Built in 1909, at what was then the edge of Bozeman, Kenyon House has long stood as a quiet landmark of craft, care, and community.
Originally a modest bungalow built by Squire Kenyon—a self-made entrepreneur who founded one of Bozeman’s earliest lumber, hardware, and coal businesses—the home grew alongside the town itself. His son, Carlisle Kenyon, expanded it into the grand Dutch Colonial it is today: a spacious, three-story house with remarkable woodwork and architectural character, restored with intention and heart. After the death of Carlisle’s adult daughter, the house was left to her widower, William V. Ogle, Sr., who also assisted with the company Squire and his partner Tom Noble had started in the late 1880s. The transition to Ogle was a success, and the family lived happily in the house well after the last of the children had gone to college.

In 1975, the Ogles built a new residence near the university, and the house at 612 West Main transitioned from its role as a family residence to a rental. That lasted until Ogle’s daughter, Penny, renovated and updated it, transforming it into a real estate office. As home sales slowed in the early 2010's, the company shrunk and much of the work transitioned to home offices, the house endured a series of commercial tenants with varying levels of care and maintenance skill. Finally, in 2024, that changed. Drawing from a background in architecture, photography, and design—and fueled by the dream of creating an "art hub"—Kenyon House was reclaimed as a place for creative community. Lovingly restored and brought up to modern standards, the house now supports artists through affordable studio spaces, drop-in and hosted classes, exhibits, and small-scale events. Every piece of trim and paint was chosen with care—not only to preserve the past, but to invite something new.

Kenyon House is both a tribute and a beginning. It honors the legacy of hands that built and shaped it—Squire’s industriousness, Carlisle’s love of the arts, and the Ogle family’s stewardship—and now offers that spirit to the wider community. Whether someone is leading a workshop in the sunny classroom, hosting an art guild gathering in the meeting room, or sharing new work in the gallery, they are all contributing to something timeless: a space where creativity is respected, connection is encouraged, and the house continues to live, breathe, and belong to those who make things. As Carlisle once said, “An organization succeeds not because it is big or because it is long established, but because there are people in it who live it, sleep it, dream it and build future plans for it.” That’s the heart of Kenyon House.