The Caple family came to the Burnt Fork in 1884 from Webster County, Missouri. Caple became a successful rancher and real estate agent, profiting from brisk land speculation in the Bitterroot Valley during the early 1900s. Upon retirement from ranching, the Caples moved to Stevensville to supervise the building of their new home in town. Completed in 1909, the Stevensville Register proclaimed the Caples’ new residence one of the town’s most attractive and nicely furnished. The two-story Dutch Colonial style home features a gambrel roof with cross gambrel dormers and claims a prominent place in this residential neighborhood. Tuscan columns and decorative railings grace the full-width porch, inviting entry through the main door, which is beautifully glazed with oval beveled glass. Unusual and elegant pressed hardwood moldings around the doors and windows enhance the interior. The home was designed by W. R. Rodgers, a prominent architect-builder, who was largely responsible for the promotion and use of decorative cast concrete block throughout Stevensville during 1906-1916. The rock-faced cast concrete block foundation here reveals Rodgers’ specialty. Though the Caples soon returned to rural life on their son’s nearby ranch, this significant residence verifies the distinction of its well-respected first owners.

Images

W.T. Caple House
W.T. Caple House W.T. Caple House. Front to side view of the house, facing east to southeast on Church Street. Source: Montana State Historic Preservation Office Creator: Kathleen M. Olson Date: Dec. 1990
W.T. Caple House
W.T. Caple House W.T. Caple House. Front to side view of the house, facing east to northeast on Church Street. Source: Montana State Historic Preservation Office Creator: Makion Gebhardt Collection Date: 1909

Location

210 Church Street, Stevensville, Montana | Private

Metadata

The Montana National Register Sign Program, “W.T. Caple House,” Historic Montana, accessed March 29, 2024, https://historicmt.org/items/show/1767.