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The Montana State Capitol
The
Rejected 1896 Design, by George R. Mann
LIBRARY
OF CONGRESS
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This design
was drawn by George R. Mann and was selected by Montana's first
Capitol Commission in 1896. In 1897 it was discovered that the
Commission was corrupt and was planning to scam hundreds of thousands
of dollars from the building project.
Ultimately,
the first Commission was disbanded and a second Capitol Commission
was convened. The second commission rejected Mann's plans as being
too costly, and held a second design competition, selecting a
design by Bell and Kent.
Mann's building
was therefore never erected in Montana. It was however, later
selected as the design, with some modifications, for the Arkansas
State Capitol, pictured below.
(Thanks to
Mr.
Kirby
Lambert, Curator of Art at the Montana Historical Society, for
this information.)
Arkansas
State Capitol
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The Bell & Kent Design, Before Dome Modification
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An 1898
illustration of the future Capitol by the architectural firm
of Charles E. Bell & John H. Kent. The completed dome is
different than shown in this illustration. The shape of the
dome was changed during construction in 1901.
Mr. Kirby Lambert,
Curator of Art at the Montana Historical Society kindly explains
about the change in dome design:
Kent
originally designed a low spherical dome, a design he considered
to be "pure Greek." The capitol commission initially
agreed to this design, but after construction was well under way
they decided that they wanted a taller, more imposing structure,
and they thought that raising the dome would be the most economical
way to do this. Kent opposed the changes, but Bell sided with
the commission, and we can see who won. This information comes
from the Historic Structure Report: Montana State Capitol Building
by Jim McDonald, 1981
MANY
THANKS TO MR. LAMBERT FOR THIS INFORMATION. |
The
Capitol Under Construction and When New
Three photos by Stephen Arnold Douglas Hahn (1860-1911)
Courtesy of his great granddaughter, Peggy Flynn
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Peggy Flynn
writes:
"S.
A. D. was an artist, a penman, owner/professor of Helena Business
College, and co-designed the Great Seal of Montana. He and his
wife, Viola, lived at 1312 8th Ave. Eventually they bought a
ranch at Winston and he was killed there by lightning in 1911
when he was fixing fence."
The first
two photos were taken from the Hahn home at 1312 8th Avenue.
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Many
thanks to Peggy Flynn for sharing S. A. D. Hahn's unique photos!
Souvenir
Button of the Capitol Dedication Ceremonies
Gans & Klein
were pioneer Helena merchants, located on the NE Corner of Main and
Broadway.
An
Early View of the Capitol Rotunda Stairs
COURTESY
OF THE DAVID POOR COLLECTION • CLICK ON IMAGE
TO OPEN A BIG VERSION IN A NEW WINDOW
President
Theodore Roosevelt at the Capitol, 1903
Souvenir
Button Given Out by Helena Department Store Gans & Klein
Manufactured
by the Whitehead and Hoag Co., Newark, New Jersey
COURTESY OF CRAIG KIRWIN
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President
Theodore Roosevelt (standing atop wall, lower right) speaking
from the Capitol steps on the morning of May 27, 1903.
While Roosevelt
was speaking from the Capitol steps, a large St. Bernard dog
climbed up and stood beside him on the stone coping. Roosevelt's
handlers made an attempt to roughly remove the dog, but Roosevelt
told them to leave the dog alone.
After his
speech, Roosevelt toured the Capitol building and received visitors...
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Crowd
Gathered to See President Theodore Roosevelt, May 27 1903
LIBRARY
OF CONGRESS • CLICK ON IMAGE TO VIEW A
LARGE VERSION IN A NEW WINDOW
Governor's
Reception Room in the Capitol, ca. 1915
COLLECTION
OF KENNON BAIRD
1905
bronze equestrian statue of Thomas Francis Meagher
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The statue
was cast in 1905 by the American Bronze Foundry, Chicago,
Illinois.
A native
of Ireland, Meagher (1823-1867) was an Irish revolutionary,
a Brigadier General in the U. S. Army during the Civil War,
and was appointed Secretary of the Territory of Montana in
1865. Soon after arriving in Montana, he was designated Acting
Governor. He died in Fort Benton, Montana under suspicious
circumstances on July 1, 1867. For more about Meagher, go
here.
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Dedication
of the the Meagher Statue, July 4 1905
View
of the Capitol, About 1906
COURTESY
OF THE DAVID POOR COLLECTION • CLICK
ON IMAGE TO OPEN A BIG VERSION IN A NEW WINDOW
Workers Posing During Construction of the East and West Wings
of the Montana Capitol Building, 1911.
KENNON BAIRD COLLECTION • CLICK
ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE IN A NEW WINDOW
1913
Aeroplane View of the Capitol Area
FROM
"HELENA",
A POSTCARD HISTORY, COURTESY OF AUTHOR TOM MULVANEY
CLICK
IMAGE ABOVE FOR A BIG VIEW IN A NEW WINDOW
Maypole
Pageant on the Capitol Grounds, 1914
PHOTO
BY FLORENCE HOLTER • COURTESY OF AUB KIRKLAND
1920
Maypole Pageant
Early Souvenir Merchandise
| Who would
guess this building was the Montana Capitol? Most souvenir plates
of this type were made in Germany. |
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Souvenir
plate from Buffalo Pottery (Buffalo, New York) dated 1909.
