Lavina in Golden Valley County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)

The Adams Hotel

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, July 17, 2021

1. The Adams Hotel Marker

Inscription. Rancher Ludwig C. Lehfeldt sold 33,000 acres of ranch land to the Milwaukee Road in 1907 prompting the relocation of the Lavina townsite. Realizing the need for a hotel, Lehfeldt hired architects Link and Haire—who drew the plans for the 1910 additions to the Montana State Capitol—to design the impressive Colonial Revival style building. Lehfeldt named the hotel, completed for $20,000 in fall 1908, after his friend, Milwaukee Road vice president John Q. Adams. The Adams’ main entrance faced Main Street with a secondary north entrance facing the railroad tracks and depot. It was a first-class establishment offering steam heat, gas lighting, a bar generously stocked with the finest liquors and cigars, an elegant dining room serving fine meals, and a ladies’ withdrawing room on the second floor. Each guest room was beautifully appointed with carpeting, fine furnishings, and a matching china washbowl and pitcher set. Pure linen sheets and down comforters promised a good night’s rest even in the coldest winter weather. The grand two-story hostelry hosted dances and social events in its spacious dining room and lobby and thus

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became the center of local hospitality. Lavina flourished with the homestead boom but drought, crop failures, and bank closures took their toll. The Adams declined, few guests stayed in its once-opulent rooms, and by the mid-1920s the hotel closed. From the 1930s through the 1970s, the Lutheran Church used the bar area as its chapel. After changing hands several times, restoration began in 2000.

Erected by Montana Historical Society.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, and the Montana National Register Sign Program series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1907.

Location. 46° 17.729′ N, 108° 56.291′ W. Marker is in Lavina, Montana, in Golden Valley County. It is at the intersection of Main Street and Railway Avenue West, on the left when traveling north on Main Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1 Main Street, Lavina MT 59046, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American

The Adams Hotel and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, July 17, 2021

2. The Adams Hotel and Marker

The marker is in the door window.

Mountain West

and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor.

Globally, it is in North America,

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.

Other nearby markers. At least 2 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Slayton Mercantile Co. (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Lavina State Bank (about 400 feet away).

Also see . . . "Worth Saving" - Billings Gazette. ...The Adams Hotel in Lavina is like a grand dame who has lived past her prime.
Peeled white paint lends a shabby air to the exterior of the 108-year-old hotel. Its foundation is in critical need of repair, and additional restoration is required on the second floor. (Submitted on December 27, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.)

The Adams Hotel image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, July 17, 2021

3. The Adams Hotel

Credits. This page was last revised on December 27, 2024. It was originally submitted on December 27, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 332 times since then and 29 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 27, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.