Filed Under Virginia City

Cole / Batten House

Virginia City National Historic Landmark District

This early home, built circa 1868 by C. E. Hill, was reputedly the site of Virginia City’s first Chinese wedding. The two-story section was originally finished in vertical siding, the eaves were trimmed in fancy latticework, and a small porch sheltered the entry. The back sections and wraparound veranda were added well before 1900. The front door, original interior hardware, and parlor windows (likely packed in sawdust and shipped via steamboat and overland by ox-drawn freight wagon) remain intact. The Ella Cole family owned the property from 1873 to 1937 when it was sold to B. F. Williams. Richard and Clida Batten Fristedt bought the home in 1947. The family of Clida’s first husband, Evan Batten, was one of the first to settle in Nevada City in the 1850s. The property eventually passed to Evan and Clida’s daughter, Evalyn, and her husband, Richard Johnson. In 1992, the Johnsons meticulously restored the home to its nineteenth-century appearance, and it is today a prominent feature of this landmark Virginia City neighborhood.

Images

Cole/Batten House, Virginia City
Cole/Batten House, Virginia City View looking south at Cole/Batten House facade Source: Montana Heritage Commission Creator: Kate Steeley, Montana Heritage Commission Date: Oct 2019

Location

200 East Idaho Street, Virginia City, Montana | Private

Metadata

The Montana National Register Sign Program, “Cole / Batten House,” Historic Montana, accessed March 29, 2024, https://historicmt.org/items/show/859.