Havre Post Office and Courthouse

Red brick, finely crafted stonework, and a colonnade reminiscent of a Greek temple brought an imposing federal symbol to Havre in the 1930s. Securing state and federal funds for this post office was an expression of optimism during economic depression. It was also remarkable as one of only three post offices its size constructed in towns of population less than 10,000.

The standard federal blueprints called for two stories in the Neoclassical style. Begun in 1930, the building was nearly complete in June 1931 at the ceremonial laying of the cornerstone. Officials placed a box crafted of Butte copper, smelted at Anaconda, rolled into sheets at Great Falls, and formed by Montana workmen within the massive block.

The box, containing local memorabilia, was a gift of the Montana Power Company. Construction halted temporarily to secure funding for a third-story federal court, needed to prosecute bootleggers bringing liquor down from Canada during Prohibition. Altering the standardized blueprints made Havre’s post office unique.

Used as a post office until 1995, the building remains an important anchor to the historic district.