Dust to Dazzle

By John Grant Emeigh of The Montana Standard - 06/30/2006

The living room is rich with wood in the home, which was built by hand by Butte electrician Frank McTucker. The family lived in the garage for two years during the construction of the house, which was completed in 1915. Walter Hinick photos / The Montana Standard

Frank McTucker was as crafty as he was clever when he built a Craftsman-style bungalow on Lowell Avenue 90 years ago.

As an electrician for Butte’s Electric Railway, McTucker helped himself to a few items lying around the office to help him build his dream home: Doors and windows from Butte’s old streetcars can be found throughout.

Marnie Prigge, who has been refurbishing the home for the past nine years, said plenty of Butte history can be found in her home.

“Evidently, the men who worked for the companies in Butte had very large lunch pails,” she joked.

Prigge’s home will be one of the historic places featured in Saturday’s 2006 Dust to Dazzle Renovation Home Tour.

The McTucker family lived in the garage for two years while he was building the home. Coincidentally, the home’s address, 1915 Lowell Ave., is the same year the home was completed.

Prigge said McTucker was one of the finest electricians in Butte and wired the home himself. Electricity still flows through McTucker’s wiring today.

During her time refurbishing the home, Prigge has discovered many fascinating items from Butte’s history. Among these — advertising posters that once adorned the city’s streetcars.

See DAZZLE, Back Page Prigge discovered an old movie listings poster from a former Butte theater. Among the feature presentations on the poster was “Cinderella,” starring silent film legend Mary Pickford from 1914.

“When you look around the house, there’s just all sorts of little funky stuff you find,” Prigge said.

McTucker used old posters to insulate the floor from the basement. Some of these posters can be seen through the boards on the basement’s ceiling.

Though these posters would probably be worth money to collectors, Prigge said she would never tear out the old boards to get to the posters.

The home stayed in the McTucker family until 1994. Frank McTucker’s daughter, Eleanor, was the last to live in the family home. A piano teacher, Eleanor gave lessons there.

A stickler for detail, Eleanor left notes, filled with precise operating instructions, attached to pipes and wires. These weathered notes remain hanging from pipes and wires today.

In keeping with the bungalow style, Prigge’s home features built-in, tongue-and-groove cabinets and storage spaces. Impressive woodwork and leaded glass windows are seen throughout the home.

Craftsman bungalow homes are a uniquely American style of architecture popular during the early part of the 20th century.

— Reporter John Grant Emeigh may be reached via e-mail at john.emeigh@lee.net or by telephone, 496-5511