St. Mary's Pharmacy, Stevensville, Ravalli County, MT

Significance: The first Catholic mission in the northwest was founded by Father Jean de Smet for the Salish (Indians) in 1841. The mission was abandoned in 1830 when the land and improvements were sold to John Owen who built a trading fort nearby. In 1866 the Jesuits reactivated the mission. Father Anthony Ravalli, designer of the famed Cataldo Mission, returned at that time to find St. Mary's Mission in ruins. Under his direction, utilizing the logs from the early church, the present log church was built. Adjacent to and north of the church Father Ravalli erected the first pharmacy built in Montana. This two story log structure still stands today. The furnishings and trim of this building were hand carved by Father Ravalli. In this building he served as a doctor to the local Indians. Father Ravalli remained at St. Mary's Mission until it was closed in 1891.

Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: FN-11

Survey number: HABS MT-11

Building/structure dates: ca. 1866 Initial Construction

drugstores log buildings mission 66 program indians of north america pharmaceutical industry medicine hospitals storage facilities montana mary pharmacy stevensville ravalli ravalli county american indians u james blackburn john n dehaas charles b goldy historic american buildings survey jack oyama anthony ravalli dick shanahan durward k sobek photo mary pharmacy architecture american architecture church architecture building church buildings jesuit christian order jesuits architectural diagrams library of congress

1933 - 1970

Library of Congress

http://www.loc.gov/

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