September 18, 2021

MOSS MANSION MUSEUM

914 Division Street, Billings, MT 59101

“The Moss Mansion Historic House Museum is located at 914 Division Street in Billings, Montana, United States. It is a red-stoned mansion built in 1903 by Preston Boyd Moss and his wife, Martha Ursula Woodson Moss.” - Wikipedia

This turn-of-the-century mansion was designed by Henry Janeway Hardenbergh who designed other notable buildings such as the original Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. The home was built by Preston Boyd (PB) Moss who, after purchasing two banks, settled in Billings to raise his family. At the time the average home in Billings cost around $3000…their home cost around $105,000 to build. PB went on to be involved in many business ventures around Billings including sheep and cattle ranching, hotels, a sugar processing plant, organized the first dial telephone company in the area, and founded a newspaper. He also promoted a futuristic city called Mossmain, which was to be built about 10 miles west of Billings but the war years caused plans for his city to dwindle and die.

The home has 28 rooms on three floors. Highlights on the main floor included a lavish parlor, a grand hall with a stately staircase, a library with beautiful stained glass windows, a conservatory, and a dining room with the most beautiful built in china hutch and buffet I have ever seen. This was the first house in Billings to have all electric light fixtures. Each room has its own chandelier and matching side-lights, and all were stunning. The second floor featured the master suite and rooms for the boys, girls, guests, and grandparents. They were not called bedrooms, as the rooms were meant for the inhabitants to do more than just sleep. Each room had it’s own closet with a sink and running water, which was quite a luxury at the time.

The house contains all of its original furnishings, as the middle child lived in the house until her death in 1984. Today, visitors can take a self-guided tour after watching a short video about the family and the history of the mansion. There was a docent roaming the building answering any and all questions one might have. I did chuckle to myself as the docent told me about the “hidden” foot pedal under the dining room table used to summons the servant during meals. He made is seem as if this were a feature exclusive to this home, when in fact I’ve experienced the same thing in three or four of the mansions I’ve toured this year.

If you like stately, older homes then I certainly recommend going to see the Moss Mansion.