Helena in Lewis and Clark County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
Montana Club
Helena Historic District
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, July 15, 2021
1. Montana Club Marker
Inscription.
Montana Club. Helena Historic District. Time stands still within the quiet confines of this nationally renowned social club, the oldest in the Northwest. A group of Helena’s elite founded the Montana Club in 1885 “for gentlemen only.” Members built a seven-story building on this site in 1893, but fire consumed that landmark in 1903. A new Montana Club literally rose from its ashes. Cass Gilbert, architect of the Minnesota State Capitol and New York City’s famed Woolworth Building, incorporated the original first-floor stone arch design into the new plans. Completed in 1905, the American Renaissance style building sheathes a contemporary structural system in a classical façade. Over the years members have included copper kings, millionaires, and politicians who hosted such notables as Theodore Roosevelt and Mark Twain. Perseverance and adaptability have seen the club through hard times and change. In 1915, women were first invited to the New Year’s Eve celebration, and gender segregation eventually became a thing of the past. Today, the Montana Club is one of Helena’s most commanding anchors, an ambassador from another era, where tradition endures in grand style.
Time stands still within the quiet confines of this nationally renowned social club, the oldest in the Northwest. A group of Helena’s elite founded the Montana Club in 1885 “for gentlemen only.” Members built a seven-story building on this site in 1893, but fire consumed that landmark in 1903. A new Montana Club literally rose from its ashes. Cass Gilbert, architect of the Minnesota State Capitol and New York City’s famed Woolworth Building, incorporated the original first-floor stone arch design into the new plans. Completed in 1905, the American Renaissance style building sheathes a contemporary structural system in a classical façade. Over the years members have included copper kings, millionaires, and politicians who hosted such notables as Theodore Roosevelt and Mark Twain. Perseverance and adaptability have seen the club through hard times and change. In 1915, women were first invited to the New Year’s Eve celebration, and gender segregation eventually became a thing of the past. Today, the Montana Club is one of Helena’s most commanding anchors, an ambassador from another era, where tradition endures in grand style.
Location. 46° 35.365′ N, 112° 2.365′ W. Marker is in Helena, Montana, in Lewis and Clark County. Marker is on West 6th Avenue near North Last Chance Gulch, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 24 West 6th Avenue, Helena MT 59601, United States of America. Touch for directions.
The marker is on the left side of the building at the 3rd arch from the corner entrance.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 30, 2021. It was originally submitted on November 30, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 112 times since then and 9 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on November 30, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.
