business with Israel L. Israel and Adolph Marks during the 1890s, was the original occupant. Their Boston Clothing Company carried gentlemens furnished goods and advertised One Price, Square Dealing, Plain Figures. Upstairs were gambling and furnished rooms. During Prohibition Helenas red light neighborhood disbursed, resurfacing in the Boston Block in 1927 when well-known madam Ida Levy located upstairs. She moved next door in 1933, and Pearl Maxwell operated the Royal Rooms in the Boston Block until 1953. The handsome building was a worthy companion to the flamboyant Novelty Block, also owned by Auerbach, which once stood several doors up to the north. The elaborately crowned twin bays of the two buildings were a downtown highlight. The cupolas of the Novelty Block today top the two kiosks on the north walking mall. The Boston Blocks handsome second story escaped the remodeling that changed its storefront. Sensitive rehabilitation during 1970s urban renewal assured this Victorian-era treasure its rightful prominence along Last Chance Gulch.
Historic maps and early directories reveal that this splendid business block was constructed circa 1890. Morris Auerbach, in business with Israel L. Israel and Adolph Marks during the 1890s, was the original occupant. Their Boston Clothing Company carried gentlemens furnished goods and advertised One Price, Square Dealing, Plain Figures. Upstairs were gambling and furnished rooms. During Prohibition Helenas red light neighborhood disbursed, resurfacing in the Boston Block in 1927 when well-known madam Ida Levy located upstairs. She moved next door in 1933, and Pearl Maxwell operated the Royal Rooms in the Boston Block until 1953. The handsome building was a worthy companion to the flamboyant Novelty Block, also owned by Auerbach, which once stood several doors up to the north. The elaborately crowned twin bays of the two buildings were a downtown highlight. The cupolas of the Novelty Block today top the two kiosks on the north walking mall. The Boston Blocks handsome second story escaped the remodeling that changed its storefront. Sensitive rehabilitation during 1970s urban renewal assured this Victorian-era treasure its rightful prominence along Last Chance Gulch.
Erected by Montana Historical Society.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture
Location. 46° 35.168′ N, 112° 2.41′ W. Marker is in Helena, Montana, in Lewis and Clark County. It is on South Last Chance Gulch near East Broadway Street when traveling north. This portion of Last Chance Gulch is a pedestrian mall and is closed to vehicular traffic. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 23 South Last Chance Gulch, Helena MT 59601, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in andspecifically entral Montana in Gold West 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 Ruperts Land and also the Louisiana Purchase.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 10, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 24, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 312 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on November 24, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.
