US Land Office / Warr Building

A man of vision and foresight, Austin W. Warr contributed to the financial development of early Lewistown. Warr established many of Lewistown’s founding companies, became a key figure in the development of Central Montana, and helped ensure the financial growth of Lewistown. This 1904 richly decorated building originally housed the United States Land Office.

The second in a pair of office buildings designed by Helena architect John Kent for A. W. Warr, the U.S. Land Office building features a Beaux Arts style façade containing elaborate terracotta ornamentation. The dressed stone and flamboyant flattened arches accentuate the building’s exterior in a visual sign of Lewistown’s growth and development.

Many different businesses called the Warr Building home, including the Lewistown State Bank from 1912 to 1913 and the Big Bear Saloon from 1916 to 1918. The Central Meat Market and The Lewistown Meat Company operated out of the building for nearly two decades. The Victory Barber Shop opened in 1941.