Filed Under Helena

Charles Edstrom Residence

Helena South-Central Historic District

The solid masonry construction of this exemplary home illustrates Helena’s transition from gold camp to permanent settlement. Constructed between 1884 and 1888, the Italianate style residence is of a simple design with a wraparound porch, chamfered posts, corbelled chimneys, and arched windows. Mature shrubbery, a century of infill, and the elevation of State Street by two-and-a-half feet during 1970s Urban Renewal have left the home half hidden from view. Ornate woodwork graces the interior and pocket doors lie intact within the dining room wall. Onetime saddler and saloon proprietor Charles Edstrom resided here in 1890 with boarder Agnes Beauregard and domestic Ida Dickman. Samuel S. Bennett, former county coroner and undertaker, lived in the home from 1911 to 1940. A more recent owner was Howard Kathan, whose furniture store was located below Helena's last bordello, "Big Dorothy's," which closed in 1972. Kathan died in 1995, but his colorful stories about that place and south-central Helena still circulate among his neighbors.

Location

Helena, Montana | Private

Metadata

The Montana National Register Sign Program, “Charles Edstrom Residence,” Historic Montana, accessed March 28, 2024, https://historicmt.org/items/show/773.