Long House
Early Kalispell boosters advertised the great diversity of their city by coining the expression, “All roads lead to Kalispell.” As the city grew during the 1900s and 1910s, new and modern homes like this classic Craftsman style bungalow earned Kalispell a reputation as one of the most beautiful cities in the state. Built circa 1911 on the very outskirts of town, the home is a fine ambassador of the Craftsman bungalow, a fashionable middle-class home inspired by Charles and Henry Greene of Pasadena, California. Influenced particularly by the English Arts and Crafts movement, the style was easily accessible through pattern book plans and gained huge popularity across the country. The residence displays typical Craftsman features, which include wide bracket-supported eaves, exposed rafter ends, an open-air front porch spanning the front, and “battered” porch supports. The returned eaves are an unusual feature. Wooden shingles above and narrow clapboard siding (which originally covered the lower exterior walls) made use of natural materials intended to harmonize with the surroundings. The varied career of the home’s first resident, James Alvin Long, well reflects Kalispell’s diverse opportunities. Long worked during the boom period as an engineer for the early water and power companies and as a miller for the Kalispell Lumber Company. A taxidermy business and automobile repair shop were later enterprises. It is noteworthy that Long was a self-employed carpenter in 1911; he may well have built the home or at least applied himself to its exceptional finishing.
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