The makers were evidently working from architectural drawings,
for construction of the two new wings had only just begin
in 1909, and wouldn't be completed as shown until 1912.
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An early souvenir
spoon, showing the rejected Mann design.
This cast spoon
from about 1910 has - at last - a true depiction of the Capitol.
Souvenir Vase,
about 1910
Montana
State Seal, 1920
COURTESY
OF KITTY ANN QUIGLEY TAALER
Circa
1920 and 1956 Views from Cooke (now Washington) Street
COURTESY
OF TOM KILMER
1956...
COLLECTION
OF BOB & SUSIE LINDEBERG
Tree
Damage ~ September 19, 1925 Snowfall
Les Jorud Photos Courtesy of the David Poor Collection
CLICK
ON IMAGES TO OPEN BIG VERSIONS IN NEW WINDOWS
Circa
1928 Aerial View
Looking Northeast
COLLECTION
OF KENNON BAIRD
Looking
North from the Capitol steps, 1930s
COLLECTION
OF KENNON BAIRD
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The large
Victorian house was 315 Cook St. (315 Washington Dr. after 1932).
It was purchased from the A. P. Curtin estate in the early 1930s
by R. H. Claflin, who divided it into flats. It was demolished
around 1980 (thanks to Patty Dean for the date). For more information
about the Cook St. house, scroll down.
The brick
paving on the Capitol grounds was removed in 1955. Many of the
bricks were re-used at various institutions around the state...
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Looking
north from the Capitol steps, 1957
COLLECTION
OF KENNON BAIRD
The radio antenna
in the distance, behind the Cook St. House, was at the studios of KXLJ
radio on 11th Ave.
Enlarged
view of the Cook St. House
Plus
Contributed Information About the House
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John
Bennitt, now of Blaine, Washington, shares his knowledge of
the Cook Street House:
The
address was 315 Washington Drive. The Claflin family, which
owned a furniture store, sold it about May 1950 to Russell and
Nola Bennitt, children of Montana pioneers in Lewistown and
Moore, respectively, who moved to Helena after Russell and brother
George bought State Publishing Company located at the corner
of Jackson and Broadway in one of the city’s several former
Masonic buildings. The Bennitts sold the house to the state
which used it for adjunct offices about Christmas, 1957, to
retire in Altadena, Calif. State Publishing was sold to Fred
Naegle.
The
state’s former secretary of education, Dorothy Green, lived
on the top floor of the house from about 1951 until she retired,
probably about 1955 or 1956. She paid $65 a month rent for the
walk-up two-bedroom flat.
Nola
Bennitt was a former concert pianist who was an integral part
of the Helena Symphony. Ms. Green played violin.
The
rocks still surrounding the yard were part of a system of courtyards
and a fountain to the north of the house. One of the rocks has
shown up in yards from Seattle to Montrose, N.Y., to Gaithersburg,
Md., to Denver, Colo. To Semiahmoo, Wash.
Former
Sen. Lee Metcalf lived across Eighth Ave. from the house.
Now,
how do I know all these things?
I
grew up there.
Many
thanks, John!
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COLLECTION
OF KENNON BAIRD • CLICK ON IMAGE FOR A BIG
VERSION IN A NEW WINDOW
"Crusade
for Freedom" Motorcade, 1951
FROM
THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY "I'VE MET THEM ALL" BY WALTER H. MARSHALL
- NOW OUT OF PRINT
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In September
of 1951, the Radio
Free Europe promotional "Crusade for Freedom Motorcade"
came through Helena. The caravan consisted of this flatbed Ford
and a Chevrolet car, equipped with public address equipment.
Radio Free
Europe broadcasted to Soviet-held Europe, and was also involved
in other propaganda activities, including the release in Europe
of "Freedom Balloons", helium-filled bags containing
anti-Soviet literature which the prevailing winds carried eastward
into Soviet territory. Several of these balloons were released
in Helena during the Motorcade's visit. One was found a month
later in the Spokane Hills by deer hunter Marvin Johns; another
was found on the August Ihde ranch, some 100 miles east of Lewistown,
MT.
Pictured
above, left to right, are Paul Wirick, Jr.; Montana Attorney
General (and future U. S. Congressman) Arnold Olsen; Howard
Ellsworth, State Crusade for Freedom Chairman; Walter H. Marshall,
Coordinator.
The crate
on Marshall's left was labeled "Iron Curtain" on the
other side, and was likely used to store the display for travel.
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The Capitol from the NW, 1957
COLLECTION
OF KENNON BAIRD
The
North Capitol Driveway, from Montana Ave., 1957
COLLECTION
OF KENNON BAIRD
The north Capitol
driveway, from Montana Ave., 1957
Aerial View of the Capitol Area, Ca. 1958
Aerial
View of the Capitol Area, Ca. 1965
COURTESY
OF BILL CLARKSON • CLICK ON IMAGE FOR A
BIG VERSION IN A NEW WINDOW
The
Montana Centennial Parade passes the Capitol, May 1964
COURTESY
OF TOM KILMER
In the
Montana House of Representatives chamber, 1970
PHOTO
BY KENNON BAIRD
Views
Inside the Dome, Nov. 13, 2013
Courtesy
of Jeffrey Sherlock
CLICK
ON IMAGE FOR A BIG VERSION IN A NEW WINDOW
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ON IMAGE FOR A BIG VERSION IN A NEW WINDOW
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Go back to "THE CAPITOL AREA"
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