Montana Avenue was one of El Paso’s primary residential streets for much of the twentieth century; recently some of its imposing houses have been adapted for different purposes. This house, built for attorney, rancher, and politician William W. Turney and his wife, Iva, is now a museum. When built, the grand Classical Revival house was at then the northeast edge of the city. The two-story house, with its portico of six colossal fluted Corinthian columns, is set back from the sidewalk by two flights of steps. After her husband’s death in 1939, Iva Turney conveyed the house to the City of El Paso. The city leased it to the International Museum of Art, which opened in 1947. Requiring space to exhibit the Samuel H. Kress collection, the museum was expanded in 1961, with lateral additions that take advantage of the large site while not imposing on the monumental portico.
Across the street at 1301 Montana is the Trost and Trost Classical Revival house (1909) for physician S. T. Turner. Four stout Tuscan columns support a tall entablature and deep cornice over modillions that wrap the entire buff brick house. Turner came to El Paso in 1889 under contract with the Southern Pacific Railroad. The house has been the office of the El Paso County Medical Society since 1946.