{"id":3656,"featured":0,"modified":"2026-07-10 22:10:46","latitude":46.242115144546204419384594075381755828857421875,"longitude":-114.1614139080047607421875,"title":"Wilson House","subtitle":"Hamilton Southside Residential Historic District","fullsize":"https://historicmt.org/files/fullsize/1fc8f84374011247c33e0a665cc72915.jpg","address":"507 South 5th Street, Hamilton, MT","all_locations":[],"zoom":17,"creator":["Montana Historical Society"],"description":"Hamilton experienced a building boom in the mid-1930s as federal work relief and affordable housing programs started to ease economic stagnation during the Great Depression. Programs included low-interest loans from the Federal Housing Administration, which promoted small cottage homes like this one to working-class families. The smooth stucco walls, symmetrical gabled dormers, and shingled gable ends reflect the English cottage aesthetic. Civilian Conservation Corps carpenter Axel R. Larson and wife Martha built the house in 1935 but never lived in it. They moved to Missoula and sold the home to auto mechanic Walter “Bud” Wilson and his wife Pearl. Bud worked at the Ford dealership and later repaired machinery for Ravalli County. Pearl stayed home to raise their son Earl and was active with the St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Ladies Guild. Earl graduated from Montana State University in civil engineering in 1952 and later worked to improve roads and drainage in Glacier, Yellowstone, and Mount Ranier national parks. Bud died in 1971 and Pearl remained in residence until she died in 1978.","sponsor":null,"accessinfo":"private","lede":"","website":"","related_resources":["<a href=\"https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/c6eaa3c4-7bfc-4a2c-aa8f-33f7a9396e5a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Read more about the Hamilton Southside Residential Historic District</a>","<a href=\"https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/c2415d71-dcb1-4e5a-999d-f966f5b61677/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">See photos of the Hamilton Southside Residential Historic District</a>"],"factoids":[],"files":{"https://historicmt.org/files/fullsize/1fc8f84374011247c33e0a665cc72915.jpg":{"id":6450,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Wilson House","description":"View of facade | Google Streetview image | ca. September 2025","alt":"Photograph of hosue shaded by trees","thumbnail":"https://historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/1fc8f84374011247c33e0a665cc72915.jpg"},"https://historicmt.org/files/original/f78c6e8fd59b8874f6d66b2a24411fdb.pdf":{"id":6545,"mime-type":"application/pdf","title":"Hamilton Southside Residential Historic District","description":"Nomination Documentation. This document is an accessible remediation of the original 1988 scanned nomination form. | <a href=\"https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/c6eaa3c4-7bfc-4a2c-aa8f-33f7a9396e5a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">NPS Hamilton South Side Residential Historic District Nomination</a> | 2026 | Montana Historical Society","thumbnail":"https://historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/f78c6e8fd59b8874f6d66b2a24411fdb.jpg"}}}