Susan Kirk Residence

Optimistic Bozeman entrepreneurs John Dickerson, Walter Cooper, and Nelson Story (of cattle drive fame) platted the Park Addition in 1883. Despite the arrival of the Northern Pacific that year, the addition remained undeveloped until the late 1890s, when the economy rebounded from the Panic of 1893.

Constructed circa 1897, this one-and-one-half-story residence is less grand than the mansions that personify the Bon Ton neighborhood. Nevertheless, the home makes good use of its corner lot with its "T"-shaped plan, bay window, and corner porch. Although later owners enclosed the two porches and attached a large apartment building to the west side, enough of the home's original stylistic elements remain to evoke an earlier era.

Simplified stickwork and shiplap siding covers the first story. In the gable ends, patterned shingles reflect the Queen Anne style's emphasis on diverse wall textures. Early occupants included Susan Kirk, the widow of farmer Henry Kirk, who lived here between 1902 and 1915. In 1920, the residence was the town home of farmer Charles H. Russell, his wife Nannie, and their three grown children.