Fred M. Brown Residence

Queen Anne style details distinguish this home built for civil engineer Fred M. Brown and his wife Mary in 1908. Brown’s father, J. N. Brown—a prominent local contractor and brick maker—likely supplied the brick, but the architectural details of other nearby homes point to A. J. Svorkmoe as the probable builder.

Queen Anne elements include the uneven roof line, asymmetrical entry, and the mixed brick-and-shingle façade. Stately Tuscan columns framing the open porch and wide overhanging eaves speak to the transition from nineteenth-century Queen Anne to the classical-inspired trends of the early 1900s. The well-preserved interior features original hardwood floors and a handsome marble fireplace.

While the Browns were in residence, Fred was county surveyor from 1908 to 1920. In addition to a prolific career as an engineer, he was Bozeman’s second city manager from 1924 to 1928 and served a term as representative of Gallatin County in the 1929 Montana State Legislature. The Browns, in residence until 1930, raised two children here.

Their daughter, Esther, became a longtime Dean of Women at Montana State University.