Built in 1888, the Montana Hotel in Anaconda was the pride and joy of Marcus Daly.

“Each room had a marble fireplace,” said Margie Smith, secretary of Anaconda Restoration Association. “There’s marble and brass and crystal — it was a showplace hotel.”

With 185 rooms, four floors, a parlor, restaurant and a ballroom, it sat as the cornerstone of Anaconda. But time took its toll.

“In the 1970s, the two top floors were taken off,” Smith said.

By 2012, residents of Anaconda dreamed of restoring the building.

Brown hopes projects like the Montana will be able to guide others that are approved for the grant, showing how historical buildings can be used for community events.

Montana Historic Preservation Office