Montana Historical and Architectural Inventory (Site # 193)

Address:	713 W. Main Street
Ownership Name:	Chester D. & Jane K. Brown
Historic Name:	William M. Blackford Residence
Common Name:
Date of Construction:	1909
Architect:	Wasmansdorff & Eastman
Builder:	George Tubb
Original Owner:	William M. Blackford
Original Use:	Residence
Present Use:	Residence

Physical Description:

A large, powerful two-story pyramid roof residence with substantial hipped dormers projecting from every face of the pyramid. A classic projecting portico at the first floor identified the entry. A hipped veranda wraps around the left (northeast) sid e of the structure at the first floor level; it begins at the portico roof. Two symmetrically placed bay windows lookout from the second floor of the street façade. A rectangular oriel window occurs in the southwest elevation and is vertically a ligned below the dormer above. Basically wood shingle, except for composition shingles on the southwest dormer, the roof is edged with a narrow molded wood fascia and boxed cornice of bead joint boards. A wide frieze board caps the top of the wall and i s trimmed with a projected molding at the bottom of the frieze. The second floor walls and the dormers are sided with wood shingles including the flared vase shape below the west bay window. The first floor, the railing at the portico, and the foundatio n are of cut stone. A wide wood trim board separates the cut stone from the shingled wall above. The portico features a cornice, dentils, a frieze board and an undecorated tympanum. It rests on dwarf order Doris columns. Double hung 1/1 wood windows w ith aluminum storms are typical. Diamond patterned glass can be seen on the second floor, stained and leaded glass has been used at selected locations, and beveled glass occurs in the sidelights adjacent to the entry. Penetrations are cased in wood (wide flat casing on the second floor) and the entrance screen door is a decorative wood element. Two common bond brick chimneys with large Tudor "flares" created by corbeled brick penetrate the roof.

Historical:

This residence is significant because of its association with William M. Blackford, a leading attorney of Fergus County. The Blackford, Symmes, and Waite homes, all built in 1909, illustrate the use of locally quarried and hand cut sandstone for the f irst floor only. This became the trend as a building materials, such as brick and lumber, became more readily available in the growing community.

The impressive Blackford residence, built on Main Street across from the Courthouse Square, is a visible sign of the prosperity and stability of the community in 1909.

William M. Blackford came to Montana in 1899, first "hanging out his shingle in the sulphurous atmosphere of Butte" and then Helena before coming to Lewistown in 1894. Associated with him in his law practice was his younger brother, James. The offices of Blackford and Blackford were located in the Judith Basin Bank Building.

Blackford and Huntoon was formed in 1914, when he entered into partnership with J. C> Huntoon in the practice of law.

W. M. Blackford married Anna, a daughter of Herman Otten, in 1895.