Filed Under Great Falls

Abe and Carrie Kaufman Residence

Great Falls Northside Residential Historic District

A dramatic living room fireplace, crystal chandelier, and boxed-beam dining room ceiling are among the original fixtures continuing to decorate the interior of the Abe and Carrie Kaufman residence. Neoclassical, Craftsman, and Victorian detailing combine in this two-and-one-half-story residence, whose exterior ornamentation includes elaborate wooden brackets beneath the eaves, stickwork in the gable ends, lead glass windows, and a large wraparound porch. Abe Kaufman arrived in Great Falls in the 1890s, joining his brother-in-law, merchant Nathan Wertheim, to operate a clothing store on Central Avenue. Among their competitors were Mose Kaufman (no direct relation) and Arge Nathan. All four men were members of an extended network of pioneering Jewish businessmen, whose access to capital and merchandise were instrumental to Montana's commercial development. Great Falls' promising business climate spelled prosperity, and Abe's economic success is evident in this showcase home, constructed in 1906. Arge Nathan's son Robert, who inherited the store his father founded, purchased the residence in 1923 when the Kaufmans moved to San Francisco. He lived here with his family into the 1940s.

Images

617 4th Ave. N.
617 4th Ave. N. 1. 617 4th Ave. N. 2. Great Falls, MT. Abe Kaufman Home 3/4 Kittredge 3/90 5. Helena, MT. 6. Facing north #50 Roll 2/7 (verso) b&w print Source: Official records of the Montana State Historic Preservation Office, Helena, Montana Creator: Kittredge Date: March 1990
Abe and Carrie Kaufman Residence
Abe and Carrie Kaufman Residence Abe and Carrie Kaufman Residence (PAc 91-51 Great Falls R11 F30). Front to side view of the house, facing northwest on 4th Avenue North. B&W. Source: Montana State Historic Preservation Office from the Photograph Archives at the Montana Historical Society Creator: Photographer unidentified Date: 1983

Location

617 4th Avenue North , Great Falls, Montana | Private

Metadata

The Montana National Register Sign Program, “Abe and Carrie Kaufman Residence,” Historic Montana, accessed March 28, 2024, https://historicmt.org/items/show/199.