The Associated Charities of Butte was organized during the late 1880s “to help the worthy poor to help themselves.” While the early group focused on distributing food and clothing to the needy, the children’s home at 542 Nevada soon became the pivot of its energies. The present facility was a gift from William A. Clark in memory of his fourteen-year-old son, Paul. Clark’s $20,000 gift was augmented by an additional $10,000, and the home, begun in 1899, opened in March of 1900. Facilities included an office, reception room, library, dining room, kitchen, baths, dormitories, industrial classrooms, a two ward-hospital, and a nursery. Another gift of W. A. Clark in 1907 allowed interior remodeling and added a third story, more than tripling the capacity to 100 children. The expansive, beautifully preserved Classical Revival style complex is now the Paul Clark Home/McDonald’s Family Place, which offers home-like accommodations for out-of-town families of hospitalized patients and out-patients.
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