Main Hall
The School of Mines Building (Main Hall) was the first building built on the Montana School of Mines campus. It was designed by John C. Paulsen, one of the Rocky Mountain regions most prominent architects, and built in 1896-1897. The building was not fully completed and furnished until late 1900, when the college opened. It was designed in Renaissance Revival style and is the best preserved example of this building style in Montana.
Features of the building include terra cotta “torch” keystones, wolf’s head gargoyles, and five faces on the outside of the building. The faces are those of Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) an American physics; Thomas Hunt (1826-1892) an American geologist; Moritz Gaetzschman (1800-1895) a German Mineralogist; John Percy (1817-1899) a British Metallurgist; and Alexander Holley (1832-1882) an American Engineer and Metallurgist. Why these particular leaders of the Sciences were chosen remains a mystery. However, they were all influential leaders in their respective fields and reflected the degrees originally offered at Montana Tech.
Inside the building is an open granite stairway with brass railing and wrought iron balustrade framed by polished granite columns. This three-story building originally had 25 rooms.
Today Main Hall houses the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology as well as the faculty offices for the Liberal Studies program. Several traditional style (not multi-media) classrooms are utilized by departments across campus.
