This Queen Anne Victorian House was designed for James Shields by Helena architect Noah J. McConnell and built by M.C. McSherry, a mason, of Butte, MT. It is an excellent example of this style. It has three patterned chimneys, all of brick, as is the house itself, and a prominent turret at the front, as well as leaded stained glass windows. Built in 1894, the house has stood the test of time quite well. The house stands at 420 Main Street, one block south of Kennedy Commons, the major downtown park in Anaconda.
On May 4th, 1894 the
Anaconda Standard published a small article on the house, indicating that construction was to begin forthwith, with completion in the fall of the year.
Noah J. McConnell
Although Mr. McConnell did not reside in Anaconda, he frequently advertised his services in the Anaconda Standard between 1892 and 1895. He designed at least three documented buildings in Anaconda, in addition to a number of undocumented blocks and residences. Mr. McConnell came to Montana in 1886, forming a partnership with J. C. Paulsen in Helena. He designed numerous brick business blocks in Helena's historic downtown between 1886 and 1893. In addition, Mr. McConnell is credited with designing the famous Broadwater Natatorium at Colonel Charles Broadwater's resort west of Helena.
From the National Register Multiple Property Form
Shields Residence
Narrative Statement of Significance
This elaborate residence at 420 Main Street was constructed by Architect N. J. McConnell of Helena and mason M.C. McSherry of
Butte in 1894 for Mr. and Mrs. James Shields. The Queen Anne style characterizes the house, which is one of the largest brick
mansions in the West Side Historic District; in addition to its size, its handsome price tag of $15,000 is the largest found thus far for a residential construction during the 1890s. The dwelling is therefore eligible under Criterion C of the National Register of Historic Places. Mrs. Shields was a sister of Margaret Daly, the wife of town founder Marcus Daly. Mr. Shields was an aspiring businessman.
Background History
The 1890s were especially a time of growth and expansion for Anaconda and the Anaconda Company. Not only was a new complex constructed west of the Upper Works, but the town also experienced its largest all-time period of growth, with the population expanding from nearly 4,000 in 1890 to almost 8,000 in 1895. Coinciding with this population increase was a
construction boom. Several large mansions were constructed west of Main Street by Anaconda's elite, including physicians, attorneys, journalists, and the Anaconda Company's most important corporate managers and officials.
The Shields Residence is one of four dwellings within the Anaconda West Side Historic District that was specifically constructed for a relative of town founder Marcus Daly. In addition to the Shields residence, the homes at 410 and 414 Hickory were constructed for sisters of Mr. Daly, while the home at 522 Hickory was constructed for his in-laws, Mr. and Mrs. Zenas Evans. James Shields is best known for his construction of the Shields block located on the northwest corner of Park and Main. It was designed by architect W.W. Hyslop and constructed for $25,000 by Dol~ and Hamill during the summer of 1890. Mr. Shields had been one of the original members of Marcus Daly's Townsite Company who came to Anaconda in May of 1883 to parcel off lots in the town.
Mrs. Shields gave a walking tour of the new home on January 5, 1895 to a Recorder reporter. Such detailing included Anaconda granite for the steps, wood work from the Bitterroot Mountains, pressed brick from the brick company in town, a carved bronze
newel post at the foot of the stairs, jeweled plate glass windows, Fleur de Lis, a French Second Empire feature commonly called gold ornamentation with a floral motif. Both Irish Point and Spanish Silk draperies appeared, and Mrs. Shields was solely responsible for the interior design of the home. It was noted in the April 27, 1895 edition of the
Anaconda Recorder that Mr. Shields was busy putting in a lawn around his home and was planting balm of Gilead trees on tbe border of the property.
Horace Huntington Durston acquired the home in 1904 when he married Lillian Shields, the daughter of James Shields. Mr. Durston, the nephew of John Hunt Durston, the first publisher of the
Anaconda Standard, was born in Syracuse, New York in 1880. He had come to Anaconda with his uncle in 1898, his first job being that of a cattle puncher in the Big Hole. He was made the advertising manager of the
Standard in 1899. In 1906, be resigned from the
Standard to engage in the real estate and insurance businesses in Anaconda, which he did until 1919 when he moved to Fort Worth, Texas to become the assistant to the Vice President of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad.
The home was parceled into individual apartment units in approximately the 1940s, and an original rear garage was removed. the original hardwood appears in the home, and the exterior retains almost all of its original integrity. The home is one of the most finely decorated architect-designed in Anaconda.
The home may have been the most expensive residential construction project of 1894-1895, costing approximately $15,000.
From the National Register Registration Form