Montana-Dakota Utilities Building, 2603 2nd Avenue North, Billings, Yellowstone County, MT

STORED ON SITE. mchr
Significance: It is significant for the supportive role the growing power company played in the development of Billings and for the strong clarity of architectural expression typical of the cross-over from simplified Art Deco to early American Imperial Modern. The building portrays the parallel expansion of the gas industry - represented by the Billings Gas Company and its 1950 merging partner, the Montana-Dakota Utilities Company - with the rapid population increase of the City of Billings. The physical presence of the building relays the solidity demanded of a service provider and the restraint expected of a lean company that has to justify rates to consumers. The reduction of the building's facade to simple necessary forms promotes the exclusion of elaborate ornamentation. The increased prefabrication predominant after World War II is manifested in the interiors, with the use of new materials and streamlined production processes. The sole exterior clue to this is the use of folding aluminum windows.
Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: N1702
Survey number: HABS MT-120
Building/structure dates: 1948 Initial Construction
Building/structure dates: 1963 Subsequent Work