GARGOYLE

ca. 1890

X1975.17.01

Longtime Helena resident Homer Hewins built his namesake Homer Block for $25,000 in 1890 at a time when - as one of several communities vying to become the permanent state capital - the "Queen City" aspired to create a more cosmopolitan persona. One of a matched pair, this copper grotesque is emblematic of the grand, high-style architecture Helena and other Montana cities embraced in their attempts to "civilize" the formerly wild west. Once perched on pedestals on either side of the apartment building's entryway, the Homer Block's twin grotesques recalled ancient mythical creatures, or chimeras, that once guarded temples and other buildings. These types of architectural features are often mistakenly referred to as "gargoyles." Technically gargoyles function as waterspouts as well as decorative motifs; grotesques like these are strictly ornamental.