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| Copper Village Museum and Arts Center
-page last updated August 2006, TMC. Built in 1895 of local materials and saved from demolition and renovated in 1982, the the hall now houses a history museum, archives, an art gallery with changing exhibits, and shops. The museum displays include smelter memorabilia, turn-of-the-century clothing, furniture and a pharmacy. The building previously housed all city government offices, the fire engine house and the police department. The building is now on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Anaconda City Hall was designed by Lane and Reber,
architects and constructed in the years 1895-96. $34,000 in bonds were
voted by the city for the construction of this building. The contract was
given to Jacobson and Company of Anaconda. -from Monica E. Hawley, Historian, 1984
The color picture above is a view of the east commercial facade of they City Hall in 1979. The photo is courtesy of the Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record.
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Copper Village acts as a Community Cultural Agency for its
county and surrounding rural areas. The Center provides programs and services in
the visual and literary arts, arts education in partnership with local schools
and communities that strengthen artists, cultural organizations, and
communities. Philosophically, the Center supports traditional arts and
preservation of the local cultural heritage, emerging contemporary artists from
Montana, and national and world arts perspectives. Also located in
the City Hall Cultural Center is the Marcus Daly Historical Society Museum and
Archives and a retail gift shop. 
This
three-story brick building consists of three large bays at the west facade with
with a two story addition to the east. The Fire Department's Engine House
is located at the rear of the structure, while the front portions of the ground
and second floors contain a court room, clerk's office and attorney's
office. The original plans for City Hall, prepared by Charles Lane,
incorporated a 90' semi-enclosed tower housing a four-sided Seth Thomas
illuminated clock. A 25' bell tower was later added to the east end of the
building. Both towers are now removed. The overall building
dimensions measure 53' x 102'; the main building measures 50' x 100'. 
The
basement has 9' high ceilings; the first floor, 14'; and the second floor
13'. Local materials, including Anaconda red pressed brick, monument
quarry granite and Anaconda copper trim, were used to build this
structure. IN 1897, the county seat moved from the town of Deer Lodge to
the City Hall building in Anaconda. Deer Lodge paid the city $2,000
annually to use this facility as the county court house until the present court
house was completed in 1900. The City Hall is threatened by demolition due
to the plans for the future mall development.