Calvin and Magdalene Cook came to Montana from Kansas in 1880 and settled near Stevensville. Like many early settlers, the Cooks' intent was to farm. After more than a decade of farming, however, business opportunities in Stevensville beckoned and the family moved to town. In 1894, Calvin opened a transfer business, and in 1899 the Cooks became owners and managers of the Stevensville Hotel. Calvin added merchandising to his list of interests as partner in the Stevensville Trading Company. In 1910, the Cooks made plans to build a new home that would reflect their hard-earned success. Local architect Warren Roscoe Rodgers drew the plans for this beautiful residence, which provides a model example of the transition from Queen Anne to Classical Revival styles. Asymmetry of the roof line, ornate porch railings, and a two-story front bay reveal lingering Queen Anne elements fashionable in the late 1800s. A simple floor plan, classical Tuscan columns, and projecting portico reflect the emerging Revival style. Rodgers' skillful use of concrete block, visible throughout Stevensville, is evident in the home's decorative concrete block foundation. The residence passed to daughter Cora and husband John Emerson in 1930. It has since remained in the Cook family, a well-preserved, lasting tribute to these early settlers who put down roots in Montana.
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