Newlyweds Elizabeth and Jacob Adami left their native Germany and traveled by ship, rail, and finally stagecoach to boomtown Helena in 1872. The Adamis settled here, raising seven children. Their residence, razed in the 1970s to create parking, housed family members until 1968. A freighter, quarryman, and general contractor, Jacob helped Helena rise from gold camp to modern city. He built the town’s first stone buildings, taking the limestone from his nearby quarry west of the barn. Jacob was also a cement contractor and served as street commissioner. Many of Helena’s first sidewalks were paved under his direction. The one-and-one-half-story barn is all that remains of the Adami homestead. Constructed in the 1870s of stone from the nearby quarry, it long housed the team essential for Jacob’s business. Its sturdy construction of rubblestone walls with granite corner quoins and weathered vertical boards testifies to its timeworn service. Inside, exposed stone and original tack pegs remain on the interior north wall. A residential addition, built in 1976 of salvaged materials and stone from the old quarry, complements the barn’s original character.
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