{"id":97,"ordinal":0,"modified":"2026-08-21 05:46:41","content_modified":"2026-09-06 23:18:07","featured":0,"title":"Missoula Downtown Historic District","creator":"Historic Montana","description":"<p>In 1865, Christopher Higgins, Francis Worden, and David Pattee constructed grist and lumber mills near where the Mullan Road (now Front Street) intersected with present day Higgins Avenue. Worden’s 1874 Carpenter Gothic home on East Pine, once a quiet residential street, commemorates this early period. Arrival of the Northern Pacific Railroad in 1883 brought new growth. Soon Western Commercial style hotels and business blocks lined Missoula’s streets, including the brick-paved Railroad Street. Noteworthy architect-designed buildings from the period included the Tudor style Missoula Hotel, the Richardsonian Romanesque style Higgins Block, and the eclectic expansion of the Missoula Mercantile (originally constructed in 1877). The economic Panic of 1893 stilled Missoula’s development. After 1900, economic recovery fostered a new building boom, especially after the 1908 arrival of the Milwaukee Road, Missoula’s second railway. High style façades topped with elaborate cornices signified the city’s coming of age. Classical civic buildings from the era include the A. J. Gibson-designed 1903 Carnegie Library and 1910 County Courthouse. Architects of statewide and regional note designed other landmark buildings within the district, including the 1910 neoclassical Independent Telephone Company, the 1921 Sullivanesque Wilma Theater, the 1937 Art Deco Zip Auto Building, and the 1941 Moderne Florence Hotel. Construction slowed during the Great Depression, but two large public works projects—the 1936 Forest Service Regional Headquarters and a 1937 addition to Missoula’s Federal Building and Courthouse—demonstrated the federal government’s importance to Missoula’s economy. The preservation of these and almost 400 other buildings in the fifty-two block district record Missoula’s history on its streets.</p>","postscript_text":"","tour_img":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/fullsize/86958b6b4ac39809efbef9ec71b666a7.jpg","items":[{"id":2797,"title":"Missoula Carnegie Public Library","latitude":46.8724693500000029189322958700358867645263671875,"longitude":-113.9924082633566655431422987021505832672119140625,"thumbnail":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/86958b6b4ac39809efbef9ec71b666a7.jpg","fullsize":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/fullsize/86958b6b4ac39809efbef9ec71b666a7.jpg","subtitle":"Missoula Downtown Historic District","address":"335 North Pattee Street, Missoula, Montana","custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}},{"id":2794,"title":"Free Speech Corner","latitude":46.87025106175664035390582284890115261077880859375,"longitude":-113.9953529834747456561672152020037174224853515625,"thumbnail":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/bd5a16c236a179e0e2cdd053b91863d7.jpg","fullsize":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/fullsize/bd5a16c236a179e0e2cdd053b91863d7.jpg","subtitle":"Missoula Downtown Historic District","address":"Near 111 North Higgins Avenue, Missoula MT, intersection of West Front Street","custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}},{"id":2217,"title":"BPOE Lodge #383, Missoula","latitude":46.86993919999999747005858807824552059173583984375,"longitude":-113.99330340000000205691321752965450286865234375,"thumbnail":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/1128772f4caa39f6ad97e2d7a193e052.jpg","fullsize":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/fullsize/1128772f4caa39f6ad97e2d7a193e052.jpg","subtitle":"Missoula Downtown Historic District","address":"112 North Pattee Street, Missoula, Montana","custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}},{"id":1658,"title":"The Palace Hotel","latitude":46.872169700000000602813088335096836090087890625,"longitude":-113.9955423999999766238033771514892578125,"thumbnail":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/4ac4f57b4d21114b2f7301e425af3230.jpg","fullsize":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/fullsize/4ac4f57b4d21114b2f7301e425af3230.jpg","subtitle":"Missoula Downtown Historic District","address":"147 West Broadway Street, Missoula, Montana","custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}},{"id":1655,"title":"Missoula Mercantile Warehouse","latitude":46.869311199999998507337295450270175933837890625,"longitude":-113.9928254000000151791027747094631195068359375,"thumbnail":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/11efd791dcdaaff2e01a446351c283b0.jpg","fullsize":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/fullsize/11efd791dcdaaff2e01a446351c283b0.jpg","subtitle":"Missoula Downtown Historic District","address":"221, 229, and 231 East Front Street, Missoula, Montana","custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}},{"id":1653,"title":"Missoula County Courthouse","latitude":46.87328959999999966612449497915804386138916015625,"longitude":-113.9959185999999817795469425618648529052734375,"thumbnail":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/83ec77ea1d70fd9caa660cca0adcfb61.jpg","fullsize":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/fullsize/83ec77ea1d70fd9caa660cca0adcfb61.jpg","subtitle":"Missoula Downtown Historic District","address":"200 West Broadway Street, Missoula, Montana","custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}},{"id":1651,"title":"Mrs. Lydia McCaffery's Furnished Rooms","latitude":46.8766059000000012702003004960715770721435546875,"longitude":-113.9984948000000031242961995303630828857421875,"thumbnail":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/9d24feb05f15b6fd4c499ef1b936f920.jpg","fullsize":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/fullsize/9d24feb05f15b6fd4c499ef1b936f920.jpg","subtitle":"Missoula Downtown Historic District","address":"501 West Alder Street, Missoula, Montana","custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}},{"id":1659,"title":"Reid Residence","latitude":46.8691294999999996662154444493353366851806640625,"longitude":-113.988188799999988987110555171966552734375,"thumbnail":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/239c930a1f1ed928260578d1484972f5.jpg","fullsize":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/fullsize/239c930a1f1ed928260578d1484972f5.jpg","subtitle":"Missoula Downtown Historic District","address":"526 East Front Street, Missoula, Montana","custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}},{"id":1646,"title":"John S. 