Filed Under Red Lodge

Alderson House

Hi-Bug Historic District

Over a quarter of the houses in the elite “Hi Bug” neighborhood were built between 1900 and 1901, including this one-and-one-half-story home, erected as a real estate investment by Red Lodge merchant Walter R. Hall and his wife Louisa. After leasing it briefly, Red Lodge Picket owner and editor Walter Alderson and his wife Anna purchased the home, where they lived for twenty-four years. Sometime before 1907 they added an open front porch. Upwind from the coal mines and separated from the railroad depot by the city’s first park, the Aldersons raised three children here. When Walter died in 1924 following a long illness, Anna lost the property. J. F. Montgomery, owner of the Golden Rule Store, purchased the residence in a sheriff’s sale in 1925. In the 1930s local contractor Leo Ranta was likely hired to update the house by enclosing the front porch and adding distinctive Craftsman style detailing. The tri-arched fascia over the sun porch and front door is a Ranta hallmark. Though rare in this neighborhood, the design elements are found on homes throughout Red Lodge.

Images

Alderson House
Alderson House Alderson House (PAc 91-51 Red Lodge/Hi-Bug HD R01 F12). Front view of the house, facing west on Hauser Avenue. B&W. Source: Montana State Historic Preservation Office from the Photograph Archives at the Montana Historical Society Creator: Photographer unidentified Date: July/Aug. 1985

Location

313 Hauser Avenue North, Red Lodge, Montana | Private

Metadata

The Montana National Register Sign Program, “Alderson House,” Historic Montana, accessed March 28, 2024, https://historicmt.org/items/show/2224.