Albert May came to the Bitterroot valley with his four brothers in 1892. The Canadian-born May brothers raised stock, farmed, and operated several Stevensville businesses. Albert, his wife Phoebe, and daughter Alberta settled into this home circa 1899. In 1900, Albert became the newly incorporated town’s first mayor, securing 50 out of 54 votes. But tragedy marred the family’s success. An adopted son died young and Phoebe succumbed to respiratory illness in 1905. Alberta married and moved away while Albert remained in Stevensville with a second adopted son. Incapacitated by mental illness in 1914, he died in California in 1917. Dr. Frank Prince purchased the property in 1920, establishing his living quarters and medical offices here. According to an inscription in the dining room plaster, the residence dates to 1898. Its construction likely incorporated a log cabin which stood on the property by 1892. Described by the local newspaper in 1899 as “palatial,” this transitional Queen Anne style home features an ornate wraparound porch with decorative brackets, turned posts, and square balusters. A smaller back porch balances the asymmetrical plan. Lovely scrollwork in the gable ends, stained glass, and a clipped bay with delicate scrolled brackets and finials are quintessential Victorian-era elements. Clapboard siding with cornerboards and classical window treatments reveal the turn-of-the-century trend toward the Classical Revival style. Inside, original wood finishings, decorative woodwork, and period picture moldings reflect warm hospitality and period ambience.

Images

Albert May House
Albert May House Albert May House. Front to side view of the house, facing east on Church Street. Source: Montana State Historic Preservation Office Creator: Photographer unidentified Date: Dec. 1990
Albert May House
Albert May House Albert May House. Front to side view of the house, facing northeast near the corner of Church Street and East 3rd Street. Source: Montana State Historic Preservation Office Creator: Images by Stephen, Hamilton, MT Date: 1989
Albert May House, Stevensville, MT
Albert May House, Stevensville, MT View of facade Creator: Joe Furshong, photographer Date: May 2021

Location

218 Church Street, Stevensville, Montana | Private

Metadata

The Montana National Register Sign Program, “Albert May House,” Historic Montana, accessed March 19, 2024, https://historicmt.org/items/show/1779.