Austrian immigrant George Barich came to Anaconda from Butte in 1883 to work at the smelter. He later turned to commercial business and, in 1892, commissioned builders Daniel Dwyer and John Cosgrove to construct the first floor of this block. Barich opened a saloon in the building, which he operated until his retirement in 1910. Dwyer and Cosgrove added the block’s second story in 1893. Its fourteen offices were soon converted to bachelor rooms as single men flooded Anaconda’s boardinghouses during the booming 1890s. Barich came to play an important civic role as a founder of St. Peter’s Austrian Roman Catholic Church and as agent for the North German Lloyd Steamship Company. In this capacity he helped newly arrived Austrians find suitable housing, work at the smelter, and the companionship of fellow immigrants. The Barich Block, now a primary element of the historic commercial district, was independently listed on the National Register in 1983. The upper story retains its original design, featuring fine ornamental brickwork and granite trim.