Virginia City in Madison County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
Madison County Courthouse
This Property Contributes to the Virginia City Historic District
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, August 5, 2022
1. Madison County Courthouse Marker
Inscription.
Madison County Courthouse. This Property Contributes to the Virginia City Historic District. Courthouse and the original Beaverhead County Courthouse in Bannack (later the Meade Hotel) in 1875. Among the earliest architect-designed buildings in the territory, they both feature dramatic, gracefully curving interior staircases with beautiful newel posts and banisters. The staircases show an appreciation for woodwork that may have come from Olds’ original profession as a millwright. The Madison County Courthouse is the more ornate of the two. Its Italianate style details include paired brackets under the wide, overhanging eaves; tall, arched windows; and a cupola. Built for $35,000, a princely sum in 1875, the courthouse also features fanlight windows, a grand second-story balcony, and a round window centered in the gable end. William W. Morris, a Virginia City capitalist and Madison County treasurer, donated the lots for this important structure, which was dedicated on July 4, 1876. The oldest courthouse in the state still used for its original purpose, its vault continues to store some of Montana Territory’s earliest records.
Courthouse and the original Beaverhead County Courthouse in Bannack (later the Meade Hotel) in 1875. Among the earliest architect-designed buildings in the territory, they both feature dramatic, gracefully curving interior staircases with beautiful newel posts and banisters. The staircases show an appreciation for woodwork that may have come from Olds’ original profession as a millwright. The Madison County Courthouse is the more ornate of the two. Its Italianate style details include paired brackets under the wide, overhanging eaves; tall, arched windows; and a cupola. Built for $35,000—a princely sum in 1875—the courthouse also features fanlight windows, a grand second-story balcony, and a round window centered in the gable end. William W. Morris, a Virginia City capitalist and Madison County treasurer, donated the lots for this important structure, which was dedicated on July 4, 1876. The oldest courthouse in the state still used for its original purpose, its vault continues to store some of Montana Territory’s earliest records.
Location. 45° 17.608′ N, 111° 56.658′ W. Marker is in Virginia City, Montana, in Madison County. Marker is on West Wallace Street near Broadway Street, on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 100 West Wallace Street, Virginia City MT 59755, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on September 22, 2022. It was originally submitted on September 22, 2022, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 69 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on September 22, 2022, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.
