Manley’s General Store, Listed!

The Manley General Store, constructed in 1911, stands as a restrained representation of the Western Commercial style, reflecting its unpretentious vernacular roots, a style common to many commercial buildings in the rural areas of Montana during its period of construction.  Upon its construction, the building served a general store with additional duties as a local post office. With the closing of the store around 1934, the building assumed a new role, one that played an equally significant, if not more important role than the building’s use as a store—it became quite literally, the community’s anchor as the Garneill Community Hall.  The nomination was prepared by Dr. Tim Urbaniak and John Boughton.

FERGUS COUNTY, 42 Garneill Road, Garneill, SG100011024

LISTED, 11/5/2024

From 2025 Award Ceremony

The 1911 Manley General Store is a reminder of Fergus County’s homesteading boom and the importance of a gathering place for the community living around the unincorporated Garneill, Montana, situated five miles north of Judith Gap.

Proprietor W.S. Manley and his brother David began constructing the brick building in 1910. Manley’s commercial enterprise lasted a little more than 25 years. Once vacant, the Garniell community saw the building’s potential as a community hall in the mid-1940s. By the 1980s, Garniell’s next generation committed to significant repairs to the deteriorating building. Today, another generation has chosen to commemorate Manley’s General Store and the role it’s played in the Garniell community.

Dr. Tim Urbaniak prepared this nomination