Montana Tech Campus Engineering Building
ButteAnaconda Historic District
The north half of this building was constructed in 1910 as a gymnasium and auditorium, designed by noted Montana architect C. S. Haire. It was the third campus building. As Montana Tech grew during the next decade, expansion became crucial. Engineering students in particular required spacious classrooms for drafting tables. In 1923, the south wall of the gymnasium was removed and a second building constructed following Haires design but doubling the original size. The remodeled first floor included a large drawing room with space for sixty tables, a small auditorium, and a suite of offices. The second floor consisted of more offices, a file room, a blue-print room, and two drafting rooms. The brick building features brick pilasters on all four faηades. Dentils, egg-and-dart ornamentation, and scroll-like metal brackets adorn the cornice.
Erected by Montana Historical Society.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Education • Notable Buildings. In addition, it is included in the Montana National Register Sign Program, and the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP)
this page online
Location. 46° 0.7′ N, 112° 33.408′ W. Marker is in Butte, Montana, in Silver Bow County. It is on Montrose Avenue just south of West Park Street, on the right when traveling south. The marker is on the east/front facade of the subject building, on the right side of the entrance. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1300 West Park Street, Butte MT 59701, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, 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 Ruperts Land and also the Louisiana Purchase.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Montana Tech Campus Gymnasium (within shouting distance of this marker); Montana Tech Campus Main Hall (within shouting distance of this marker); Montana Tech Campus Mill Building
Regarding Montana Tech Campus Engineering Building. The Engineering Building is a contributing property in ButteAnaconda Historic District, National Register of Historic Places № 66000438.
From the National Register Nomination prepared by Derek Strahn, 1/2006:
Many of the buildings on Montana Tech's campus carried on the Renaissance influences established with the completion of Main Hall. The Engineering Building designed by C.S. Haire [1910] complemented Main Hall. The brick building has Renaissance-Revival influences and classical detailing.The Montana College of Mineral Science and Technology is a formal ca. 1900 campus, located on the edge of Butte's west side. It overlooks the city of Butte from its perch on the ridge sloping down from Big Butte. The historic design of the campus is highly intact and is centered around substantial nineteenth-century brick buildings that date to the founding of the school. The campus with its stately buildings and mature trees can be seen from much of the city. Montana Tech, reflecting the primary role of industrial education in the NHL district, retains a high level of integrity within its historic core. A mature campus setting is well preserved, where courtyards, conifers and brick buildings create a contemplative atmosphere for study. The historic campus design and buildings form the center of and dominate the complex. They are a strong symbol of the abiding ties of this college to the advancement of deep mining, and its importance to the Butte-Anaconda Historic District.
Montana Tech had its origins in the Enabling Act of 1889, and its provision of federal land grants to new states, for the purposes of establishing mining schools. Montana's legislature located the state's School of Mines in Butte, and the mining city enthusiastically supported the institution, donating land for the campus and coming to the school's aid financially during its early history. The first class graduated in 1903, launching its long tradition as one of the country's leading programs in mining engineering, with emphasis on mineral sciences and deep mining.
Also see . . . Engineering Hall Building was Originally a Gymnasium (Story of Butte).
(east/front entrance)
Credits. This page was last revised on August 17, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 16, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 5 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. submitted on August 17, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
