Miner's Savings Bank & Trust Co.
Butte National Historic Landmark District
Butte experienced its second mining boom in the teens before World War I. The Miner’s Bank is indicative of the healthy economy during these years when copper rose to a high of twenty cents a pound. On September 1, 1912, fire claimed the Thomas Block, which housed the Miner’s Savings Bank. Depositors suffered no losses and the bank immediately planned to rebuild. John Shackleton designed and constructed the current building, completed in 1913. A flat roof, decorative brickwork, large display widows flanking three recessed entries, and rows of windows above the street level reflect the high demand for office and living space. A row of concrete “M”s uniquely embellishes the space between the first and second floors. The bank occupied a ground floor office until the 1960s. Upstairs, Lawrence and Katherine Graves were the longtime proprietors of the Miner’s Bank Block Furnished Rooms. In 1930, among their thirty-five lodgers were an architect, an actress, a teacher, miners, and salesmen. Also curiously lodged under the same roof were government Prohibition agent Carrol Olson and declared bootlegger Henry Allexis.
