In 1880s Helena, gold and silver had made the town one of the richest per capita in the country, and its bankers, mine owners and lawyers wanted a place to meet away from the saloons. They organized the Montana Club in 1885.
The first clubhouse burned in 1903, reportedly in a fire set by a young employee. The members turned to Cass Gilbert, the Minnesota architect who had designed the Minnesota State Capitol and would later design the Woolworth Building in New York and the U.S. Supreme Court. His six-story building at Sixth Avenue and Fuller Street, finished in 1905, is still the club’s home.
A club that also does business
For most of its history, the Montana Club was where deals were made in Helena, from mining claims to legislative strategy. Membership was exclusive and, for decades, limited to men. That changed in the late 20th century, and today the club’s members include women and a broader range of professionals.
Keeping the building going is a business of its own. The club runs a dining room and bar on the upper floors, and it hosts weddings, receptions and meetings that bring in income from non-members. The ground floor has housed commercial tenants, including the Rathskeller in the basement, known for its painted murals.
The club was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, and it is one of the anchors of Helena’s downtown, two blocks from Last Chance Gulch.
Whether one of the state’s old-line institutions can adapt to a younger membership is the question every private club faces now. In Helena, the building itself makes a good argument for trying.