Livingston Memorial Hospital
A few years after Livingston Memorial Hospital opened in February 1955, the Livingston Enterprise reported, “This neat, modern building will hold a prominent position in the lives of Livingston residents for years to come. For some it will be their birthplace and hold their first memories of medical attention. Its importance will last through their lives.” Indeed, the building remains a local landmark and enduring symbol of public-private investment. In the decades before Livingston Memorial, the Park County Poor Farm (1889), Saint Luke’s Hospital (1901), Park Hospital (1913), and several other private maternity and religious hospitals served healthcare needs in the community. Following World War II, a nationwide thirst for modern facilities sparked state and federal aid programs to improve public infrastructure. In December 1946, the Livingston Community Hospital Association formed to plan and fundraise for a new hospital. That same year, Congress passed the Hill-Burton Hospital Act, a monumental federal aid program that ultimately built or improved twenty-nine rural Montana hospitals. Livingston-area community members donated about $400,000 for this building; the project also received $276,645 in federal funds—the largest hospital grant given in Montana. Architects Ralph Cushing and Everett Terrell (CTA Architects) embraced key features of Modernism using long expanses of light and dark brick, deep roof overhangs, and minimal ornamentation. Sixty years later, federal loan funds and private donations again funded Livingston HealthCare, a new hospital facility east of town. In 2019, non-profit developer Homeword, Inc., revived this building using state grants and federal tax credits to convert it into thirty-four affordable housing units.
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