Attorney Torrence MacDonald and wife Nellie built this home circa 1911, shortly after the birth of their oldest child. In 1925, the MacDonalds moved to Helena, where Torrence served as the assistant attorney general. In 1928, attorney Charles Foot, wife Theresa, and adult daughter Katherine moved into the residence. Katherine, a stenographer, purchased the home in 1931 and remained in residence until circa 1950. Both the house and the neighborhood underwent major changes during Katherine’s time here. In the 1930s, the city and the Works Projects Administration (WPA) spent $120,000 to transform Woodland Park from the “city’s swamp” into a recreational haven. Also in the 1930s or 1940s, Katherine hired notable Kalispell architect Fred Brinkman to design an attached garage and update the home. A fan of the Tudor style, Brinkman specified decorative stucco and half timbering, prominent chimney caps, and tall, multi-pane windows. This is one of several other Tudor style projects designed by Brinkman, including the 1925 First Presbyterian Church on Main Street.
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