Glendive in Dawson County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)

Krug Building

Merrill Avenue Historic District

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 1, 2024

1. Krug Building Marker

Inscription. Neoclassical style elements including pilasters with decorative capitals and an elegant bracketed cornice enliven the facade of this significant building designed by Miles City architect Brynjulf Rivenes in 1910. Constructed by Joseph Wester for wealthy Glendive rancher, businessman and banker Charles Krug, its first tenants were a saloon and a clothing store. The architect's brother, Einar Rivenes, was proprietor of The Toggery whose advertisement claimed that "if you don't trade here, we both lose money." Stetson hats, Florsheim shoes and Chesterfield clothing made it a first-class establishment for gentlemen's furnishings. The saloon next door at #202 had several early tenant proprietors including David Leidahl in 1912 who owned one of the buildings in this block. In 1941, the Glendive Masonic Lodge #31 acquired the property from Krug's widow, Annie. Although the ground floor has a newer brick facade and the arches along with three of the original seven windows on the second floor have been infilled, the architectural statement of this marvelous period landmark remains substantial.

Topics and series. This historical

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marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Fraternal or Sororal Organizations • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Montana National Register Sign Program, and the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1910.

Location. 47° 6.201′ N, 104° 42.878′ W. Marker is in Glendive, Montana, in Dawson County. It is on South Merrill Avenue just south of West Valentine Street, on the right when traveling south. The marker is mounted a eye-level, directly on the subject building, on the left side of the east/front entrance. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 202 South Merrill Avenue, Glendive MT 59330, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Montana’s Missouri River Country.

It is also in the American Mountain West,

in the Lewis & Clark Corridor,

on the prairies,

on the Great Plains,

and specifically on the Northern Plains.

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

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 1, 2024

2. Krug Building Marker

Marker is mounted on left side of front entrance.

Land

and also the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Glendive, MT (within shouting distance of this marker); The Price (within shouting distance of this marker); Henry Dion Building (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Dion Brothers Building (about 300 feet away); 107 West Bell Street (about 400 feet away); J.C. Penney Store (about 500 feet away); Dion Building / Exchange Bank (about 500 feet away); Dawson County World War Memorial (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Glendive.

Regarding Krug Building. Contributing property, Merrill Avenue Historic District, National Register of Historic Places #87002508.

From the National Register Nomination:
The work of Miles City-based architect Brynjulf Rivenes, who was Norwegian born and trained, is pronounced in the historic district. The clean, symmetrically organized, finely detailed Neo-classical facades designed by Rivenes during the first two decades of the century are easily identifiable within the historic district. In addition to producing complete plans and specifications
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 1, 2024

3. Krug Building (east/front elevation)
for the Glendive City Hall, the Krug Building, the Rivenes-West Hardware Company Building, and the First National Bank Building, Rivenes also designed the 1910's, Neo-classical facade remodelings for the Dion Brother Building and the Douglas Mead Company Building. All of these buildings are located within the Merrill Avenue Historic District.
Early significant individuals such as Charles Krug, Henry Dion, J. H. Miskimen, Frank Kinney, A. S. Foss, Henry Douglas, David Mead, G. D. Hollecker, W. F. Jordan, C. A. Thurston, and Thomas Hogan are associated with many of the buildings in the commercial historic district. They were mostly ranchers and businessmen, who financed the construction of these buildings and most served as civic leaders when the town experienced its period of greatest prominence and growth from 1900-1920. Charles Krug, the town's alleged first millionaire, is credited with providing the town with the resources necessary to survive the 1920's with no bank failures, a time when over half of the banks in Montana closed their doors.

Also see . . .
1. Krug Building.

Images from Montana State Historic Preservation
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 1, 2024

4. Glendive City Hall (built 1914)
One block south of the Krug Building; also a contributing property in Merrill Avenue Historic District; also designed by Brynjulf Rivenes.
Office and Photograph Archives at the Montana Historical Society

(Submitted on July 31, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

2. Merrill Avenue Historic District (Wikipedia). Excerpt:

The district includes 28 contributing buildings and a contributing site on 2.5 acres. It includes Classical Revival, Late Gothic Revival, and Italianate architecture. The district includes several works by architect Brynjulf Rivenes.

(Submitted on July 31, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

3. Brynjulf Rivenes (Wikipedia). Excerpt:

Rivenes was born in Norway in 1874, and was educated there. In 1904, he and his brother David immigrated to the United States, settling in Glendive, Montana. In 1905, Brynjulf went to the state capitol in Helena where he worked as a draftsman for architect and engineer John Hackett Kent of Bell & Kent. He then returned to Glendive, where he and his brother established an architect's office. After a brief practice in Glendive, Rivenes moved his office to Miles City in 1906, with David staying behind to operate the Glendive office as a branch. At the time, Miles City was
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undergoing a period of major economic growth, and Rivenes had the opportunity to design many of the new buildings that the expanding city required.

(Submitted on July 31, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Credits. This page was last revised on July 31, 2024. It was originally submitted on July 31, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 222 times since then and 35 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on July 31, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.