Filed Under Butte

W.A. Clark Jr. Home

Butte National Historic Landmark District

A unique blend of historical elements and details characterize the home of W. A. Clark Jr., built in conjunction with the adjacent carriage house in 1900. H. M. Patterson’s asymmetrical design features a granite coursed ashlar foundation, rusticated base, and corbelled brick banding on the first-floor façade. The unusual arched openings are semicircular with pointed crowns and cushion springers. A projecting oriel and classical pediment adorn second-story openings, while intricate modillions support the cornice. Interior appointments include an oak-trimmed vestibule, dining room, and library, with an intricate terra cotta fireplace mantle, further evidence of the family’s wealth. The elder Senator Clark’s sleazy politics and the darker dealings of the Clark family leave locals aghast even today. William, Jr., who lived in the Butte home until 1905, later achieved embarrassing notoriety for benevolent gestures that were apparently intended to hide an aberrant lifestyle.

Images

W.A. Clark Jr. House
W.A. Clark Jr. House W.A. Clark Jr. House, side view. Source: MontanaPictures.net Creator: MontanaPictures.net Date: June 2008
W.A. Clark Jr. Home
W.A. Clark Jr. Home W.A. Clark Jr. Home (PAc 91-51 B3 RollJK03 F13). Front view (from Carriage House) of the house, facing southwest on West Galena Street. The home (to the right in the photograph) is conjoined with the Carriage House (to the left of the photograph) and is features as the tallest of the two structures. B&W. Source: Montana State Historic Preservation Office from the Photograph Archives at the Montana Historical Society Creator: Jeff Kestle Date: 1984

Location

842 West Galena Street, Butte, Montana | Private

Metadata

The Montana National Register Sign Program, “W.A. Clark Jr. Home,” Historic Montana, accessed March 28, 2024, https://historicmt.org/items/show/1927.