Agather House

Architect Marion Riffo demonstrated a flair for the dramatic in this grand residence, built in 1910 for State Lumber Company manager David Barber. The home features tall prominent chimneys against a steep, side-gabled roof, which capture the attention of even the most casual passerby. Varied exterior treatments include half-timbers, native rock, and ornate ironwork.

After a series of tragedies decimated the Barber family, Alfons and Martha Agather purchased the home in 1919. Russian-born Alfons, who had served in the imperial guard of Czar Nicholas, was the cashier and eventually became president of the First National Bank of Kalispell. Martha, a daughter of Julius and Mary Neils of the J. Neils Lumber Company in Libby, worked hard to keep the home after her husband’s death in 1929.

Their daughter Margaret, who grew up here and later owned the home, could remember “when the house … was on the very outskirts of town and most of the Eastside was a grassy field….” The home remains in the family today because of Martha’s perseverance. MT NATIONAL REGISTER SIGN TEXT 1990 TO APRIL 2019