- City:
- Lewistown, MT
- Site Type:
- Military and Public Safety, Civic Facilities, Community Centers, Armories
- New Deal Agencies:
- Works Progress Administration (WPA), Work Relief Programs
- Completed:
- 1936
Description
The W.P.A. constructed an armory in Lewistown, Montana in 1936.
“The history of the Civic Center starts with its construction in 1936, just prior to World War II. It was built under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) with the understanding that it would serve Lewistown as their new armory. It had a rifle range in the basement and a built-in vault (room) to be a safe storage for arms, ammunition, and other sensitive items belonging to the Lewistown National Guard. Being a civic center, it was not solely for the exclusive use of the National Guard. The large room, upstairs, with a gymnasium floor, stage, office, rest rooms, and two meeting rooms were available to the general public on days other than the drill night of Co. “K”. After the war was over in 1945, the civic center remained the home for the Lewistown guard unit until 1962 when the Spencer H. Mitchell Armory was built near the water tank at the Lewistown airport.”
W.P.A. Official Project Number 65-91-6558
Source notes
Nationwide Context, Inventory, and Heritage Assessment of Works Progress Administration and Civilian Conservation Corps Resources on Department of Defense Installations, July 2009 (page C-101).
https://www.lewistown.k12.mt.us/Content2/234
Site originally submitted by Evan Kalish on February 8, 2018.
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