Bozeman in Gallatin County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
Mendenhall Residence
Bon Ton Historic District
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, July 25, 2021
1. Mendenhall Residence Marker
Inscription.
Mendenhall Residence. Bon Ton Historic District. The design for this two-and-one-half-story home came from architect D. S. Hopkins, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, who published numerous “pattern books” of architectural plans. The Queen Anne style defines the residence, which features an asymmetrical façade, steep gables, a projecting bay, a two-story porch, and expressive spindlework. Outbuildings include a barn and carriage house. John and Mary Susan Mendenhall constructed the home in 1886. A merchant and unsuccessful gold-seeker, John arrived in Bozeman in 1864, where he and partner Achilles Lamme ran a successful mercantile. He was the county’s first elected sheriff. Mary Susan was Lamme’s sister-in-law. A Civil War widow, she moved to Bozeman in 1869; she and John married the following year. Mary Susan continued in residence with her son Sam after John died in 1896. Sam, who became Bozeman’s first city manager in 1922, also owned and operated Bozeman’s electric company and street railway. In 1933, chemistry professor O. E. Sheppard and his wife Dorothy owned the distinctive residence, where they lived with their ten children. In 1946, the home was purchased by Malcolm Story, grandson of Bozeman founder Nelson Story.
The design for this two-and-one-half-story home came from architect D. S. Hopkins, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, who published numerous “pattern books” of architectural plans. The Queen Anne style defines the residence, which features an asymmetrical façade, steep gables, a projecting bay, a two-story porch, and expressive spindlework. Outbuildings include a barn and carriage house. John and Mary Susan Mendenhall constructed the home in 1886. A merchant and unsuccessful gold-seeker, John arrived in Bozeman in 1864, where he and partner Achilles Lamme ran a successful mercantile. He was the county’s first elected sheriff. Mary Susan was Lamme’s sister-in-law. A Civil War widow, she moved to Bozeman in 1869; she and John married the following year. Mary Susan continued in residence with her son Sam after John died in 1896. Sam, who became Bozeman’s first city manager in 1922, also owned and operated Bozeman’s electric company and street railway. In 1933, chemistry professor O. E. Sheppard and his wife Dorothy owned the distinctive residence, where they lived with their ten children. In 1946, the home was purchased by Malcolm Story, grandson of Bozeman founder Nelson Story.
Erected by Montana Historical Society.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture
Location. 45° 40.411′ N, 111° 2.34′ W. Marker is in Bozeman, Montana, in Gallatin County. It is at the intersection of South Willson Avenue and West Dickerson Street, on the left when traveling north on South Willson Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 521 South Willson Street, Bozeman MT 59715, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Montana’s Yellowstone Country. It is also in the American Mountain West and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor. Globally, it is in North America, the Rocky Mountains, 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.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 4, 2024. It was originally submitted on February 21, 2022, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 626 times since then and 42 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on February 21, 2022, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.
