108 Hawthorne Avenue

The Empire Land Company constructed many of Judith Place’s most fashionable residences, including this oneand-one-half-story Craftsman style home circa 1914. Reflecting the Progressive Era’s emphasis on efficiency, the company adopted the relatively new “systems approach” to building, which used standard-sized studs and joists to expedite construction.

Advertising themselves as “Lewistown’s Home Builders,” the Empire Land Company promised to “furnish plans, use first class materials and guarantee workmanship.” Despite its commitment to standardization, the company varied details to give each home an individual flare. In the case of this house, a fulllength porch tucked under the upper attic story, exposed rafter tails, a W-truss tracery, and decorative barge boards distinguish the exterior.

Attorney W. R. Kirk briefly owned the home before selling it in 1916 to Charles and Daisy McClave. The McClaves lived here with their two children, a maid, and Daisy’s mother through the early 1920s. The now defunct town of McClave was named for Charles, who served as president and manager of Montana Flour Mills.

His company’s slogan, “It’s the wheat,” reflected his connection to area farms.