Arvon Block facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Arvon Block
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Arvon Block in 2019
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| Location | 114–116 First Avenue South, Great Falls, Montana, U.S. |
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| Built | 1890 |
| Website | https://www.hotelarvon.com/home |
| NRHP reference No. | 91001446 |
| Added to NRHP | September 26, 1991 |
The Arvon Block is an old and important building in Great Falls, Montana. It was built between 1889 and 1890 by a rich rancher named Robert Vaughn. The building shows the "Western Commercial" style of architecture. It is one of the oldest buildings in Great Falls.
At first, the Arvon Block was a hotel. It served people who arrived in the city by train. Later, the building was split into three parts inside. Today, it has a special kind of hotel called a boutique hotel. It also has an Irish-themed pub and restaurant. The Arvon Block was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 26, 1991. This means it is a special place worth protecting.
The Arvon Block is located near the Great Falls Railroad Historic District. It is also close to the main business area of Great Falls.
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History of the Arvon Block
The Arvon Block was built by Robert Vaughn. He was born in Wales in 1836. He moved to the United States in 1858. After some years, he came to the Montana Territory. This area later became the state of Montana.
Robert Vaughn was the first person to claim land in what was then Chouteau County. He started a big farm and ranch for cattle and horses. His ranch was near the Sun River. He built a large, fancy house there.
He married Elizabeth Donahue in 1886. She died in 1888, soon after their daughter, Arvonia, was born. Vaughn later sold his ranch.
How Great Falls Started
The city of Great Falls began in 1883. A businessman named Paris Gibson visited the Great Falls of the Missouri River in 1880. He thought it would be a great place to build a big city. He believed the waterfalls could provide power for factories.
In 1883, Gibson came back with Robert Vaughn and others. They planned out the new town. Houses, a store, and a flour mill were built by 1884. The town grew quickly. By 1887, about 1,200 people lived there. The Great Northern Railway arrived in the city that same year. Great Falls officially became a city in 1888.
In 1889, Robert Vaughn started building two important structures in Great Falls. One was an apartment building. The other was the "Arvon Block." Both buildings were finished in 1890. Robert Vaughn passed away in 1918.
What the Building Looked Like
The Arvon Block was different from other buildings built in Great Falls in the 1890s. Most were brick warehouses. The Arvon Block was a hotel and a stable. It was built in the Western Commercial style. This style uses square or rectangle shapes. It often has brick or stone, with tall, arched windows. There is usually little decoration.
The Arvon Block had 40 hotel rooms. It also had a stable. Its location near the train station made it easy for train travelers to stay there.
The hotel took up the eastern two-thirds of the building. The ground floor of the hotel also had shops. The western third of the building was the Axtell Stables. This stable had a unique design. Horses could go down a ramp to stalls in the basement. The first floor had a store that sold horse gear. The second floor was for the stable workers. Hay was stored on the third floor.
New Life for an Old Building
By 2001, the Arvon Block was one of the few very old buildings left in Great Falls. Over the years, it had been used for many things. It was apartments, a car repair shop, and an antique store. By 2008, the roof of the building was leaking.
In 2005, Montana started a program called the Montana Main Street Program. This program helps towns fix up and save their old downtown areas. Great Falls joined this program.
In 2011, the owners of the Arvon Block received a grant. This money helped them start planning to fix up the building. Architects helped create drawings of what the renovated building could look like. Another grant helped study if it was possible to fix the building while keeping its historic look.
The Arvon Block was sold in 2012. A group of five people bought it. They planned to turn it into a special hotel. They also wanted to open an Irish-themed bar on the first floor. The bar was named "The Celtic Cowboy." This was one of Robert Vaughn's nicknames.
The new owners planned to spend $3.5 million to fix up the building. About a quarter of the cost was covered by special tax credits for historic buildings. The pub, The Celtic Cowboy, opened in November 2013. A wine bar and event space in the basement opened in October 2014. The new hotel finally opened in September 2015.
Meaning of the Name
The name "Arvon" comes from the Welsh word "Arfon." Arfon is an old area in Wales. This area is famous in Welsh stories and myths.
Robert Vaughn named his daughter Arvonia after this special place. The building's name, Arvon, is a form of her name.
Images for kids
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Arvon Block in 2019
