William Tallman arrived in Bozeman in 1901 to become chair (and sole member) of the mathematics department. At the time, fewer than fifty full-time students attended what was then known as Montana State College. He and his wife Anna built this one-and-one-half story home in 1902. The fashionable residence combines Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, and Shingle style features. The most prominent design element is the gambrel roof. Especially when built with dormers, a gambrel roof offered an economical and comfortable second story without the added expense of second-story walls. Anna died of cancer in 1908 leaving William with three children. The following year, he married Anna’s sister, Maud, a recent math department graduate. Fixtures in a neighborhood that catered to faculty families, the couple remained in the house until 1945, when Tallman retired to become his department’s first emeritus professor. Throughout their residency, Professor Tallman took an active interest in public affairs, including serving four years as a member of the Bozeman city council.
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