Chester / Long House

“Harmony and artisticness,” according to the Kalispell Bee in 1913, best described the newly completed Craftsman style home of attorney Thomas Long and his wife, Vesta. Originally painted maize with white trim and green roof, its natural colors followed the Craftsman style ideal. Wide bracketed eaves and French doors opening onto a small pergola/porch further reflect this fashionable style.

Vesta, a “brilliant clubwoman” and later the first woman of Flathead County elected to the state legislature, divorced Long in 1919 and married politician William Brennen. Brennen was a personal friend of both Presidents McKinley and Roosevelt and a colorful public figure. From 1922 to 1939, local businessman Thomas Chester and his wife, Effie, owned the property and in 1941, Norma and Roy Waller were tenants.

Norma was the daughter of noted author Frank Linderman. The residence has also served as MT NATIONAL REGISTER SIGN TEXT 1990 TO APRIL 2019 a duplex, a chiropractor’s office, and a youth hostel but is once again a single family residence. Original light fixtures and handsome built-in bookcases remain, recalling Vera Long’s excellent taste.