By 1891, South Butte was a flourishing suburb, linked by streetcar to the uptown business district and the mines. Nevertheless, this lot remained empty until after 1900. By 1913, carpenters had constructed a one-story, flat-roofed duplex notable for its prominent porch pediment and its corbelled brick cornice. At one time, more elaborate columns likely supported the porch roof, which features wide gable trim, decorative shingles, and an ornamental wooden sunburst in the gable end. William and Carrie Bennetts lived in the north duplex from 1913 into the 1920s, renting out the south side to tenants, who included teamster William Raper and his family. William Bennetts worked alternately as a watchman and a hoisting engineer. Carrie owned the duplex. As in this case, early twentieth-century deeds often list the wife as sole owner of the family residence. This legal arrangement sometimes provided a measure of protection from a husband's creditors. Salesman Jack Dorgan purchased the building in the 1940s, converting it into a single family home in the early 1960s.
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