Henry Elmer “Kirk” Kirkemo was born in 1894. Kirkemo was hired by Missoula, Montana, architect Ole Bakke as a draftsman in 1920 and he became a licensed architect in 1924. After Bakke retired, Kirkemo continued the architectural firm under his own name. Formally trained, Kirkemo created innovative designs using modern architectural theory and materials. He was a pioneer in the field of ‘Lift Slab Construction.’ Kirkemo designed hundreds of public and private buildings throughout Western Montana and Idaho. The Wilma building and St. Patrick’s Hospital are two of the most noteworthy Kirkemo projects, but he also designed many area schools in western Montana and buildings in Wallace, Idaho.
Lillian Fellows was born on September 6, 1898 and spent her early years in Vermillion, South Dakota. She moved to Missoula on November 1, 1920 and married H. E. Kirkemo on July 30, 1921.When H. E. Kirkemo retired in the early 1960s, his son, James W. Kirkemo, took over the business.
The collection includes photographs, personal and business-related correspondence, and other records. Of particular note are many clippings, articles, and photographs relating to Missoula’s Wilma Building and St. Patrick’s Hospital. Also included is H. E. Kirkemo’s estimate/billing book and photographic portfolio of completed projects. There is information, personal correspondence, and a few photographs relating to the Hilger family, a pioneer family that settled in the Gates of the Mountains area near Helena. The majority of personal correspondence in the collection is from Lillian Kirkemo.
Folders in the collection have been arranged alphabetically.
Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of Archives and Special Collections, the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, and The University of Montana--Missoula.
Researchers are responsible for using in accordance with 17 U.S.C. and any other applicable statutes.
[Name of document or photograph number], H. E. and Lillian Kirkemo Papers, Archives and Special Collections, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, The University of Montana-Missoula.
This collection was donated to the Archives by Lillian Kirkemo in 1987. More recent clippings were added to the collection prior to 2003.
Materials were sorted and placed into folders by the processor.
The Archives holds architectural drawings by H. E. Kirkemo in the collection: Gibson, Bakke, Kirkemo Architectural Drawings (Mss 020).
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.