At the turn of the twentieth century, inviting porches fronted many houses in Forsyth. Built before 1910 on a prominent corner lot, this hipped-roof home retains its full-length porch, supported by Doric columns. As with many early-twentieth-century homes, the kitchen, located at the back of the house, was placed under a separate roof. This design provided some protection for living and sleeping rooms in case of a kitchen fire. The one-story residence became home to John and Mabel Hefferin and their children by 1912. When the Hefferins purchased the home, it sat across the street from the Methodist Episcopal Church and parsonage. A leading voice for Prohibition, the church was a potentially awkward neighbor for John, a successful Main Street saloonkeeper. Montanans voted to outlaw alcohol in 1916 with the support of 64 percent of Rosebud County voters. Prohibition went into effect December 31, 1918, and John converted his saloon into a “club,” still operating in 1920. The family had moved on by 1923. That year, stenographer Alice Files, her father John, and her younger sister Margaret made their home here.
Images