Bellingham Then & Now: Montague Manor

With its proximity to Western Washington University and the preponderance of large houses built in decades past, North Garden St is a popular street for college housing. 

One of these large houses is known as the Montague Manor, and was built in 1904 by Bernard Montague, a dry goods store proprietor. The store’s location on the corner of Railroad and Holly (they moved out of Fairhaven in 1897) proved to be a lucrative one, in the heart of the newly formed Bellingham municipality. 

Like many of the owners of these grand old houses, Montague is described as an active participant in local leadership:

“Montague, an astute businessman, was active in civic affairs, and a respected merchant and community leader. He was a member of the City’s park board, an active worker for the Church of the Assumption, and a member of the Knights of Columbus.” (source)

Bernard Montague died in 1923, but the store, Montague & McHugh, remained in operation, and McHugh eventually moved the business to another notable building still standing today: the Crown Plaza.

But since we’re nearing the end of October, you know there’s something more to this house than just a mansion-turned-dorm, right?

This is the time of year when we gut pumpkins and carve them into flickering apparitions. When weathered plastic skeletons clatter in the late October winds, and leaves let loose their grasp on tree branches and dance merrily to their deaths, leaving behind skeletons of another kind. When the campfire stories of late summer nights creep back into our memories as we wrap a coat tighter and walk a little faster, under a dark and clouded sky.

There are plenty of stories passed down through the occupants of the Montague Manor, from run-of-the-mill unknown sounds and creaks, to the more tantalizing: a stair that leads to nowhere, the ghost of a woman in the attic, and the story of a severed goat head. I’ll redirect you to this article in the Western Front for all the details.

Previously on Bellingham Then & Now:  A look back at the early economic boom in Whatcom County.

Next up on Bellingham Then & Now: Morse Hardware is an example of a business surviving through resilience.

Sources:

Merrill, Monique. (2017). “Haunted Bellingham”. The Western Front. Link.

National Historic Register. Link. 

Images:

Then: Whatcom County Assessor Property Search. Link.

Now: Cooper Hansley

Crown Plaza:  National Historic Register. Link.

Blog copy by Tiffany Holden