This year’s city Christmas ornament is the Arvon Block.

The Great Falls-Cascade County Historic Preservation Advisory Commission selected the block, which now houses the Hotel Arvon and Celtic Cowboy as the 18th in the annual commemorative ornament series.

These numbered ornaments, designed by local artist Sheree Nelson, are available for $20 at the in the city planning office at the Civic Center, Great Falls Public Library, The History Museum, Cassiopeia Books, Dragonfly Dry Goods and Mountain Colors Hand Painted Yarn.

City staff will also be selling the ornaments again this year at the Christmas Stroll on Dec. 5.

Great Falls Public Library is the city’s 2024 Christmas ornament

Proceeds support the preservation of historic places in Great Falls and Cascade County.

The Arvon Block was built in 1890 by Robert Vaughn, who was the first to register a ranch in Choteau County, which included the Sun River Valley before Cascade County was created, according to Samantha Long, the city-county historic preservation officer.

After his wife’s death, Vaughn retired from ranching and moved to Great Falls, where he built the Arvon, which housed the Axtell Stables on the east side and a hotel on the west, and named it after his infant daughter Arvonia.

City Christmas ornament available [2023]

By the 21st century, the building was in poor condition, but was rehabilitated in 2013 and is now a landmark on the south side of downtown.

The Arvon ornament is the 18th in a series featuring historic places in Great Falls and Cascade County.

Past ornaments have celebrated such iconic historic resources as Gibson Park, Milwaukee Depot, the 10th Street Bridge, Fort Shaw, the Belt Theater, CMR High, Great Falls High, Ursuline Center, Great Falls Public Library and the Black Eagle Dam.

Past ornaments can also be purchased through the city planning office.