Uploaded October 2023 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
In "Building Our Rural Schools in 1915," historic preservation architect Lesley Gilmore discusses how small Montana towns used free standardized schoolhouse plans issued by the state. They specified minimum requirements for floor space, ventilation, heating, lighting, water supply, and toilet facilities. As a result, Gallatin Gateway’s 1915 two-story, four-room brick school bears a remarkable resemblance to the masonry schools in Judith Gap, Musselshell, and Buffalo in both plan and elevation. Just as schools used standard plans for health, safety, and economy, so too did the U.S. Forest Service in their plans for fire lookout towers built in the national forests.
In "Building Our Rural Schools in 1915," historic preservation architect Lesley Gilmore discusses how small Montana towns used free standardized schoolhouse plans issued by the state. They specified minimum requirements for floor space, ventilation, heating, lighting, water supply, and toilet facilities. As a result, Gallatin Gateway’s 1915 two-story, four-room brick school bears a remarkable resemblance to the masonry schools in Judith Gap, Musselshell, and Buffalo in both plan and elevation. Just as schools used standard plans for health, safety, and economy, so too did the U.S. Forest Service in their plans for fire lookout towers built in the national forests.
