Moss Mansion facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Preston B. Moss House
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| Location | 914 Division St, Billings, Montana |
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| Area | 2 acres (0.81 ha) |
| Built | 1903 |
| Architect | Hardenbergh, R.J.; Gagnon, E.H. |
| Architectural style | English Renaissance |
| NRHP reference No. | 82003181 |
| Added to NRHP | April 30, 1982 |
The Moss Mansion Historic House Museum is a beautiful old house in Billings, Montana, United States. It was built in 1903 by Preston Boyd Moss (P.B. Moss) and his wife, Martha Ursula Woodson Moss, who was called Mattie. They moved to Billings from a smaller town in Missouri. This amazing mansion is made of red stone and is now a museum that you can visit.
History of the Moss Mansion
The Moss Mansion was home to Mr. and Mrs. Moss and their six children. Their children were Woodson Jackson, Kula, Melville Hollingsworth, Preston Boyd Moss, Jr., David Hickman Moss III, and Virginia. Three servants also lived in the house. The family lived there from when it was built until 1984.
Building a Grand Home
The house cost $105,000 to build in 1903. This was a huge amount of money back then! Most houses at that time cost around $5,000. The mansion is a three-story house with a basement. It also has a special room called a solarium, which is like a sunny glass room.
The house is very large, about 60 feet (18 m) wide and 45 feet (14 m) tall. It has 28 rooms inside. The red stone used to build the house came all the way from Lake Superior. The design of the house mixes different styles, like French Rococo and Moorish designs.
Inside the Mansion
The inside of the Moss Mansion is just as grand as the outside. It has fancy wood panels on the walls. Some walls even have gold threads woven into them. There are beautiful marble fireplaces and columns. The house even had an old-fashioned intercom system, which was very modern for its time.
Many of the original items are still in the house today. This includes the furniture, curtains, and carpets. Some of the Moss children's furniture has been brought back to the house. You can see Kula's furniture, quilts, and needlepoint. There is also a harp, which was important to Melville. Martha Moss's paintings and china are displayed on the main floor. Each room in the house had a special theme chosen by Martha Moss. These themes are still kept today to show how the house looked originally.
Visiting the Museum
The Moss Mansion is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is a very important historical building. The city of Billings and the state of Montana own it. You can take a self-guided tour or a one-hour guided tour to see the first three floors. The top floor is used for storage and offices.
The Moss Mansion was designed by a famous New York City architect named Henry Janeway Hardenbergh. He also designed other well-known buildings like the original Waldorf-Astoria, the Plaza Hotel, and The Dakota.
Since 1986, a group called the Billings Preservation Society has taken care of the Moss Mansion. This group is a non-profit organization. The museum gets its money from tours, events like weddings, and donations. They also hold yearly fundraisers and have members who support them.
