Turn-of-the-twentieth-century social critics warned that apartment living was the “most dangerous enemy American domesticity has had to encounter.” But as Missoula outgrew its living space, investors ignored the admonition. This splendid large-scale apartment house, built circa 1906, accommodated as many as fifteen separate households. Catering to a short-term, mostly professional clientele, early residents included a professor of literature, a music teacher, an attorney, an optician, a physician, and several business owners. During the later 1920s, pioneer bridge builder Obert Peppard, who built the first bridges across the Clark Fork River, was proprietor. A grand Roman entry arch highlights the Classical Revival style façade, while fashionable Chicago windows with stained glass transoms illustrate a significant stylistic transition. Today the well-maintained landmark, remarkably unchanged in both appearance and function, firmly anchors the district’s eastern edge.
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