Obviously, the city meddled with the numbers, probably resulting in misdelivered, or undelivered, mail for a week or six. Designed by architect C. E. Bell, this 2½ story brick residence was built for George J. Wiedeman by contractor George Tubb. Built in 1904 as a wood framed structure, it is now a brick faced structure, the result of Weideman's having been one of the organizers of the Lewistown Brick and Tile Company. Lewistown Brick and Tile came into being in 1911, the bricks were put on the house in 1915.
Beginning as a cattle rancher, George Weideman, it turns out, was one of the more forward thinking young entrepreneurs in early Lewistown, partnering with several of the other local movers and shakers in various projects. Weideman also saw the value of infrastructure, hence his participation in the creation of projects as Lewistown Brick and Tile and the Lewistown Electric Light Company.
Much of what Weideman did in early Lewistown seems not to have gone unnoticed by the local newspaper, the
Fergus County Democrat, which included the following short item on Weideman's new house on Page 8 of the December 27, 1904 issue.
The people of Lewistown are building homes. Twenty new residences went up during the year and they are all good comfortable houses. G. I. Wiedeman has had one of the finest residences in the city built on his lots on Second Avenue and Boulevard. It is a two story frame with a basement and a complete heating plant. The finish is of the best and when completed, Mr. Wiedeman will have one of the most beautiful residences in the city. Tubb Bros. built the house which cost. $10,000. Many other pretty residences ranging in price from $1,500 to $4,000 have been erected during the year.
Weideman Residence
This large square 2-1/2 story detached residence occupies a very large corner lot in the maturely developed and landscaped boulevard or "silk stocking" district of Lewistown. The roof massing is hip shaped with a very small truncated area at the apex; hipped roof dormers project from the northeast and southwest roof slopes and a pedimented gable roof dormer looks out to the southeast. All roof dormers feature glass windows with a classic diamond grillework. The roof covering is wood shingle and terminates in a modest overhang with boxed cornice of bead-joint wood boards. The: roof edge is trimmed with a narrow flat wood fascia and the cornice is supported by sculpted modillion blocks that butt into a frieze board that caps the top of the wall. Other elements in the massing include a hipped shed element that is one story in height along the southwest and northwest back corner of the anchor mass, a small hexagonal bay window that projects from the dining room on the northeast elevation (right of center), a Classical Greek portico above the entrance on the southeast elevation, a section of two story high curved wall at the extreme right side of the southwest elevation, and a slightly projected rectangular wall element in the center of the northeast elevation. The entry protico is support by 1/2 scale free-standing wood Doric columns and engaged rectangular columns at the wall interface. The tympanum of the portico is basicallly plain; the frieze incorporates regularly spaced metopes. The entrance door has leaded sidelites and a leaded elliptical fanlight above. The entrance element is accessed from a slightly raised brick patio that extends full width of the southeast elevation.
Georgian and Federal styles are the most strongly represented influences on this residence. The bowed bay is characteristic of Federal architecture. The pattern of the brick is derivative of Dutch brick architecture and the projecting bays represent a romantic revival departure from the formality of the basic style.
A pioneer rancher and businessman, George Wiedeman maintained "public-spirited interest in all that tends to the progress and material prosperity of his home city, and the development of Fergus County."
He was treasurer and manager of the Montana Hardware Co., of which he was an organizer in 1983 with T. C. Power, J. W. Power, A. W. Warr and N. M. Erickson. Recognized as one of the "most progressive young businessmen of the section", he assisted in the organization of several development oriented businesses, including the Lewistown Electric Light Co. and the Lewistown Brick and Tile Co.
The Wiedeman residence, designed uy C. E. Bell of Helena, was built in 1904 and was originally a frame structure. It was the first of several substantial residences in the section which later became known as the "Silk Stocking District", and stands as a visible sign of the growth and prosperity of the period.
In 1915, the Wiedemans gave their home a veneer of dark, vitreous brick, produced by the Lewistown Brick and Tile Co., which George Wiedeman help to establish in 1911.
From the NRHP Architectural Inventory Form, Site 243