Town halls originated in twelfth-century Italy, where bells were rung to call public assemblies, and Missoula architect A. J. Gibson’s city hall design drew on that history through Italian Renaissance features including a low-pitched hipped roof, wide eaves, an arch above the front door, and a symmetrical façade. Its prominent bell tower, common to American town halls, symbolized the importance of democratic assembly. Designed in 1906 to house city offices, the fire department, and the public library, the building originally had two sets of large bay doors for horse-drawn fire wagons flanking the front entrance. Although small communities often combined city services under one roof, that arrangement was not always ideal; library patrons in Hamilton sometimes complained about the smell of horses. The library moved to a new facility in 1914, and in 1940 Hamilton remodeled the city hall and fire station by adding a truck bay on the building’s south side. City offices moved to South Second Street in 1990, but the fire department continues to operate from its original home.