Hardcastle, William, residence

From ENHLDWiki

Dating to 1897, this house was home to the Fergus Kelley family until 1900. Kelley and his partner, architect William A. O'Brien, built the structure; they were partners from 1893 to 1899. In 1901 the home was occupied by William and Grace Hardcastle. William was a native of Great Britain, where he learned stenography at the Mechanics' Institute. He came to the United States in 1891, and in Butte served as the stenographer of District Court No. 3.

Hardcastle fought in the 1899 Philippine campaign with Company G of the First Montana Volunteers. He died young, of pneumonia at age 45 in 1912, but the house was the Hardcastle family home into the 1980s.

The home is marked by diverse textures imparted by cut ashlar stone and brick, transoms, arches, and 19th-century trim. Architect O'Brien also designed the Leonard Hotel, Con Kelley Mansion, and Evans Residence.

References

• Montana Historical Society, national register historic plaque