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Montana","custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}},{"id":1660,"title":"St. Francis Xavier Church","latitude":46.87479359999999672936610295437276363372802734375,"longitude":-113.99767810000003009918145835399627685546875,"thumbnail":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/7a7e8e90f79afd4115a2f6f9a07e4688.jpg","fullsize":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/fullsize/7a7e8e90f79afd4115a2f6f9a07e4688.jpg","subtitle":"Missoula Downtown Historic District","address":"410 West  Pine Street, Missoula, Montana","custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}},{"id":1654,"title":"Missoula Laundry Company","latitude":46.87340420000000307254595099948346614837646484375,"longitude":-113.9919704000000137966708280146121978759765625,"thumbnail":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/976af5124c9c0dae8f08fe711a5919e1.jpg","fullsize":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/fullsize/976af5124c9c0dae8f08fe711a5919e1.jpg","subtitle":"Missoula Downtown Historic District","address":"111 East Spruce Street, Missoula, Montana","custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}},{"id":1650,"title":"Lucy Building","latitude":46.87280699999998745397533639334142208099365234375,"longitude":-113.9932148999999981242581270635128021240234375,"thumbnail":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/6d021cbab1f16a7adefd456b7307f8d5.jpg","fullsize":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/fullsize/6d021cbab1f16a7adefd456b7307f8d5.jpg","subtitle":"Missoula Downtown Historic District","address":"330 North Higgins Avenue, Missoula, Montana","custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}},{"id":1649,"title":"Lenox Flats","latitude":46.8732852459033182412895257584750652313232421875,"longitude":-113.997234856664135804749093949794769287109375,"thumbnail":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/2ad2dd96398875cc918a1048216a72c5.jpg","fullsize":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/fullsize/2ad2dd96398875cc918a1048216a72c5.jpg","subtitle":"Missoula Downtown Historic District","address":"300-306 West Broadway Street, Missoula, Montana","custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}},{"id":1648,"title":"Missoula Labor Temple","latitude":46.87084209999999728779584984295070171356201171875,"longitude":-113.9924889000000121086486615240573883056640625,"thumbnail":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/24fbc79e35195efd94398ac886a222c8.jpg","fullsize":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/fullsize/24fbc79e35195efd94398ac886a222c8.jpg","subtitle":"Missoula Downtown Historic District","address":"208 East Main Street, Missoula, Montana","custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}},{"id":1645,"title":"Headquarters Building and Daily Company Annex","latitude":46.86994390000000265672497334890067577362060546875,"longitude":-113.996092999999973471858538687229156494140625,"thumbnail":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/cd97c43f69d8504371be4ee0b381d9db.jpg","fullsize":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/fullsize/cd97c43f69d8504371be4ee0b381d9db.jpg","subtitle":"Missoula Downtown Historic 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Downtown Historic District","address":"223 Railroad Street, Missoula, Montana","custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}},{"id":1635,"title":"The Atlantic Hotel","latitude":46.8747158999999982142981025390326976776123046875,"longitude":-113.9928161999999929321347735822200775146484375,"thumbnail":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/b33fc25b43351af691a166077c4f2948.jpg","fullsize":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/fullsize/b33fc25b43351af691a166077c4f2948.jpg","subtitle":"Missoula Downtown Historic District","address":"519 North Higgins Avenue, Missoula, Montana","custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}},{"id":3388,"title":"Newton Residence","latitude":46.869361916424139735681819729506969451904296875,"longitude":-113.992576360833481885492801666259765625,"thumbnail":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/0a675c14452bf4bf0416cc82db61590a.jpg","fullsize":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/fullsize/0a675c14452bf4bf0416cc82db61590a.jpg","subtitle":"Missoula Downtown 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Front St., Missoula, MT","custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}},{"id":1634,"title":"Apartment Building","latitude":46.87461700000000064392224885523319244384765625,"longitude":-113.9936443000000281244865618646144866943359375,"thumbnail":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/40fd314434124d8f648634e35e8dacf8.jpg","fullsize":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/fullsize/40fd314434124d8f648634e35e8dacf8.jpg","subtitle":"Missoula Downtown Historic District","address":"116 West Spruce Street, Missoula, Montana","custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}}]}