Montana Historical and Architectural Inventory (Site # 238)

Address:	High Street South
Ownership Name:	Norman Hobbs
Historic Name:	St. Joseph’s Hospital
Common Name:
Date of Construction:	1906-1945
Architect:	Several; see significance
Builder:	Several; see significance
Original Owner:	St. Joseph’s Hospital
Original Use:	Hospital
Present Use:

Physical Description:

This complex is on the National Register of Historic Places

Dramatically sited on a south sloping hillside overlooking Lewistown, this citadel of cut stone is a complex of structures and wings that grew and physically expanded over a period of nearly fifty years to ultimately occupy more than a city block. The basic foot print or plan is therefore collectively difficulty to describe. As viewed from the southwest, or primary street façade on High Street, a central rectangular two and one-half story hospital was built in 1906; in 1913 this central area was expanded to the right (southeast); in 1926 a wing (maternity ward) was added to the back of the right side, thus forming and "L" shape; and in 1933-1935 a wing was added to the left and extended toward the back of the property, creating a "U" shape. A brick masonry nursing school was added adjacent to the top left leg of the "U" in 19436 (toward the northwest) and this same left leg of the "U" received an additional brick masonry extension to the northeast in 1953 that houses utility functions. A separate boiler plant was constructed across the street from the hospital to the southeast in 1945; it is discussed as a separate structure for purposes of this survey. The cut stone work (1906-1935) will be architecturally described as a single structure since materials and detailing are similar for those sections of the complex. The brick addition will be described separately.

Cut Stone Wings: The cut sandstone walls rise between two and three stories above grade (depending upon what part of the site you are looking at) and culminate in a stone parapet above a flat roof. The parapet is adorned with an implied balustrade created by recessed panels of dressed stone; a strong course of dressed stone defines the bottom of the balustrade. Upper floor windows have round arched heads; all other floors have rectangular openings. The center area of the street façade features two-story high arched stained glass windows in the chapel area; a dressed stone niche shelters a statue of St. Joseph near the center of the façade. Three entrances symmetrically access the structure of this façade. They are one and one-half story cut stone projections from the plane of the façade that are crowned with balustraded "sun porches" that are accessible from upper floor hallways and are approached by a long flight of steps flanked on either side by stepped cut stone railings that "cascade" down to the ground from the elevated floor line. The masterful hand of both architect and stonemason is seen in the sculptural quality of these "waterfall" stairs. The windows throughout are double hung 1/1 wood units. Entrance doors have been changed to aluminum.

The 1926 addition was set apart from the remainder of the "U" by the width of a drive way; it is connected back to the anchor mass by a cut stone skybridge. It is also a rectangular block with a flat roof. The purity of the shape is punctuated by projecting solaria at the northeast wall of this wing. The implied balustrade at the parapet and other material treatments are the same as the remainder of the cut stone portion of the hospital. Details unique to this wing include a large arched southwest entrance with fan light above, and cast-in-place concrete lintels above the "french" windows at the solaria. Like the anchor mass, a cut stone stringcourse occurs at the second floor line.

Less significant changes to the massing of the stone complex can be seen on the back side. One story high flat roof concrete areas have been added to the back. Also, an "upper" second-story bridge was added to connect the second floor of the hospital to a parking lot at the upper hillside. It appears that in recent this became the main entrance to the facility. It was built on a concrete supporting structure with a fiberglass roof. Sidewalls are glass set in natural color anodized aluminum frames.

1936 Brick Nursing School: A three-story rectangular volume with a flat roof and a projected low slope triangular pediment extending above the parapet at the center 1/3 of the main (northwest) façade. This center pedimented area visually extends to the ground through the use of precast concrete quoins that vertically extend down through the façade. A statute of "Mary" is in a niche below the apex of the pediment and the pediment culminates in a cross at the peak. Although three stories, the structure is visually split at the first floor line with a rusticated concrete wall below and common bond brick for the upper floors (the sloped site changes this mass to two stories high on the back). The parapet area is strongly decorated by a basket-wave pattern of precast concrete contrasted with dark brick. Double hung 1/1 wood windows have flat soldier brick arch heads with a precast concrete keystone. A small brick entrance vestibule on the south corner is adorned with a cross and features a quoined segmental arch above the door. This building is connected to the cut stone hospital by a brick skybridge. A true balustraded brick parapet occurs above the bridge only.

1953 Brick Service Addition: This is a rectangular two-story common bond brick addition housing service and maintenance related functions for the hospital. It is a simple façade with terra cotta coping, brick rowlock "water table" at the northeast elevation and concrete foundation walls. Rectangular double hung 1/1 wood windows with steel lintels occur at the second floor, industrial steel sash windows are used on the tower floor. Precast concrete has been used for windowsills; some aluminum awnings have been added to lower floors.

Shrine: A rubble stone shrine can be seen in a small park-like area northeast of the hospital. It should be noted as a site object for purposes of this historical survey.

Classification: stone portion: stone craftsman using native stone, some eclecticism; renaissance influence is the balustrade and minimal horizontal detailing; romanesque influence in the use of arches.

Classification – brick portion – mixed; decorative brickwork derivative of dutch masonry as well as some commercial influences can be seen; ecclesiastic appointments grace the wall planes and parapets.

Historical Significance:

St. Joseph’s Hospital is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The large structure, which faces the central business district from a southeastern hillside, was built in five units over a 30-year period, from 1906-1936.

The hospital is a good example of the stone masonry building tradition that characterizes the early architecture of Lewistown. The availability of good building stone sponsored the settlement of many stonemasons in the fledgling town in the opening years of the 20^th Century, including a sizable community of Croatian craftsmen.

The Daughters of Jesus, a group of nuns from France, arrived in Lewistown in 1903 and immediately started a convent/school. Their Lewistown "House" turned out to be the only place in the United States where they became established. Sister Philomene saw the need for a hospital and began soliciting funds for its construction.

Plans were drawn by Kirkwood Cross and construction began in 1906. The hospital opened October 15, 1908, and was operated by the Daughters of Jesus and Mother Philomene, Superior. There were 15 rooms furnished for the use of patients plus operating and dressing rooms.

As Lewistown and Central Montana grew, due to an increase number of homesteaders flocking to the area, the hospital needed more space, and a second unit was built in 1913. Designed by Link and Haire, the addition is compatible in design and construction with the original unit. The third and fourth units, built in 1926 and 1933, were also constructed of the locally quarried and hand cut sandstone, as was the retaining wall built around 1936.

St. Joseph’s Hospital was John F. Plovanic’s major project throughout his life, as stonemason or stone contractor for each unit over the 27-year period. In 1910, Plovanic built his own stone residence, nestled in the hillside at the northwest corner of the hospital.

The nursing school and heating plant, both designed by J. G. Link & Co., in 1944 and 1945, were built of brick, rather than the sandstone used in the hospital.

St. Joseph’s Hospital continued to serve the residents of Central Montana until 1977, when a new facility was built.