Lewis and Clark County Hospital
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Lewis and Clark County Hospital Historic District
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Old Cooney Hospital, built 1939, photo 2012
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| Location | 3404 Cooney Dr., Helena, Montana |
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| Coordinates | 46°37′20″N 112°2′12″W / 46.62222°N 112.03667°WCoordinates: 46°37′20″N 112°2′12″W / 46.62222°N 112.03667°W |
| Area | 3.8 acres (1.5 ha) |
| Built | 1891 |
| Architect | Charles S. Haire; J. G. Link & Company |
| Architectural style | Art Deco, Moderne |
| NRHP Reference # | 02001101 |
| Added to NRHP | November 19, 2002 |
The Lewis and Clark County Hospital Historic District is a historic district in Helena, Lewis and Clark County, Montana. It has also been known as "Cooney Convalescent Home", "Miner's Hospital", "Poor Farm", and "Old Cooney Home". There are seven buildings and a garden on the property; four buildings and the garden are part of the historic district: the hospital, detention hospital, shed, superintendent's residence, and garden. The non-contributing buildings are the modern garage, concrete garage, and ambulance garage.
Public hospital care in Lewis and Clark County began with the Miner's Hospital in 1866. Until 1885, public medical care occurred at several locations and via multiple funding mechanisms, including a "Poor Farm" where people grew their own food. The current location came into use in 1885 when a new hospital was built on the current site, designed by M. Bakker. In 1891 it became known as the Lewis and Clark County Hospital, with a focus on providing care for those who could not afford a private hospital, which was a major problem in the days before Social Security, especially for those without children to provide assistance. Expansion of the building occurred in the early 1890s and again in 1899, when architect Charles S. Haire designed new wings.
From the 1880s to the 1920s, records show that more than 350 people were buried on this site in a county cemetery, although the markers are long gone and the exact location of the cemetery is unknown.
The original hospital structure was destroyed on October 18, 1935, when a major earthquake struck Helena. The current historic main hospital building was built in 1937–1939 to replace it. This structure is a T-shaped, two-story, concrete building with a basement. The Helena office of J. G. Link & Company were the architects of this Art Deco/Early Moderne design, which includes a flat roof, colored concrete, and diamond-shaped tiles. The south side has a central entrance. There are many bays and windows around the exterior of the building. The interior floorplan has remained essentially the same as it was in 1939. The hospital became the county-owned convalescent home on September 24, 1961 and was renamed the Cooney Convalescent Home.
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