Page 31 - Flathead Beacon // 1.22.13

FLATHEADBEACON.COM REAL ESTATE
JANUARY 22, 2014 | 31

LANDMARKS
546 Second Ave. E., Kalispell
McGovern/Karcher House

liveliness about the home.
By JAIX CHAIX
Mrs. McGovern unfortunately passed in 1903. Mr.
McGovern and the children remained there for a few Corner houses, by their very location, often serve
years afterward.
a greater purpose far beyond “house and home.” They
In 1907, Mary Karcher purchased the home. Karch- serve as landmarks for those guided by “turn right at
er continued letting rooms and taking in boarders of all the brown house on the corner” or “we’re the driveway
walks of life within the home.
just after the house on the corner” and other means of
One of Karcher’s longtime boarders, and perhaps giving directions (both good and bad).

best-known in local history, was Chester Brintnall. But a house on a corner – with a turret – is going to
Brintnall boarded here from 1907 until 1925. Brintnall serve as a landmark whether it wants to or not, as if ref-
worked for the postal service and helped establish mail erences to it were part of some pre-determined “geo-
delivery service for rural delivery routes. He also served graphical destiny.” Even in a world of GPS and “Google
as assistant postmaster, Flathead County Commission- maps,” it’s hard to trump “good, old-fashioned” direc-
er and secretary of the board of Civil Service examiners.
tions such as “turn right at the turret house on the cor-
After Karcher’s ownership, the home would later ner . you can’t miss it.”
PHOTO BY JAIX CHAIX
be converted to several apartments, adding even more Indeed, a turreted Queen-Anne home on a corner wing (added on in the early 1900s).

residents to the list of folks who called “the turret lot is going to be hard to miss. Yet, while the McGovern/ A little less obvious may be the way of life that once
house on the corner” home.
Karcher House at 546 Second Ave. E. in Kalispell may transpired here. The McGoverns had seven children.
More recently, the home has once again been con- be an obvious wayfaring beacon in the neighborhood, In addition to seven children and two adult parents,
verted back to a single-family residence. And while we the unique history of the home is often overlooked.
the house was home to even more people, as the Mc-
may never know the history of everyone who lived and The home was originally built between 1899 and Governs still made room to take in “boarders.”
boarded here, we can fortunately still appreciate the 1903 by Thomas McGovern. McGovern was an Irish Boarders refer to the people who paid for a room
home as a relic of the Queen-Anne era, and one of the immigrant and a director of the Conrad National Bank and were provided with regular meals and lodging. And

few “turret” homes in the Flathead Valley (and a way- of Kalispell. McGovern built several rental homes in the term “board” refers to the manner in which meals
point for giving directions).
the area, and built this ine home for his own family were once served – on a board.
residence.
Ofering “room and board” was mainly to ofset the
Aside from the obvious – the nearly three-story tur- costs of keeping the home. Aside from the cost of build-
Jaix Chaix is a writer who appreciates history and ret – at the southeast corner, the home also has many ing a grand home, the costs of maintaining and heating
architecture. You can share ideas and historical facts features typical of the Queen-Anne style. The pat- a home were considerable, and sometimes beyond even
with him at [email protected]. Also visit terned shingle roof and shingle siding are hallmarks of what the more aluent could aford. Renting rooms
facebook.com/latheadvalleylandmarks
the era, as are the mansard roof and porch of the rear
was also a way for many to have a sense of company and

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