Historic Deer Lodge Apartment Nominated for National Register

• June 12 2023

The first apartment building built in Deer Lodge has been nominated for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.

The two-story Robworth Apartments, located one block south of the downtown Deer Lodge business district, was built in 1919. Joseph Whitworth, president of the city’s U.S. National Bank, and William Robertson, a building contractor from Butte, were responsible for its construction. Robertson acted as both architect and builder.

The apartments have been an integral component of Deer Lodge’s housing alternatives,” wrote Janene Caywood in the nomination document. “When it was first completed in 1919, it provided a new alternative to residential hotel or boarding house living. It has continued in that capacity, uninterrupted, for over 100 years."

The two-story building, constructed over a daylight basement, originally contained 15 units, and represents the optimism of the post-World War I era in Deer Lodge. Caywood noted that each of the first and second floors contained six apartments. Oddly, the floor plan shows that most of the bedrooms have a door that opens into the main hallway although the main entrances are from the exterior.

An article in Deer Lodge’s newspaper The Silver State described them as having “a bath, kitchenette, electric range, and the Murphy disappearing beds, except those in the basement.” Eleven of the 12 apartment units rented for $50 a month, with one (presumably larger unit) renting for $60: The three basement apartments rented for $35 a month. The article called the building a “splendid addition to the housing facilities of the city,” and noted it was “fireproof.”

Space in the basement has been reconfigured to create five apartments; Caywood notes that the date of this modification is unknown. It currently is a mix of long- and short-term rentals.

The Robworth Apartments face west onto Main Street, which follows the historical route of the Yellowstone Trail and now serves as the Interstate 90 Business Route.

“The Robworth Apartments possess strong integrity of location, feeling, and association,” Caywood added. “The walls of the foyer and corridor retain their original stained and varnished wood chair rail and wide baseboards … as well as the original two-inch hardwood flooring.

The entrances to the apartments retain their original wood doors with recessed panels and brass hardware, wood-framed transoms, and board trim. The staircase on the south side of the foyer retains the original newel posts and handrail, which are stained and varnished to match the baseboard trim. The treads and risers are carpeted, but the underlying material appears original.