Helena in Lewis and Clark County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
Elisha and Joseph Poad House
Helena Historic District
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, July 15, 2021
1. Elisha and Joseph Poad House Marker
Inscription.
Elisha and Joseph Poad House. Helena Historic District. Elisha Poad arrived in Helena in 1867 by way of mining camps in California and Nevada. Poad was a native of Cornwall, England, an area with over two thousand years of mining history. Attracted to Helena’s placer mines, he was later associated with the New Water Company. Elisha’s son Joseph also mined, both on his own account and in an industrial quartz mine. By 1890, Elisha and his wife Grace lived in the south half of this brick dwelling (built before 1888), while Joseph and his wife Mary Anne lived in the north half. The Poads soon expanded the duplex, where family members resided for more than sixty years. By 1892, the one-story building had grown to a substantial two-and-one-half stories, and a brick one-story addition stood where a log chicken coop had been. The ornately trimmed full-length front porch provides the vernacular building’s primary embellishment. Turned columns with carved brackets support the porch cornice; turned spindles adorn the frieze; and turned balusters make up the wooden railing. Mass-produced, precut details placed such architectural ornamentation within reach of homeowners of all income levels.
Elisha Poad arrived in Helena in 1867 by way of mining camps in California and Nevada. Poad was a native of Cornwall, England, an area with over two thousand years of mining history. Attracted to Helena’s placer mines, he was later associated with the New Water Company. Elisha’s son Joseph also mined—both on his own account and in an industrial quartz mine. By 1890, Elisha and his wife Grace lived in the south half of this brick dwelling (built before 1888), while Joseph and his wife Mary Anne lived in the north half. The Poads soon expanded the duplex, where family members resided for more than sixty years. By 1892, the one-story building had grown to a substantial two-and-one-half stories, and a brick one-story addition stood where a log chicken coop had been. The ornately trimmed full-length front porch provides the vernacular building’s primary embellishment. Turned columns with carved brackets support the porch cornice; turned spindles adorn the frieze; and turned balusters make up the wooden railing. Mass-produced, precut details placed such architectural ornamentation within reach of homeowners of all income levels.
Erected by Montana Historical Society.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture
Location. 46° 34.896′ N, 112° 2.798′ W. Marker is in Helena, Montana, in Lewis and Clark County. Marker is on West Main Street near Carriage Lane, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 502-504 West Main Street, Helena MT 59601, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 5, 2021. It was originally submitted on December 5, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 104 times since then and 6 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on December 5, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.
