72 Castner Street, Belt, MT 59412

Located in the Belt Commercial Historical District at 72 Castner Street, Belt, Montana the Belt Hardware Company building was constructed from local quarried sandstone. It is indicative of the the transition of Belt from a mining camp to a more permanent town. It is one of the anchor buildings in the district. The substantial two-story building is originally decorated with a pressed cornice, pediment, and store front. The metalwork announces the date of the building, 1896, in the upper triangle, BELT HARDWARE CO, HARNESS, FARM IMPLEMENTS and VEHICLES is stamped across the entablature. The Hardware Company was constructed during the first phase of commercial development in Belt and its fancy Late Victorian metal work belies its age. The building retains a high degree of integrity and is a important if not the most important contributing structure to the history of Belt.