Margetts House
Extraordinary demand for copper in the early 1900s brought thousands of workers to Butte and spawned a building boom. Craftsman style bungalows proliferated in Butte’s southwest neighborhood between 1910 and 1918. The subdivision attracted small business owners, skilled workers, and occasionally, lawyers, doctors, and high-ranking Anaconda Copper Mining Company (ACM) employees like Leslie R. Margetts. Leslie was the superintendent of the Washoe Sampler, ACM’s division in charge of ore sampling and grading. Leslie and his wife Annie purchased this two-bedroom bungalow when it was new in 1916. The hipped roof, overhanging eaves, and shingle siding are hallmarks of the Craftsman style. The Margetts devoted their free time to fraternal organizations and community improvement. Leslie was 1928 master of the Masonic Silver Bow Lodge No. 48, 1929 President of the Butte Kiwanis Club, and 1942 potentate of the Butte Bagdad Temple of the Shrine. Annie was known for her paintings and acting in local plays. She was also a charter member and 1931 queen of the Tirzah Shrine Temple’s Daughters of the Nile. The Margetts remained in residence until Leslie died in 1955.
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