Ronan in Lake County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
Don E. Olsson House and Garage
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, August 8, 2022
1. Don E. Olsson House and Garage Marker
Inscription.
Don E. Olsson House and Garage. . Homebuilding across the country stopped completely during World War II as materials were diverted to the war effort. When residential construction resumed after the war, architects broke with past traditions and embraced modernism. One-story ranch houses, featuring low-pitched roofs, wide overhanging eaves, and asymmetrical façades became the most popular house type of the 1950s. Widespread automobile use led to new subdivisions with larger lots that allowed for maximum frontage along the streets. The modernist design of this house is reflected in its characteristic ribbon and picture windows, overlooking the Mission Mountains, along with its outdoor space, the partially enclosed patio that connects the homeowners to the outdoors. Local banker Don Olsson and his wife Mildred hired Mildred's brother, Thomas Balzhiser, a graduate of Montana State University, to design the stylish modernist home, one of the first ranch houses in Ronan. He went on to a prominent architectural career in Eugene, Oregon. He returned to Ronan to design the Harald Olsson House at 408 Eisenhower Street and, in 1970, the family-owned Community Bank building. For their 1950-51 house, the Olssons gave Balzhiser almost free range with the design, which includes a typical "Ranch style" open-space floor plan, built-in wardrobes and buffet, and a custom fireplace constructed of horizontally laid stone, quarried near Elmo. Two years after the Olssons moved into their new home, they commissioned Balzhiser to design the garage and, in 1954, the addition to the west. In 1960, they moved to a new Balzhiser-designed house located three miles south of Ronan.
Homebuilding across the country stopped completely during World War II as materials were diverted to the war effort. When residential construction resumed after the war, architects broke with past traditions and embraced modernism. One-story ranch houses, featuring low-pitched roofs, wide overhanging eaves, and asymmetrical façades became the most popular house type of the 1950s. Widespread automobile use led to new subdivisions with larger lots that allowed for maximum frontage along the streets. The modernist design of this house is reflected in its characteristic ribbon and picture windows, overlooking the Mission Mountains, along with its outdoor space, the partially enclosed patio that connects the homeowners to the outdoors. Local banker Don Olsson and his wife Mildred hired Mildred's brother, Thomas Balzhiser, a graduate of Montana State University, to design the stylish modernist home, one of the first ranch houses in Ronan. He went on to a prominent architectural career in Eugene, Oregon. He returned to Ronan to design the Harald Olsson House at 408 Eisenhower Street and, in 1970, the family-owned Community Bank building. For their 1950-51 house, the Olssons gave Balzhiser almost free range with the design, which includes a typical "Ranch style" open-space floor plan, built-in wardrobes and buffet, and a custom fireplace constructed
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of horizontally laid stone, quarried near Elmo. Two years after the Olssons moved into their new home, they commissioned Balzhiser to design the garage and, in 1954, the addition to the west. In 1960, they moved to a new Balzhiser-designed house located three miles south of Ronan.
Location. 47° 31.503′ N, 114° 6.207′ W. Marker is in Ronan, Montana, in Lake County. Marker is on 4th Avenue Southwest near Eisenhower Street Southwest, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 503 4th Avenue Southwest, Ronan MT 59864, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on March 29, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 29, 2023, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 56 times since then and 6 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on March 29, 2023, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.