{"id":1653,"featured":0,"modified":"2026-08-21 05:45:55","latitude":46.87328959999999966612449497915804386138916015625,"longitude":-113.9959185999999817795469425618648529052734375,"title":"Missoula County Courthouse","subtitle":"Missoula Downtown Historic District","fullsize":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/fullsize/83ec77ea1d70fd9caa660cca0adcfb61.jpg","address":"200 West Broadway Street, Missoula, Montana","all_locations":[],"zoom":17,"creator":["Montana National Register Sign Program"],"description":"The Neoclassical style sandstone Missoula County Courthouse was designed by prominent local architect A. J. Gibson, and erected 1908-1910. Inside the copper-domed clock tower hangs a two-ton bell, and a notable interior decoration is the series of eight historical murals for the main, south entrance, commissioned from Missoulian Edgar S. Paxson for a fee of $1,000. Missoula County is one of Montana’s oldest political subdivisions, organized in 1860 as the section of Washington Territory extending from about the crest of the Bitterroot Mountains eastward to the crest of the Rocky Mountains. Subsequently, the county was in Idaho Territory (1863) and finally Montana Territory (1864). Missoula’s original county seat was at Hell’s Gate, four miles west of here, until 1865, when Higgins and Worden moved their store to the site of the current city. Their saw mill and grist mill, plus the store of Bonner and Welsh, led county commissioners to move the seat of government here in 1866. The original courthouse stood on this site, but had become too small by 1907.","sponsor":null,"accessinfo":"Public","lede":"","website":"","related_resources":["<a href=\"https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/385fa492-5267-4d47-998f-b820a6ffd70e\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Read about the Missoula County Courthouse</a>","<a href=\"https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/c6f51d75-e94d-4dec-aedf-ce881ae2034a/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">See photos of the Missoula County Courthouse</a>"],"factoids":[],"files":{"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/fullsize/83ec77ea1d70fd9caa660cca0adcfb61.jpg":{"id":6795,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Missoula County Courthouse","description":"View of facade, facing north on East Broadway Street.  | Montana Historical Society | August 2026 | Arizona Duff","alt":"alt=&quot;&quot;","thumbnail":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/83ec77ea1d70fd9caa660cca0adcfb61.jpg"},"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/fullsize/4ef86596cd7edcd88deb921de702bf28.jpg":{"id":6796,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Missoula County Courthouse","description":"Front to side view of facade, facing northwest on East Broadway Street.  | Montana Historical Society | August 2026 | Arizona Duff","alt":"alt=&quot;&quot;","thumbnail":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/4ef86596cd7edcd88deb921de702bf28.jpg"},"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/fullsize/04cd3dabe3ff2aa742970b84e43faab1.jpg":{"id":6794,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Missoula County Courthouse","description":"View of side and addition, facing east on Woody Street.  | Montana Historical Society | August 2026 | Arizona Duff","alt":"alt=&quot;&quot;","thumbnail":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/04cd3dabe3ff2aa742970b84e43faab1.jpg"},"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/fullsize/5259258eaac08ae6cf143a47965286ba.jpg":{"id":1243,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Missoula County Courthouse","description":"Missoula County Courthouse, aerial photo, front/side view of building, facing northwest on the corner of Broadway Avenue and Ryman Street. | <a href=\"https://www.mtmemory.org/nodes/view/15179\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Montana History Portal</a> | Unknown | Rollin H. McKay","alt":"alt=&quot;&quot;","thumbnail":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/5259258eaac08ae6cf143a47965286ba.jpg"},"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/fullsize/a9c1edbe4e07c5ceb705e03dd2127b18.jpg":{"id":1244,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Missoula County Courthouse","description":"Missoula County Courthouse, aerial photo, front/side view of the building, facing northwest on the corner of Broadway Avenue and Ryman Street. | <a href=\"https://www.mtmemory.org/nodes/view/13313\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Montana History Portal</a> | Fall 2006 | Marcie James","alt":"alt=&quot;&quot;","thumbnail":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/a9c1edbe4e07c5ceb705e03dd2127b18.jpg"},"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/fullsize/5b4f439804213ddb5a4c87439f75749c.jpg":{"id":1245,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Missoula County Courthouse","description":"Missoula County Courthouse. Front view of the building, facing north on Broadway Avenue in downtown Missoula. | <a href=\"https://www.mtmemory.org/nodes/view/18836\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Montana History Portal</a> | ca. 1920 | Unidentified photographer","alt":"alt=&quot;&quot;","thumbnail":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/5b4f439804213ddb5a4c87439f75749c.jpg"},"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/fullsize/844a284de5c6f565268a03fa8c526287.jpg":{"id":1246,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Missoula County Courthouse","description":"Missoula County Courthouse from across Broadway Avenue, front view of the building. | <a href=\"https://www.mtmemory.org/nodes/view/17712\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Montana History Portal</a> | ca. 1955-1960 | Stan Healy","alt":"alt=&quot;&quot;","thumbnail":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/844a284de5c6f565268a03fa8c526287.jpg"},"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/fullsize/7d5e1a12a958d2b105b2fdcc755e99be.jpg":{"id":1247,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Missoula County Courthouse","description":"Missoula County Courthouse. Front view of the building, facing north on Broadway Avenue. | <a href=\"https://www.mtmemory.org/nodes/view/13158\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Montana History Portal</a> | ca. 1925 | Rollin H. McKay","alt":"alt=&quot;&quot;","thumbnail":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/7d5e1a12a958d2b105b2fdcc755e99be.jpg"},"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/fullsize/b8f628f6e9eaf08a5b6d849695192c9d.jpg":{"id":1248,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Missoula County Courthouse","description":"Missoula County Courthouse after addition is constructed on west side of the building. Front/side view of the building to include addition, facing northeast on Broadway Avenue. | <a href=\"https://www.mtmemory.org/nodes/view/18332\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Montana History Portal</a> | After 1965 | Stan Healy","alt":"alt=&quot;&quot;","thumbnail":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/b8f628f6e9eaf08a5b6d849695192c9d.jpg"},"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/fullsize/1c424ddfbb8b6591e9df2ce67a28ecc4.jpg":{"id":4608,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Missoula County Courthouse","description":"View of the Missoula County Courthouse. Man with a push lawnmower visible in the lower right of view. Photo used by the Publicity Division<br />\r\nof the Montana Department of Agriculture.<br />\r\n | 949-377, Montana Historical Society Research Center Photograph Archives, Helena, MT. | 1910 | Rollin H. McKay, photographer","alt":"alt=&quot;&quot;","thumbnail":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/1c424ddfbb8b6591e9df2ce67a28ecc4.jpg"}}}