There were very few homes in the neighborhood when the Reverend O. W. Mintzer built this cross-gabled Queen Anne style landmark in 1894. Although brick was readily available, its wood construction illustrates the local preference of the period. Rich details including stained glass, an ornate screen door, and decorative scrollwork complement the typical Queen Ann asymmetry. By the turn of the century, American Steam Laundry proprietor Frederick French lived in the home with his family and eight boarders. The Frenches advertised their rooms as having electric light, water, and an additional amenity: laundry service. Chester Brintnall owned the home by 1923 when he leased it to Montana author Frank Bird Linderman. Linderman went into the hotel business to finance his writing career and lived here in the 1920s while he was the successful proprietor of the Kalispell Hotel. A Kalispell school bears Linderman’s name. Brintnall, who helped establish Kalispell’s rural delivery routes and later became assistant postmaster, lived here from 1927 to 1952.
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