St. Mary’s Mission, nestled in the Bitterroot Valley, was the birthplace of Catholicism in Montana. The mission is significant to the Catholic Church and the state of Montana because its establishment led to the inception of various Catholic missions throughout the region and the founding of Stevensville, Montana’s first permanent settlement. In 1841, a small group of Catholic priests, led by Father Pierre Jean DeSmet, established the St. Mary’s Mission in order to introduce Catholicism to the Salish Indians. After nearly ten years of successful proselytizing, a dispute between the Blackfeet and Salish Indians led to the Catholic Church’s destruction of the original mission. In 1866, the Church sent Father Ravalli to re-open the mission at a new location in Stevensville. Ravalli successfully led the Salish people back to the practice of Catholicism and introduced modern medicine to the community. Tragedy struck the mission again in 1891, when the Salish Indians were forcibly relocated by the federal government onto the Flathead Reservation in the Jocko Valley. This event ended the practice of Catholicism at the mission until the twentieth century. In 1921 the mission campus was re-opened and used until 1954 by the Catholic community in Stevensville. In 2010 the mission became a part of the National Register of Historic Places. Today, St. Mary’s Mission is a tourist destination in Western Montana.
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows Hall building has been an important social and commercial landmark in Stevensville since it was built in 1912. The IOOF is a fraternal (male) organization founded in Baltimore, Maryland in 1819. Generally speaking, its members work to improve society by providing in a variety of social services to the communities in which they are located. In Stevensville, members of the local chapter participated in these activities and gathered for meetings and other events on the second floor of the building; the first floor was leased for commercial use. For a time, the city occupied the first floor as well (see below). The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.
Bitterroot Family Church is historically significant for its architecture and role as an important religious and social center since its construction in 1886. Originally known as First Baptist Church, it was designed by Thomas W. Longstaff in the Stick Style, which is rarely seen in Montana. Typical features of this style exhibited by the the church are the decorative diagonal, vertical, and horizontal wood boards that mimic the structure of the building. Other notable features of the church are the bell tower, clapboard siding, and stained glass windows.
Built in 1898, the Albert May House is one of the best examples of Queen Ann architecture in the Bitterroot Valley. It was also the home Stevensville's first mayor, Albert May, who lived here from 1898 to 1909. The home features an elaborate wraparound porch with decorative brackets, a smaller porch in the back, scrollwork on the gable ends, stained glass, and clapboard siding. May, who operated successful sheep and cattle rancher with one of his brothers (they also operated a cherry orchard), was elected mayor in 1900. He also served on the board of trustees of a bank called First State Bank. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991 and remains a private residence today.
Stevensville United Methodist Church is significant as both an architectural landmark and an influential religious and former educational institution. The building was originally a two-story school built in 1885 called the Stevensville Grade School, which was the first purpose-built school in the city. In 1928, the building became the Stevensville United Methodist Church when the North and South Episcopal Churches merged. The congregation remodeled the building, converting it into the city's best example of Classical Revival architecture. It features a large, two-story portico with Tuscan columns, a red-domed cupola, stained glass windows, and a circular window on the west gable end. The church continues to be a vibrant house of worship. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.
The Bass Mansion is a historic home built by Dudley Bass in 1908. He and his brother William arrived in Montana in 1864 hoping to make it rich as gold miners but instead became highly successful fruit producers. Dudley built the mansion in the Neoclassical style, which gives it its stately appearance. The mansion's notable features include a two-story portico with six Ionic columns, a fan window in the pediment, and a semi-circular balcony above the main entrance. Inside, there is a grand u-shaped staircase, a dining room with a beamed ceiling and pocket doors, and decorative woodwork. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Bass Mansion remains a private residence today but is easily viewed from the street. A historical marker is located in front the house.
This Tour is a Walking Tour.
Get a QR Code for this tour
This short walk through the small town of Stevensville includes stops at several churches, including the St. Mary's Mission, known as the "birthplace of Catholicism" for the state of Montana. The tour concludes at the Bass Mansion which was constructed in 1908.
