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LANDMARKS
TANDERSON HOUSE 345 FIFTH AVE. E., KALISPELL
HE YEAR 1908 WAS ONE OF MANY YEARS OF grand development in Kalispell and the sur- rounding area. It was the year when Henry Ford
produced the first Model T. Steamers that plied the waters of Flathead Lake were towing timber and hay. And houses sprung up throughout Kalispell’s burgeon- ing neighborhoods – including the one built on the cor- ner lot at 345 Fifth Ave. East.
This house was built by Gilbert Ketcham, the princi- pal of Flathead County High School from 1902-1911. It seems fitting that Ketcham, known for his love of teach- ing, would adopt the Craftsman style. For the Craftsman style was not only a design or architectural style, it was a philosophy, and a way of life.
The Craftsman style rebuked the overly decorated, ostentatious grandeur of the Victorian style. And it paid homage to artisans and skilled workers who were seemingly made obsolete during the Industrial Revolu- tion and their hard work, know-how and craftsmanship (hence, the name).
And in many ways the Craftsman style – and the home itself – tells the story about how homebuilding was no longer an activity for the upper class, but the middle class as well. In retrospect, it seems unlikely that Ket- cham, a man who loved to teach and share knowledge of language, science and the arts, would have chosen any other style for his home.
After the home was built, Ketcham lived there for just a few years. He sold it to Lloyd Shulkin, one of the five Shulkin brothers who shared the home and worked
BY JAIX CHAIX
“blocks” of windows and other geometric design motifs traceable to Frank Lloyd Wright, who greatly influ- enced the style. A gabled dormer, another signature of the Craftsman style, sits atop the side facing Fourth Street East. And white rafters and brackets beneath the blue eaves reinforce the decorative simplicity that is the mark of a Craftsman home.
The style also plays with symmetry and numbers. And this house has some of these features. For exam- ple, there are four columns on the front “porch.” There are four steps to step inside the front door that has four windows on each side. And the bay window has four pan- els – with four, scrolled brackets underneath.
In addition to what’s on the outside, there are many stylistic elements inside the home, including arched entries between rooms, floor-to-ceiling kitchen cab- inets, “lead windows,” and the styled floor heating registers.
Indeed, this home tells the story of the Craftsman style – not only in its design and construction, but also its legacy of residents who in many ways embodied the Craftsman philosophy as well.
Jaix Chaix is a columnist and author of Flathead Valley Landmarks and other local history books that are available for sale at the Flathead Beacon at 17 Main St.
in Kalispell.
BY GEORGIA CHRISTIANSON
PRICE: $235,000
WHAT: Three-bedroom, two-bath home SQUARE FEET: 1,392
This well-maintained ranch-style home is located in a wooded setting with large backyard and is just minutes from Flathead Lake.
PureWest Real Estate
MLS#: 337264
PHOTO BY JAIX CHAIX
together provisioning clothes and gear to loggers in the area.
In 1918, the home was purchased by its namesake: Adolph Anderson, a Norwegian immigrant. He lived in the home until his death in 1967, and the home remained in the Anderson family until 1980. While Adolph Ander- son kept the same address, he certainly changed careers a lot. While living in the home for nearly 50 years, he worked as a real estate agent, oil company manager, ser- vice station owner and hotel keeper along with his sons at the Hotel Kalispell.
Today, many of the original style elements are still plain to see. For example, the home features vertical
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This classic early American home in downtown Whitefish has numerous options due to the WR-4 zoning. Glacier Sotheby’s International Realty MLS#: 336755
If you would like your property listed in the Floor Space section,
please e-mail [email protected]. Entries are compiled by the Beacon staff and Georgia Christianson, Montana Brokers.
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