In the first half of the 20th century few Montana county seats matched the quality and diversity of public architecture of Hamilton, the seat of Ravalli County.

The oldest, the Ravalli County Courthouse of 1900, remains the most distinguished, although the county left the building for a new courthouse in the mid-1970s. Fifty years later, its conversion into an excellent county museum has kept this landmark of Romanesque infused design as a vital part of county life, especially during the city’s Saturday market in the summer. Designed by architect A.J.Gibson of Missoula, the courthouse graces a grand public space in the 21st century city, a space made even more meaningful by the Doughboy tribute monument that stands on guard in front of the building.

Installed in 1921 the monument itself is over 100 years ago and is a rare courthouse yard tribute to World War I veterans.

In 1906, only a block away, the city built a Victorian style flavored town hall for almost all city affairs, from governance to police in fire fighting and even the public library.

The library was not long for the Town Hall. Within 10 years it had its own Classical Revival building, due to the diligence of the Hamilton Woman’s Club and the funding of Margaret Daly, the widow of copper magnate Marcus Daly, who lived across the valley at her grand Colonial Revival mansion.

Margaret Daly was not done. In the mid-1920s she funded the Colonial Revival style Marcus Daly Hospital just blocks away from the library.

The New Deal added to the city’s Colonial Revival traditions of public architecture. Those depression years of the 1930s added a more restrained take on the colonial style in the new post office by Louis A. Simon.

Then after World War II public architecture charted a new course into modernism although Hamilton took cautious steps in its blocky modern design of the present city hall and community building, a very effective bending of uses.

Days before I visited Hamilton on July 4, 2025 plans were finalized to begin the serious work of converting the historic town hall into a new library facility. Even as we celebrate the town’s public architecture, change is coming later this decade.