Built on a prominent corner lot for blacksmith Chris Kolle and his wife Mary in 1908, this Craftsman style home features many of the design’s characteristic elements. Its wide, sheltering eaves are meant to evoke feelings of coziness and security while its full-length front porch, tucked beneath the main roofline, offers a connection to nature. In 1910, Chris employed four to six “scientific horseshoers and skilled wheelwrights and blacksmiths.” Like many blacksmiths, he transitioned to automobile repair and sales as combustion engines began to replace horse power. John and Cornelia Sherman purchased the residence in 1920. In 1926 the Shermans hired Kalispell architect Fred Brinkman to remodel the home, adding a fireplace, breakfast room, downstairs bathroom, and rear “service stairway to the basement.” John was the co-owner of Flathead Motor Sales Company, and, as a member of Roads and Highways committee of the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce, he helped to locate and develop western Montana highways. After John died in 1941, Cornelia, a trained teacher, ran a home kindergarten. In 1943, she took a teaching job with the district and later became the Flathead County librarian.
Images