Livingston in Park County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
Donnelly-Van Brocklin Block
Livingston Commercial Historic District
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, July 24, 2021
1. Donnelly-Van Brocklin Block Marker
Inscription.
Donnelly-Van Brocklin Block. Livingston Commercial Historic District. St. Paul, Minnesota, architect E. P. Bassford designed three buildings side by side in 1884: The First National Bank Building on the corner, then two identical business blocks. The twin commercial buildings were constructed for members of the bank’s board of directors, John Donnelly and D. E. Fogarty. Mismanagement caused the bank to close within months of its completion, and scandal forced Fogarty out of town. Donnelly, however, continued to invest in Livingston, even as his work as a railroad contractor took him to Spokane. While the Masonic Temple subsumed the bank and the Fogarty Block, the Donnelly Block retains its original ornate brickwork, including one of two original pilasters. Barber Alexander Van Brocklin purchased the building in 1904. He remodeled, adding the prismatic glass transom, large display window, and a rear addition that doubled the building’s size. He also installed a stairwell to the basement where he, and then his son George, ran a barbershop. Recreational businesses were the main floor’s primary tenants, including the Wrangler Bar, featured in the 1975 film Rancho Deluxe.
St. Paul, Minnesota, architect E. P. Bassford designed three buildings side by side in 1884: The First National Bank Building on the corner, then two identical business blocks. The twin commercial buildings were constructed for members of the bank’s board of directors, John Donnelly and D. E. Fogarty. Mismanagement caused the bank to close within months of its completion, and scandal forced Fogarty out of town. Donnelly, however, continued to invest in Livingston, even as his work as a railroad contractor took him to Spokane. While the Masonic Temple subsumed the bank and the Fogarty Block, the Donnelly Block retains its original ornate brickwork, including one of two original pilasters. Barber Alexander Van Brocklin purchased the building in 1904. He remodeled, adding the prismatic glass transom, large display window, and a rear addition that doubled the building’s size. He also installed a stairwell to the basement where he, and then his son George, ran a barbershop. Recreational businesses were the main floor’s primary tenants, including the Wrangler Bar, featured in the 1975 film Rancho Deluxe.
45° 39.721′ N, 110° 33.706′ W. Marker is in Livingston, Montana, in Park County. Marker is on West Park Street (U.S. 89) near North 2nd Street, on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 119 West Park Street, Livingston MT 59047, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 29, 2022. It was originally submitted on January 29, 2022, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 80 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on January 29, 2022, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.
