Spacious Victorian Luxury

Spacious Victorian Luxury. . , The home on the left (East) belonged to John L. Corbett, a civil engineer who drafted the original plat of Virginia City in 1868. Records indicate that Corbett owned the home only briefly in 1875-76. The Corbett side of the dwelling is constructed of log while the Daems side on right (West) is built with sawn lumber. Dr. Daems may have rented this side as an office for his medical practice; however, it is unlikely that the two buildings ever functioned together. , The Corbett residence, while small by today's standards, represents spacious and luxurious housing typical of Virginia City's wealthiest families in the 1860s and 70s. Front porches played a cultural role in the Victorian era by meeting specific female needs as a place where women gathered and shared information. Both homes exhibit spacious front porches, further suggesting that the porch held an important role in the social life of the occupants. , In 1946, Nelson McClurg sold the property to Charlie Bovey who used the building as a paint shop and storage facility. The careful restoration of the home by the Montana Heritage Commission's Historic Preservation Team began in 2006. In May of 2007, graduate students from Washington State University's Public History program stayed in the home as the first guests and are responsible for some of this interpretive text. The exterior finishing is the result of a historic finishes class taught by the Montana Heritage Commission.