Page 41 - Flathead Beacon // 9.24.14

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REAL ESTATE
SEPTEMBER 24, 2014 | 41
LANDMARKS
1044 First Ave. E., Kalispell
Adams House By JAIX CHAIX
The house on the corner at First Avenue East and Eleventh Street East in Kalispell is a fine example of a local-vernacular, Colonial-Revival/Craftsman-style home. But it’s also an example of an historic house with well-kept architecture – and a way of life.
The home was built around 1910 for Ms. Eliza Elliot as a rental property. Notably, her first tenants were the Peter Iverson family (whose lineage runs wide through the Flathead Valley).
In 1923, the home was purchased by its namesake, Mr. Jess Adams and his wife Ila. Jess came out west to Kalispell from Wisconsin in 1910, while Ila arrived a year later from Illinois, much like many others who were migrating west in the early 1900s. Jess and Ila married a few years later in 1914.
During their 21 years in the home, Jess and Ila kept the home much the way it was since it was built, which is no small feat in general, never mind while raising six children in the home (including two of their own).
The home was a place where Ila entertained guests, and Jess tended to the more important matters of life, namely fishing. Jess was an avid angler and could boast of catching a near-record cutthroat trout at Ashley Lake in the 1940s, when several other lunkers were landed that season as well (incidentally, the 16-pound state re- cord was caught in 1955 at Red Eagle Lake).
Meanwhile, Jess’ career as a fireman for the Ka- lispell Fire Department evolved while the family lived in the home. Jess ultimately achieved the rank of fire chief, before retiring in 1944, when the family moved to
PHOTO BY JAIX CHAIX
a farm west of Kalispell.
As chief of the Kalispell Fire Department, Adams
exacted the fight and fears of the World War II era, when he advised citizens during fire prevention week in 1942 that “at a time when the fate of the world hinges on American war production, destruction of life and prop- erty by fire is a criminal waste.” Hence, Chief Adams compelled Kalispellans to consider preventing fires and fire damage as their civic duty – and their part in sup- porting the war effort.
And as a firefighter and chief, Adams frequently tended to fires around town and his own neighborhood, during a time when oils, paraffin wax, electric wiring and other nearly forgotten hazards posed pervasive threats to life and limb and house and home.
Since the time of Adams’ tenure, the home has been kept in fine condition and in mostly original form. No-
tably, the home still has one of the fading hallmarks of early Kalispell architecture: an open, full-width front porch. Owners current and former have remarkably resisted the temptation to enclose the porch, and have preserved not only the character of the home, but the “front-porch-sitting” way of life from a bygone era (mi- nus a suspiciously missing porch column).
In earlier times, front porches were often crammed with turn-of-the-century excess, which typically in- cluded a variety of ferns, flowers, chairs with pil- lows aplenty, and other accoutrements of outdoor- living indulgence.
While times have since changed, the front porch is still used for sitting and watching life in the neighbor- hood go by, whether in Adirondack chairs or on the porch swing (all of which boast a red color that com- pletes a patriotic flair).
And so, not only is a unique Colonial/Crafstman mix preserved, but so is front-porch sitting – a forgot- ten art and pastime of the Flathead Valley.
Jaix Chaix appreciates history and architecture. Share ideas and facts with him at [email protected] or at facebook.com/flatheadvalleylandmarks.
CORRECTION: The Sept. 17 Landmarks column on Boyd’s Shop/Jimmy’s Welding should have mentioned that The Forge, which once occupied the building, has since closed. The building is also for sale. For more in- formation, contact David Girardot at 2120-0112, or by email at [email protected].
FLOOR SPACE By Georgia Christianson
What You Can Buy for About $250,000
NEXT WEEK: $300,000
KALISPELL
BIGFORK
COLUMBIA FALLS
KILA
155 Arbour Dr.
3268 MT Highway 83
1985 MT Highway 206
620 Hoffman Draw
PRICE: $249,000
WHAT: Four-bedroom, three-bath home
SQUARE FEET: 2,884
This nice home sits on a half acre in
a fantastic location near Glacier High School. It has an attached two-car garage, underground sprinkler system and big backyard. LandStar
MLS #: 330044
PRICE: $255,000
WHAT: Two-bedroom, one-bath home
SQUARE FEET: 1,552
This home sits on almost two acres and features fantastic mountain views. It includes a large shop, fenced yard with horseshoe pit and fenced garden area. Glacier Sotheby’s International Realty
MLS #: 329962
PRICE: $265,000
WHAT: Three-bedroom, one-bath home SQUARE FEET: 1,016
This well-kept home sits on 5.43 fenced and cross-fenced acres in a lovely pastoral setting. It features mountain views and a two-car garage. RE/MAX Mountain View
MLS #: 329812
PRICE: $229,900
WHAT: Three-bedroom, one-bath home SQUARE FEET: 1,776
This ranch-style home sits on 10 acres with several storage sheds and a de- tached two-car garage.
Keller Williams Realty Northwest Montana
MLS #: 329675
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.
What would 30 years of successful real-estate experience do for you?
Call Georgia, a certified residential specialist for a free one-hour consultation.