Known as the Crowley Residence, this very large 2½ story Wasmansdorff & Eastman designed residence is classified as Victorian, though built in 1911, slightly after the Victorian era. The house exhibits several Victorian traits, including Corinthian columns supporting the full width porch. The porch is curved around a muted round turret at the east corner of the building. On two sides of the building are two story curved bow windows.
Resting on a cut stone foundation, the large, 12 room residence was built for Mrs. Annie Crowley in 1911, six years after the death of her husband Daniel. Daniel was one of the first settlers to homestead in Lewistown, arriving in 1881 and immediately becoming one its foremost citizens. Crowley soon had his hands in several prosperous endeavors which Annie continued to manage following his death, building the Crowley Block on Main Street in 1913.
Crowley Residence
This very large 2-1/2 story detached residence occupies an open corner lot in the courthouse area of the community. The massing includes a full hipped roof with large hipped roof dormers on all four downslopes. Unique to the anchor mass is a large open porch across the front of the residence that terminates in an open circular veranda at the extreme left side of the entrance elevation. The house configuration reflects this curve with a circular turret (contained below the hip roof) at the east corner of the house. The curved form repeats on both the northwest and southeast walls in segmental curved wall planes. A one story flat roof element is attached to the southwest side of the structure to complete the massing. The low slope roof is covered with composition shingles trimmed with a narrow molded vinyl fascia and vinyl soffit. Walls have been recovered with wood grain green vinyl siding. The open veranda is supported by wood Corinthian columns and has a small projected portico attached above the main entrance. Wood lattice work encloses the crawl space below the porch and the ceiling of the porch is bead joint boards. 1/1 wood double hung windows are typical with aluminum storm windows over. Leaded and beveled glass sidelites flank the entrance and a beaded and beveled transom occurs above the living room window. Two tall square common bond brick chimneys penetrate the roof and are capped by upset pyramidal shapes derivative of tudor brick chimneys. The foundation is cut stone with ribbon joints and has been painted. A detached hip roof garage occupies the southwest corner of the lot.
Classification: Victorian
This property is significant because of its association with Daniel M. and Annie Crowley, who joined in "generous plans and helpfulness" towards their community. Dan Crowley was one of the earliest settlers in Lewistown. Arriving about 1881, he took up a homestead, "and rapidly acquired interests that made him one of the big men financially and otherwise in this section of the State". Following his death in 1906, his extensive business interests were capably managed by Mrs. Crowley.
Wasmansdorff and Eastman were the architects for Annie Crowley's 12-room home built in 1911 near the Courthouse Square. The residence stands as a visible sign of the prosperity of the growing community and is a good example of the housing built for many successful pioneer entrepreneurs of the period. Wasmansdorff and Eastman also designed the substantial Crowley Block in 1913, which housed "Swietzer's" department store and two floors of offices. The Crowley Block, built in the 300 block of' Main Street, stands on the site where Dan Crowley's stables once developed strains of horses for the track.
From the NRHP Architecture Inventory Form, Site 248