Real estate developers platted much of Butte's West Side in 1889, anticipating the building boom that soon followed. Among the many residences constructed in 1890 was this one-story duplex, which owner George E. Clark likely built as an investment property. The residence's most distinguishing characteristic is its mansard roof. First popularized in France, Mansard roofs allowed builders to squeeze a full floor of living space above the cornice without adding another story. In 1900, widow Martha Matlock lived here with her four children, ages 23 to 13. All but the youngest child worked to help support the family: the two boys as miners, the girl as a housekeeper like her mother. From 1906 through 1923, the residence was home to members of Rebecca Richards' family. Twice widowed, Rebecca married for a third time in 1890 to Joseph Richards, a miner ten years her junior. Miles City directories suggest that after 1906, he lived with her only occasionally. Her more reliable companions were her daughters: sales clerk Jennie Bennett and Elizabeth and Mary Bennett, both teachers at Blaine School.
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