The free-wheeling territorial period was drawing to a close when this stylish Queen Anne style residence was built circa 1889. Attributed to prolific Helena architect George Appleton, the lovely Victorian-era home is a classic example of his masterful adaptation of pattern book house plans. Here and in other Helena examples, Appleton compacted a larger house plan by eliminating the attic and expanding living space into the roof and dormer gables. The home displays quintessential Queen Anne style elements including an irregular roofline, open porches with classical columns, octagonal bay, and decorative glass. One of the first homes on the block, owners William and Rachel Crum raised their seven children here. William, a Helena businessman, shaped the neighborhood over the years as he built many homes along Fifth Avenue, Breckenridge, and Hillsdale between 1905 and 1925. Unlike most Helena investors and speculators, Crum held onto his property as rentals, and at various times his children lived in these smaller homes. The two-story cottage next door to the west was built in 1910, and at that time the interior of the main house was remodeled and enlarged in the heavier, more rustic Craftsman style. Characteristic dark fir paneling, cabinetry, box beams, and handsome mantles are a striking complement to the more curvilinear, graceful Queen Anne style. The home remained in the Crum family until 1988, and today its seasoned presence is a distinct reminder of this historic neighborhood’s nineteenth-century roots.
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