Hardin in Big Horn County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)

Francis Kopriva House

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, July 19, 2021

1. Francis Kopriva House Marker

Inscription. In 1900, John Svaren left his home in Bergen, Norway, to join family in South Dakota. There he learned English before homesteading to North Dakota in 1909. With his bride, Betsy, Svaren arrived in Hardin in 1917 to build a home. He applied his considerable talents as a carpenter to the construction of this one-and-one-half-story Craftsman style bungalow, probably relying on a pattern book for its design. Typical Craftsman elements are the combination of lap and shingle sidings, gabled dormers, wide eaves with exposed rafter ends, low-pitched roof, and high ceilings. To these basic specifications, Svaren tastefully added doors with fine beveled and leaded glass, hardwood floors, wide interior moldings, and an upstairs wall of built-in cupboards. Francis Kopriva bought the property in 1921, and Svaren moved on to build other houses in Hardin, helping the town grow from a “mud-streeted little village” into a vibrant community. Kopriva, co-proprietor of the Hardin Mercantile Company, owned the home until 1937. The late Don Stacey purchased the home in 1989, adding custom-made wooden storm windows and a new roof. Today the well-kept

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residence, with its beautiful landscaping, reflects the home’s picturesque early-twentieth-century charm and reveals the continuing care of its current owner.

Erected by Montana Historical Society.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Montana National Register Sign Program series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1900.

Location. 45° 43.984′ N, 107° 36.723′ W. Marker is in Hardin, Montana, in Big Horn County. It is on North Crawford Avenue near West 6th Street, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 416 North Crawford Avenue, Hardin MT 59034, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in andspecifically he Crow Nation,

in Southeast Montana, in Custer Country. It is also in the American Mountain West,

in the Lewis & Clark Corridor,

on the prairies,

on the Great Plains,

and specifically on the Northern Plains.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Rocky Mountains,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

Francis Kopriva House and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, July 19, 2021

2. Francis Kopriva House and Marker

The marker is at the far right.

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 are within walking distance of this marker: Charles S. Eder House (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Big Horn County Courthouse (approx. 0.2 miles away); 412 North Custer (approx. 0.2 miles away); Big Horn County Library (approx. ¼ mile away); Lee Building (approx. ¼ mile away); St. Joseph's Catholic Church (approx. 0.3 miles away); T.E. Gay Building (approx. 0.3 miles away); Schneider Harness and Confectionary (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hardin.

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, July 19, 2021

3. Francis Kopriva House Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on December 4, 2024. It was originally submitted on January 1, 2022, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 251 times since then and 21 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on January 1, 2022, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.