Filed Under Miles City

McAusland House

Carriage House Historic District

Nestled amidst grand Queen Anne style houses is this early folk residence. The wooden home, constructed for Scottish immigrant John McAusland, appears on an 1883 bird’s-eye map of Miles City. A steeply pitched side-gable roof and a small dormer dominate the home’s façade. Originally, the dormer likely framed a door that led to the roof of a full-length front porch. The main part of the house is one-and-one-half stories; the kitchen is under a separate, one-story roof. This plan was common in the 1800s. Placing the kitchen under separate roof minimized fire risk. Bucket brigades could more easily reach a one-story roof, perhaps saving the rest of the house in case of a kitchen fire. The design also provided good ventilation, a boon during hot summers. McAusland arrived in Miles City from Deadwood, Dakota Territory, in 1882. In 1886, he was named postmaster, an appointment that reflects political connections. The plum patronage position paid $1,800 annually (equivalent to approximately $37,000 today). In later years, he worked as a clerk. He still lived here with his daughter in 1914.

Location

1013 Palmer Street, Miles City, Montana | Private

Metadata

The Montana National Register Sign Program, “McAusland House,” Historic Montana, accessed March 28, 2024, https://historicmt.org/items/show/255.