Deer Lodge in Powell County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
William K. Kohrs Memorial Library
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, August 7, 2022
1. William K. Kohrs Memorial Library Marker
Inscription.
Pioneer cattle baron Conrad Kohrs and his wife, Augusta, gave Powell County’s first public library building to the community of Deer Lodge in memory of their son, William, in 1902. William had gone to Columbia University in New York to study electrical engineering and died suddenly following an appendectomy in 1901. Conrad and Augusta Kohrs decided that a library would be a fitting tribute to him, since academic pursuits were integral to the community. A circulating library was established in Deer Lodge in 1869, and Montana Territory’s first institute of higher learning, the College of Montana, was founded at Deer Lodge in 1878. Using the libraries donated by entrepreneur Andrew Carnegie as a model, the family spent $30,000 constructing and furnishing the facility. Architects Link and Carter of Butte designed the building, drawing upon Classical Revival and Beaux Arts traditions. The use of the Beaux Arts style clearly points to the career directions of J. G. Link, later associated with the highly acclaimed Montana firm of Link and Haire. The design emphasizes contrasting textures of granite and Columbus sandstone, which
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conceal a superior inner brick, structural steel, and concrete framework. Dentils at the cornice line, a terra cotta tile roof, pedimented portico, and Ionic columns richly enhance the façade. The sumptuous interior features a central dome of colored glass, oak woodwork, and an exquisite memorial window titled “A Reading from Homer” given by William’s uncle, John Bielenberg. The library symbolizes the intellectual aspirations of Deer Lodge in 1902 and the significance of the Kohrs family to western Montana.
Location. 46° 23.939′ N, 112° 43.893′ W. Marker is in Deer Lodge, Montana, in Powell County. It is at the intersection of Missouri Avenue and 5th Street, on the left when traveling east on Missouri Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 501 Missouri Avenue, Deer Lodge MT 59722, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally,
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, August 7, 2022
2. William K. Kohrs Memorial Library and Marker
The marker is beside the light pole on the right.
this marker is in andspecifically outhwest Montana, in Gold West Country, in Mining 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 Rupert’s Land and also the Louisiana Purchase.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 6, 2022. It was originally submitted on November 6, 2022, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 217 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on November 6, 2022, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.
