The Altnow-Smith Home - 506 3rd St NW | Mandan Historical Society

The Altnow-Smith Home in the early 1940s — The Smith family residence in the early 1940s

Dr. Hugh Altnow built this house in 1912 and lived there until 1924. The mail-order house arrived precut and was shipped through the Bingenheimer Mercantile Company.

The one-and-a-half-story dwelling is a classic Arts and Crafts bungalow. It retains built-in china cabinets and bookcases, box-beam ceilings, original light fixtures, and matching hardware from drawer pulls to doorknobs. Its distinctive foundation is made of prairie stone, while the wide eaves are typical of bungalow design. Hitching posts from the original wooden St. Joseph Church are displayed in the front yard.

Altnow eventually specialized in children's diseases and moved to the Twin Cities, where he helped establish the Hennepin County Clinic in Minneapolis. In 1924, he sold the house to Dr. Cecil Smith. Smith served for 25 years as the Northern Pacific Railroad's local physician and as physician for the State Industrial School, now the Youth Correctional Center. He also founded the Custer Health District.

The Smith family occupied the house from 1924 until the death of Smith's wife, Winifred, in 1976. Bob and Gloria Feickert later purchased it and lived there until 1988. Both worked for the Bismarck Tribune, and Gloria had worked for Dr. Smith while attending high school.

On the property

Altnow-Smith Home heritage sign

Photographed July 31, 2026. This reviewed transcription preserves the wording printed on the sign.

Altnow-Smith Home heritage sign. Select the photograph to view it at a larger size.

Read the reviewed sign transcription

The Altnow-Smith Home

506 3rd St NW

This house was built in 1912, by Dr. Hugh Altnow, who lived in the home from 1912 to 1924. The mail-order home came pre-cut and was shipped to Bingenheimer Mercantile Company.

The home is a classic Arts-and-Crafts bungalow design, a one-and-a-half story dwelling. It features built-in china cabinets and bookcases, box-beam ceilings, and original light fixtures. A particular feature of this home is that all the hardware matches, from the drawer pulls to the doorknobs. The foundation is very unique; it is made of prairie stone. The wide eaves of the home are typical bungalow design.

In the front yard of the home, the original hitching posts from the early Saint Joseph Church are displayed.

In 1924, Dr. Altnow, original owner of the home, decided to go on to further study of children’s diseases and sold it to Dr. Cecil Smith. Later, Dr. Altnow started the Hennepin County Clinic in Minneapolis, MN.

For 25 years Doctor Smith served as local physician for the Northern Pacific Railroad, as well as school physician for the State Industrial School (now known as the Youth Correctional Center). Dr. Smith was also founder of the Custer Health District. The home was occupied by the Smith family from 1924 until the death of Dr. Smith’s wife, Winifred, in 1976. The home was then purchased by Bob and Gloria Feickert, who lived in it until 1988. Bob and Gloria were employees of the Bismarck Tribune. Gloria had also worked for Dr. Smith when she was in high school.

Transcription reviewed on September 9, 2026. Faded wording, including the heading and address, was cross-checked against the archived Heritage Homes article and the existing property record. This does not constitute historical fact-checking.