Socialist Hall

The Socialist Hall in Butte, Montana is one of the few socialist halls remaining in the United States. Erected in 1916, when the Socialist movement was strong in the city, it was active for only a few years until socialism fell out of favor amidst persecution of socialists and labor unionists including the Anaconda Road Massacre and the lynching of Frank Little.

Socialist Hall
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark District Contributing Property
Socialist Hall, Butte, Montana
Location	1957 Harrison Ave., Butte, Montana
Coordinates	45°59′39″N 112°30′45″W
Area	less than one acre
Built	1916
Architect	J. Frank Mabie
Architectural style	Western Commercial
NRHP reference No.	95000661[1]
Added to NRHP	May 26, 1995

Cornice of the hall

During its brief time of service, the Industrial Workers of the World met here, also holding meetings in Butte's Finlander Hall.

Today a sporting goods shop occupies the first floor of the former Socialist Hall. The building is physically outside the boundaries of the Butte-Anaconda-Walkerville National Historic Landmark District, but is included with it for documentation.

The Socialist Hall building is a two-story building which "is an excellent example of craftsmanship and design in a two-part commercial block style building." It faces east onto Harrison Avenue with a chocolate colored and beige brick facade. When nominated, it had about fifty masonry anchor bolts stabilizing the front facade. [2]

See also

• Socialist Labor Party Hall, also listed on the National Register of Historic Places
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Silver Bow County, Montana

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
2. John Phillips (October 29, 1994). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Socialist Hall / Fran Johnson's Sport Shop". National Park Service. Retrieved August 10, 2017. With four photos from 1994.