Broadway Avenue's original Western-vernacular architecture reflects European features, a reminder of Red Lodge's heyday as a coal mining town and the immigrants who shaped the community. ©Photo courtesy of Merv Coleman.

Red Lodge, MT – The American Planning Association (APA) announced the designation of Broadway Avenue as one of 10 Great Streets for 2010 under the organization’s Great Places in America program. APA Great Places exemplify exceptional character and highlight the role planners and planning play in creating communities of lasting value. It is the first Great Places designation in Montana.

APA singled out Broadway Avenue, which has no traffic lights, for the way it fuses a rustic, “Old West” character surrounded by wilderness with modern commerce. Additionally, decades of planning and restoration have helped bring the town’s two most precious assets – its history and proximity to one of the most gorgeous landscapes in North America – to the forefront of Broadway Avenue.

“Broadway Avenue in Red Lodge offers a unique combination of historic and modern charm. Maintaining this charm is the subject of several goals and policy statements in our Growth Policy. Those goals and policies have been incorporated into our Zoning Regulations with support of our business community,” said Mayor Brian C. Roat.

“Upon entering Broadway Avenue in Red Lodge Montana, you immediately sense that you are in a ‘real’ western place that has successfully combined the historic with the up to date,” added Glory Mahan, Council President.

Through Great Places in America, APA recognizes unique and authentic characteristics found in three essential components of all communities – streets, neighborhoods, and public spaces. APA Great Places offer better choices for where and how people work and live every day and are defined by many things including planning efforts, architectural styles, accessibility, and community involvement.

“We’re very excited to name Broadway Avenue as one of this year’s Great Streets,” said APA Chief Executive Officer Paul Farmer, FAICP. “Red Lodge leaders and residents are to be commended for their efforts protecting Broadway’s historic character at the same time ensuring the street continues to be a vital part of the local economy,” he added. 

A gateway to Yellowstone National Park, Broadway Avenue fosters a strong sense of place from its proximity and connectivity to the picturesque landscape. The street also hosts several annual parades and festivals. ©Photo courtesy of Merv Coleman.

Since APA began Great Places in America in 2007, 40 Neighborhoods, 40 Streets and 30 Public Spaces have been designated in 47 states and the District of Columbia.

Originally part of Crow Indian territory, Red Lodge was settled in 1882 after the discovery of gold and coal deposits nearby. European immigrants, the majority from Italy, Scotland, Wales, Germany, England and Scandinavia, flocked to Red Lodge to work the mines. With them they brought exotic artistic styles which influenced Red Lodge’s unique Western Vernacular architecture. 

With over 20 saloons and a riotous character, Broadway Avenue was part of a true “Old West” town. Its historic buildings, including the still-operating 1893 Pollard Hotel, were graced by notorious personalities such as William “Buffalo Bill” Cody and Martha “Calamity Jane” Cannary.

After the closure of the mines and the deterioration of the street’s buildings following the Great Depression, restoration efforts began in 1983 to reinvigorate Red Lodge’s lulled economy. Led by Patricia Bick of the Montana State Historic Preservation Office, a thorough examination of each structure along Broadway Avenue revealed detailed information about the original facades and served as blueprints for the restoration process. Today, Broadway’s buildings have been restored and adaptively reused as boutique shops, restaurants, and visitor centers.

Nestled high in a glacial valley at the base of the Beartooth Mountains, Red Lodge and Broadway Avenue itself has direct access to the region’s picturesque wilderness.

The “Mainstreet to Mountains Rocky Fork Trail,” part of the town’s 2006 Comprehensive Trails Plan, can be picked up from the Broadway and 8th Street intersection. The 80-mile network provides hikers, bikers and cross-country skiers direct access to Custer National Forest and the scenic surroundings.

The nine other APA 2010 Great Streets are: 5th Avenue in San Diego, CA; Wydown Boulevard in Clayton, MO; Massachusetts Street in Lawrence, KS; Spring Street in Eureka Springs, AR; Washington Street in Hoboken, NJ; Bank Street in Wallace, ID; Middle Street in New Bern, NC; Washington Street in Middleburg, VA; and Liberty Street in Franklin, PA.

For more information about these streets, as well as lists of the 2010 APA 10 Great Neighborhoods and 10 Great Public Spaces, and designations between 2007 and 2009, visit www.planning.org/greatplaces.

The American Planning Association is an independent, not-for-profit educational organization that provides leadership in the development of vital communities. APA and its professional institute, the American Institute of Certified Planners, are dedicated to advancing the art, science and profession of good planning -- physical, economic and social –  so as to create communities that offer better choices for where and how people work and live. Members of APA help create communities of lasting value and encourage civic leaders, business interests and citizens to play a meaningful role in creating communities that enrich people's lives. APA has offices in Washington, D.C., and Chicago, Ill. For more information, visit www.planning.org.

 

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