Great Falls Central High School - Great Falls, MT - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

Originally constructed in 1896 as a high school, this grand two-and-a-half-story sandstone building stands as a testament to the architectural style of the era. Its modified Norman design, coupled with its elevated basement, creates a majestic presence in the local landscape.

The building served as a high school for 34 years before transitioning to a junior high school. In 1975, it closed its doors. However, a group of dedicated volunteers recognized its historical significance and, in 1977, undertook a renovation project to transform the building into a museum. Today, it is known as the Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art.

A notable feature of the original building was a four-faced clock tower that dominated its central roofline. Unfortunately, due to its considerable weight, the tower had to be removed approximately 20 years after its construction.

In 1913, a brick annex was added to the building, necessitating the relocation of the boiler system to an outdoor location between the two structures. However, when the annex was demolished in 1977, the boiler system was moved back into the basement of the original building.

The first class to attend the high school consisted of 46 students. The dedication ceremony for the building took place on November 1, 1896. Due to the lack of a school auditorium, the first graduation exercises for the class of 1897 were held at the local Opera house.

In February 1977 the brick annex was demolished for the making of the movie Telefon.

Street address: 1400 1st Ave N GREAT FALLS, MT United States 59401 County / Borough / Parish: Cascade County Year listed: 1976 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Education and Achetechture Periods of significance: 1800-1899 Historic function: School Current function: Art museum Privately owned?: yes Hours of operation: From: 9:00 AM To: 5:00 PM Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Season start / Season finish: Not listed Secondary Website 2: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   09/17/2024 ZenPanda visited it