Kalispell in Flathead County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
Catholic Parish/Bjorneby House
East Side Historic District
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, August 19, 2020
1. Catholic Parish/Bjorneby House Marker
Inscription.
Now a Tudor Revival style home, this residence was originally a brick-clad, hipped-roof foursquare. Built before 1897, it served as the parsonage for St. Matthew's Catholic Church. Longtime Kalispell priest Francis O'Farrell resided here between 1907 and 1925, while overseeing construction of a Catholic hospital, parochial school, and grand brick church five blocks west. In 1926, Fr. O'Farrell moved to West First Street, near the new church. Between 1928 and 1937, Emil and Margaret Bjorneby made their home here. Emil arrived in Kalispell in 1895, working at various occupations before founding a flour mill with his brother George. Before the Bjornebys moved in, renovations modernized the look, more than doubled the residence's living space. To transform the small foursquare into a fashionable Tudor, skilled contractors covered the brick with stucco and added a steeply pitched roof and matching enclosed entryway. They also incorporated many design elements associated with the Tudor style, including a prominent brick chimney; tall, multi-paned windows; and decorative half-timbering in the gable ends.
Location. 48° 11.703′ N, 114° 18.358′ W. Marker is in Kalispell, Montana, in Flathead County. It is at the intersection of 4th Avenue East and 5th Street East on 4th Avenue East. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 435 4th Avenue East, Kalispell MT 59901, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Western Montana and in Glacier Country. It is also in the American Mountain West and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor. Globally, it is in North America, the Rocky Mountains, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once Ruperts Land and also the Louisiana Purchase.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Charles and Carrie March Residence (within shouting distance of this marker);
Credits. This page was last revised on December 20, 2020. It was originally submitted on November 18, 2020, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 265 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on November 18, 2020, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.
