McCormick Neighborhood in Missoula in Missoula County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
618-620 South 5th Street West
McCormick Neighborhood Historic District
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, August 7, 2022
1. 618-620 South 5th Street West Marker
Inscription.
618-620 South 5th Street West. McCormick Neighborhood Historic District. Arrival of the Milwaukee Railroad in 1908 created a new demand for housing. Now a four-plex but originally a duplex, this flat-roofed, two-story rental property was undoubtedly built to help fill the market for appropriate, middle-class housing. Eminently modern and respectable, the circa 1910 building features an eclectic mix of architectural elements. The flat roof and rooftop parapet references the Mission Revival style. The large wood-shingled second-story dormer echoes the Queen Anne style, but the dentils beneath the dormer cornice, the doubled porch columns, and the symmetrical façade reflect the Colonial Revival style. The building’s most distinctive, and modern, feature is the choice of concrete block, molded in a traditional stone finish, except for the decorative curlicue pattern chosen to accent the cornice. Practically unknown before 1900, concrete block became wildly popular shortly thereafter thanks to improvements in Portland cement and the invention of a machine that allowed for mass production. Modern consumers welcomed the new technology, which provided a fireproof, durable, ornamental, and economical alternative to stone.
Arrival of the Milwaukee Railroad in 1908 created a new demand for housing. Now a four-plex but originally a duplex, this flat-roofed, two-story rental property was undoubtedly built to help fill the market for appropriate, middle-class housing. Eminently modern and respectable, the circa 1910 building features an eclectic mix of architectural elements. The flat roof and rooftop parapet references the Mission Revival style. The large wood-shingled second-story dormer echoes the Queen Anne style, but the dentils beneath the dormer cornice, the doubled porch columns, and the symmetrical façade reflect the Colonial Revival style. The building’s most distinctive—and modern—feature is the choice of concrete block, molded in a traditional stone finish—except for the decorative curlicue pattern chosen to accent the cornice. Practically unknown before 1900, concrete block became wildly popular shortly thereafter thanks to improvements in Portland cement and the invention of a machine that allowed for mass production. Modern consumers welcomed the new technology, which provided a fireproof, durable, ornamental, and economical alternative to stone.
Erected by Montana Historical Society.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture
Location. 46° 51.968′ N, 114° 0.33′ W. Marker is in Missoula, Montana, in Missoula County. It is in the McCormick Neighborhood. Marker is on South 5th Street West near Cottonwood Street, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 618-620 South 5th Street West, Missoula MT 59801, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, September 9, 2020
2. 618-620 South 5th Street West Residence and Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on March 27, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 27, 2023, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 40 times since then and 4 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on March 27, 2023, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.
