Filed Under Forsyth

258 North Twelfth Avenue

Forsyth Residential Historic District

Built between 1895 and 1900, this residence began as a brick cottage with a rear kitchen addition and a small front porch. Kitchens were often built under separate roofs at the turn of the century. This separation kept smoke from the kitchen stove from entering the rest of the house, increased ventilation during the hot summer months, and reduced the possibility of a kitchen fire spreading out of control. Before 1910, the owners added a larger porch, and before 1920, they added a back room. At some point they also covered the brick with stucco. Edmond and Hattie Christoph lived here with their daughter from 1914 until at least 1930. A locomotive engineer, Edmond worked for the Northern Pacific Railroad, a mainstay of Forsyth’s economy, especially after the homestead boom went bust. In 1930, the home was valued at $1,500. The Christophs owned it free of mortgage, and Edmond had full-time employment, making the family better off than many at the start of the Great Depression.

Images

258 North Twelfth
258 North Twelfth 258 North Twelfth (PAc 91-51 Forsyth Roll02 F15). Front to side view of the house, facing south to southwest on North 12th Avenue. B&W. Source: Montana State Historic Preservation Office from the Photograph Archives at the Montana Historical Society Creator: Photographer unidentified Date: 1988

Location

258 North 12th Avenue, Forsyth, Montana | Private

Metadata

The Montana National Register Sign Program, “258 North Twelfth Avenue,” Historic Montana, accessed March 28, 2024, https://historicmt.org/items/show/1801.