Filed Under Hamiliton

William and Rose Brennan House

Hamilton Southside Residential Historic District

Copper king Marcus Daly contracted with William Brennan to supply his Butte mines with 1.5 million feet of timber monthly in 1889. Brennan and a partner first established a mill at the mouth of Skalkaho Creek. Two years later, at Daly's direction, they moved their mill to the new town of Hamilton. Not long after Daly purchased Brennan's operation, and Brennan became a concrete and stone contractor. He and his wife Rose had this stately home constructed circa 1891. It was the first brick-façade residence in Hamilton. (Asphalt shingles have since replaced the second-story brick.) Devout Catholics, the Brennans hosted mass here—served twice monthly by a traveling Jesuit priest—until the construction of St. Francis Church in 1896. In 1909, the residence became home to Robert and Minnie Beck. Robert was a dentist, auto enthusiast, and an active participant in the Good Roads movement. Local sources credit his lobbying efforts for the construction of Skalkaho Road. The residence underwent several remodels: sometime after 1944, owners built two large additions on the north and west and converted the house into a duplex.

Images

William and Rose Brennan House
William and Rose Brennan House William and Rose Brennan House (PAc 91-51 Hamilton R05 F22). Front to side view of the house, facing west to northwest on South 3rd Street near the corner of South 3rd and State Street. B&W. Source: Montana State Historic Preservation Office from the Photograph Archives at the Montana Historical Society Creator: Photographer unidentified Date: Sept. 1987

Location

205 South 3rd Street, Hamiliton, Montana | Private

Metadata

The Montana National Register Sign Program, “William and Rose Brennan House,” Historic Montana, accessed March 29, 2024, https://historicmt.org/items/show/1747.