Lewistown in Fergus County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
Silk Stocking Historic District
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, August 18, 2019
1. Lewistown Silk Stocking Historic District Marker
Inscription.
Silk Stocking Historic District. . The seven large residences that comprise Lewistown’s mansion, hence “silk stocking,” district were built during the city’s period of greatest prosperity, from 1904 to 1919. In this small neighborhood, central Montana’s major entrepreneurs, whose fortunes represent historic area resource development, built their homes. In 1904, J. T. Wunderlin, a partner in the Barnes-King gold mine at Kendall and an organizer of the Empire Bank and Trust of Lewistown, built his home here. Rancher George Wiedeman built his home in 1905, better able to follow his interests in the Montana Hardware Company and the Lewistown Brick and Tile Company. In the following years, homes were also built by Weymouth D. Symmes, owner of Power Mercantile and a Lewistown mayor; by John Waite, pioneer sheep rancher, banker, and state senator; by department store owner E. C. Swietzer; by rancher- businessman Fred Warren; and by banker T. T. Taylor. Many of these homes were designed by architects. Note the variety of styles, Roman Revival, Shingle style, Arts and Crafts, and Georgian. They attest to the exuberance of this special era in Lewistown’s history.
The seven large residences that comprise Lewistown’s mansion, hence “silk stocking,” district were built during the city’s period of greatest prosperity, from 1904 to 1919. In this small neighborhood, central Montana’s major entrepreneurs, whose fortunes represent historic area resource development, built their homes. In 1904, J. T. Wunderlin, a partner in the Barnes-King gold mine at Kendall and an organizer of the Empire Bank and Trust of Lewistown, built his home here. Rancher George Wiedeman built his home in 1905, better able to follow his interests in the Montana Hardware Company and the Lewistown Brick and Tile Company. In the following years, homes were also built by Weymouth D. Symmes, owner of Power Mercantile and a Lewistown mayor; by John Waite, pioneer sheep rancher, banker, and state senator; by department store owner E. C. Swietzer; by rancher- businessman Fred Warren; and by banker T. T. Taylor. Many of these homes were designed by architects. Note the variety of styles—Roman Revival, Shingle style, Arts and Crafts, and Georgian. They attest to the exuberance of this special era in Lewistown’s history.
Erected by Montana
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Historical Society; Department of the Interior, National Register of Historic Places.
Location. 47° 4.04′ N, 109° 25.698′ W. Marker is in Lewistown, Montana, in Fergus County. It is at the intersection of West Boulevard Street and 3rd Avenue North, on the left when traveling east on West Boulevard Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 298 West Boulevard Street, Lewistown MT 59457, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in andspecifically entral Montana in Russell Country. It is also in the American Mountain West and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once Rupert’s Land and also the Louisiana Purchase.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, August 18, 2019
2. Lewistown Silk Stocking Historic District Marker
Regarding Silk Stocking Historic District. from Wikipedia:
The Lewistown Silk Stocking District is a historic district in Lewistown, Montana which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.
About 4 acres (1.6 ha) in area, the district is roughly bounded by 2nd Ave., Boulevard and Washington Sts. and 3rd Ave. It included seven contributing buildings.
Architecture: Late Victorian, Georgian, Federal
It includes seven historic houses:
• Swietzer Residence (1919), 315 N. 3rd St
• Symmes Residence (1909), also known as Babin Residence, 220 W. Boulevard
• Taylor Residence (1920), also known as St. Leo's Rectory
• Waite Residence (1909)
• Fred R. Warren Residence (1915), Fallen Residence, 210 W. Boulevard
• Wiedeman Residence (1904), designed by architect C.E. Bell
• J.T. Wunderlin Residence (1905)
Credits. This page was last revised on December 27, 2024. It was originally submitted on December 13, 2019, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 529 times since then and 41 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on December 13, 2019, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.
