Judge John McHatton, his wife, Rose, and their children made their home in this two-and-one-half-story Queen Anne style residence from 1895 until 1918. Built in 1892, the elegant brick and clapboard home designed by Butte architect John Patterson features the abundant angles and decoration that distinguish the Queen Anne style. The second story was added in 1905. The growing popularity of the Colonial Revival style likely influenced the decision to incorporate an upper-story Palladian window, broken pediments above the second-floor windows, and other classical details. McHatton arrived in Butte in 1885. He served as district judge from 1889 to 1897 before resigning to work as chief council for copper king F. Augustus Heinze. At the turn of the century, Heinze employed thirty-seven lawyers in his fight against the Anaconda Company, a legal battle that at one time included 133 active lawsuits. When McHatton retired from active practice, he moved to California, but his Montana connections remained strong. Before leaving the state, he donated his entire law library—reportedly some two thousand volumes—to the University of Montana law school.
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