Livingston in Park County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
221 South Yellowstone
Livingston Westside Residential Historic District
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, July 24, 2021
1. 221 South Yellowstone Marker
Inscription.
221 South Yellowstone. Livingston Westside Residential Historic District. In 1891, only eight years after Livingston’s founding, Julia Rolfson and her husband John, a stone mason, lived in this substantial, brick, cross-gable home. The Italianate style inspired the one-and-one-half-story residence’s wide, overhanging eaves, decorative brackets, and narrow windows. Builders placed the kitchen at the back of the house under a separate, single-story roof, a common nineteenth-century practice to minimize fire risk. Bucket brigades could more easily reach a one-story roof, perhaps saving the main house in case of a kitchen fire. Locomotive engineer Thomas Manzer and his wife Mabel purchased the residence in 1898. The Manzers added the wraparound front porch and remodeled the back portion of the house between 1907 and 1921. Sometimes called “labor’s aristocracy,” locomotive engineers were the highest paid workers on the railroad; nevertheless, few could afford homes as elegant as this one. In 1925, fellow locomotive engineer Christy Teters and his wife Effie purchased the residence. To make ends meet during the Depression, the family took in roomers. Five roomers joined Christy, Effie, and their two children here in 1930, including two teachers at the nearby high school.
In 1891, only eight years after Livingston’s founding, Julia Rolfson and her husband John, a stone mason, lived in this substantial, brick, cross-gable home. The Italianate style inspired the one-and-one-half-story residence’s wide, overhanging eaves, decorative brackets, and narrow windows. Builders placed the kitchen at the back of the house under a separate, single-story roof, a common nineteenth-century practice to minimize fire risk. Bucket brigades could more easily reach a one-story roof, perhaps saving the main house in case of a kitchen fire. Locomotive engineer Thomas Manzer and his wife Mabel purchased the residence in 1898. The Manzers added the wraparound front porch and remodeled the back portion of the house between 1907 and 1921. Sometimes called “labor’s aristocracy,” locomotive engineers were the highest paid workers on the railroad; nevertheless, few could afford homes as elegant as this one. In 1925, fellow locomotive engineer Christy Teters and his wife Effie purchased the residence. To make ends meet during the Depression, the family took in roomers. Five roomers joined Christy, Effie, and their two children here in 1930, including two teachers at the nearby high school.
Erected by Montana Historical Society.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these
Location. 45° 39.505′ N, 110° 33.724′ W. Marker is in Livingston, Montana, in Park County. Marker is at the intersection of South Yellowstone Street and West Lewis Street, on the right when traveling north on South Yellowstone Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 221 South Yellowstone Street, Livingston MT 59047, United States of America. Touch for directions.
2. The Residence at 221 South Yellowstone and Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on February 5, 2022. It was originally submitted on February 5, 2022, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 111 times since then and 8 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on February 5, 2022, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.
