Filed Under Kalispell

Colby/Boorman Residence

East Side Historic District

Postal clerk (and later assistant postmaster) Ora Colby and his wife Alice built this six-room, Craftsman style home circa 1908. The structure’s locally quarried stone foundation and open front porch connect the residence to its natural surroundings. Nature makes its way into the home’s interior through the decorative use of wood, including wooden pillars in the foyer and ornate, exposed wood beams on the living room ceiling. Albert and Mary Boorman purchased the residence in 1922, the same year Albert was elected mayor. A pioneer in forest-fire prevention, Albert “worked in everything in lumber from stump to car” before becoming secretary of the newly formed Montana Forestry Association (MFA) in 1911. At the time, property owners were individually responsible for fighting fires on their land. Membership in MFA offered forest owners fire protection for one-half cent per acre. By 1938, MFA was responsible for firefighting on about 2.5 million acres in both private and public forests. When Albert retired in 1946, his son Maurice succeeded him. Maurice and family also inherited the family home; he and his family continued in residence until 1980.

Images

Colby/Boorman Residence, Kalispell, MT
Colby/Boorman Residence, Kalispell, MT View of facade Source: Montana Historical Society Creator: Owner photo Date: Oct 2020
Colby/Boorman Residence, Kalispell, MT
Colby/Boorman Residence, Kalispell, MT View of facade Source: Montana Historical Society Creator: Owner photo Date: Oct 2020
Colby/Boorman House, 645 4th St. East, Kalispell, MT
Colby/Boorman House, 645 4th St. East, Kalispell, MT View of facade Source: Google Maps Creator: Google Street View: Image capture Date: Sept 2015

Location

645 Fourth Avenue East, Kalispell, Montana

Metadata

“Colby/Boorman Residence,” Historic Montana, accessed March 29, 2024, https://historicmt.org/items/show/3214.