Ferguson House

Ferguson House. . , A pattern book likely provided the plans for this charming American four-square cottage built by Great Northern Railroad employee Frederick Ferguson. A boilermaker by trade, Ferguson immigrated to Chicago from his native England and became a United States citizen in 1875. Ferguson built this residence before 1897 where he lived with his wife, Elsie, and her son. When the Great Northern Railroad moved to Whitefish in 1904, Ferguson also relocated there but retained this Kalispell property as a rental. When Ferguson died in 1925, the property remained a rental under family ownership until 1971. One early tenant was Civil War veteran captain James D. Eaton, who rented the home from Ferguson from 1905 until circa 1910. Eaton was organizer of the Montana National Guard’s Company H which served in the Philippines during the Spanish-American War. During that time Eaton was inspector general of Montana. Over the years other tenants included a saloon proprietor, a landscape gardener, a painter, and a sheet metal worker. This modest residence is exceptional for its excellent preservation and retention of original Queen Anne style details. Turned porch supports, a sun ray patterned pediment, decorative shinglework, and arched gable window are a delightful legacy of the Victorian era. These features along with original interior wood floors and woodwork reveal the extraordinary care of discerning landlords and tenants during its long use as a rental home.