1904 Federal Building, Helena Montana (original) (raw)
316 N. Park Avenue • Now The City-County Building
Built on the site of Payne's Hotel • West addition added in 1934
46°35'23.53"N 112° 2'25.08"W
A ca. 1895 illustration of the proposed Federal Building. Still standing strong, it serves today as the City-County Building. It's been a popular postcard subject over the past century, and was even pictured on souvenir china. The supervising architect was James Knox Taylor.
The U. S. Post Office occupied the first floor, with banks of mailboxes and several service windows in the lobby. Just prior to the completion of this building in 1904, the Post Office occupied the entire ground floor and the basement of the Power Block, at the corner of 6th and Main.
In 1976, the main post office moved to 2300 Harris St., just off Cedar St. on the city's northeast side. With the opening of an ugly new Federal Building in 1977 at the south end of Last Chance Gulch, offices of the City of Helena and Lewis & Clark County moved into the Park Avenue building.
Built on the Site of Payne's Hotel
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Payne's Hotel occupied the site of the Federal Building from 1870 to 1900. Park Ave. was then known as Clore St. In 1872, proprieter Christopher L. Payne opened a large stable and corral across Clore St., where the Grandstreet Theatre is today.
For more about Payne's Hotel and Corral, please go here.
The Federal Building Under Construction, July 5, 1902
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Two Views of the Federal Building When New
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The North Side of the Federal Building, About 1909
Park Ave. and Lawrence St. were then dirt roads.
Circa 1910 View of the West Side
Showing an early Helena ambulance on North Benton Avenue
THE RAY & PHIL JEZICK COLLECTION
Main Entrance, circa 1904
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The wrought-iron gates were removed in 1932, at the beginning of the extensive remodeling of the building, which included the addition on the west side. Permanent handrails were added to the steps in 1935; prior to that, temporary wooden rails, along with wooden "storm steps", were installed during the winter months.
The New Federal Building on Souvenir China
A souvenir teacup, ca. 1910. Ware of this sort was usually made in Germany.
Looking South, ca. 1920
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Original Iron Gates, 1929
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Pictured above is one Raymond Lowery standing in front of the Federal Building's original iron gates in 1929. The gates were removed in 1932, as part of the remodeling and enlarging of the building. The whereabouts of the gates are at present unknown.
The large addition to the rear (west side) of the building was completed in 1934 at a cost of 320,000(about320,000 (about 320,000(about5 million in 2006 dollars). It is faced with Columbus sandstone quarried in Stillwater County, the same stone used for the state capitol. In the fall of 1934, the grounds were plowed up in preparation for the extensive landscaping of 1935, performed by the State Nursery and Seed Co. of Helena. The fence was replaced by a hedge of Russian Olive.
1933 Suicide Leap
John Alanko
1935 Earthquake Damage Not Extensive
Repairs Underway, Nov. 11, 1935
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Damage to the Federal Building was limited to cracked plaster and shifting of the housing around the rooftop stack. The ornate doorway seen on the left is that of the Homer Block, which was razed during the 1970s Urban Renewal program.
Stack Under Repair, Nov. 14 1935
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California Seismograph Stays in Helena
A more modern and sensitive instrument was installed in Helena in September of 1936. The old seismograph from Califorrnia was subsequently exhibited for two days in the display window of Fligelman's department store on Main Street,
Main Entrance of the Federal Building, 1938
COLLECTION OF TED KIRKMEYER, COURTESY OF TOM MULVANEY
Morning on Park Avenue, About 1940
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In the background is the ornate Homer Block (1890-1971). This photo was taken in front of the Bonneville Apartments.
Federal Building from the SE, late 1930s
Photo by Les Jorud
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This late 1930s noontime view, taken from the Electric Block, shows the maturing 1935 landscaping. The Russian Olive hedge was permanently removed in 1953 as part of a street-widening project.
A Dedicated Gardener Hugh Garden (1897-1965) was a native of Scotland, coming to Helena in 1917 via Atlanta, Georgia. He began work at the Federal Building in 1933 as a custodian, retiring as building superintendent in 1960. He was an avid bowler. | Uncle Sam to Kids: Get Off My Lawn! |
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In 1940, citizens complained in the Helena Independent that the hedge around the Federal Building had grown so high that only the tallest people could see the grounds; the hedge also created a traffic hazard, blocking drivers' vision at the streetcorners. There were also complaints that there was no sidewalk across the south lawn, requiring the public to walk an extra distance to the front entrance. Suggestions were made to create a kind of park on the south lawn, making the grounds a more hospitable place than the "island entirely surrounded by stop signs" it had become. Today, the City-Country Building grounds are basically one big parking lot, with hardly any green remaining. | |
A hard line from Postmaster Joseph Raymond Wine | The hedge was never replaced. |
Federal Building, Late 1940s
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Blind Man Operated Vending Stand
Aided by "Panda", Helena's First Seeing-Eye Dog
Many baby-boomers will recall the newsstand in the lobby of the Federal Building, operated by Richard Gaynor. It was one of ten such stands in Montana.
Richard Gaynor died in Helena on May 7, 1962, after a "lengthy illness" (presumably diabetes). He was only 26 years old. Gaynor is buried in the Mountain View Cemetery in Billings.
James Dodson subsequently took over operation of the newsstand.
U. S. Post Office in the Federal Building • 1904-1976
United States Mail Delivery Trucks in Helena, circa 1914
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This loading dock was located near the northwest corner of the building before the construction of the 1934 addition. The house in the background stood on the northwest corner of Park Ave. and Lawrence St., where the Federal Reserve Bank (now the Reserve Financial Center) was built in 1938.
Helena Postal Worker, Early 1900s
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Two Views of the Federal Building Lobby and Post Office, 1970s
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Small Mailbox
PHOTO BY KENNON BAIRD
Photo taken ca. 1985. There were banks of such boxes, in several sizes, lining the lobby walls. This is an example of the smallest size.
Stairs In the Federal Building Lobby, 1970s
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PHOTO BY KENNON BAIRD
Two Views of the Post Office Sorting Area, 1970s
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Retired Helena postal employee Stephen Andre explains the unusual-looking machine seen against the pillar on the right:
"That machine is for strapping a bundle of mail together, usually like a bundle of magazines or newspapers.
On the bottom part of the machine is a big spool of strapping twine. If you had a bundle of magazines that you wanted to be held together, you lay them on the table above the spool of strapping twine, and a mechanical arm with the twine swings around the magazines and ties them into a tight little bundle. Then you'd rotate the bundle 90 degrees and wrap it one more time, so that it holds together securely.
The circular hood over the machine is a safety cage, in case anyone might be stupid enough to have their head over the bundle when the arm swings around."
Thanks, Steve!
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View showing part of the sorting area, partitioned-off work area and the main service window.
Two Views of Moving Furniture and Equipment, 1976-77
Transitioning from Federal Building to City-County Building
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Miscellaneous Views
Federal (City-County) Building Foyer, 2009
PHOTO BY KENNON BAIRD
Marble Shelf, 2013
PHOTO BY KENNON BAIRD
There were originally several of these shelves in the Post Office lobby.
View From the Blackstone Apts., Mid-1970s
PHOTO BY VIRGIE MILLEGAN BAIRD • COLLECTION OF KENNON BAIRD
Note the soon-to-be-demolished red brick Electric Block on 6th Avenue.
Drive-up Mailbox on Park Ave., ca. 1972
PHOTO BY KENNON BAIRD