Appleton House No. 9
Wraparound porches, octagonal bays, a myriad of rich textures and ornamental details make this Queen Anne style home a true tapestry of Victorian-era craftsmanship. Renowned architect George S. Appleton, who had a prolific career in Helena during the mid 1880s and 1890s, built the home with plans from a pattern book. The Helena Journal advertised “House No. 9” in April of 1890 for $6,500. The interior featured an elegant oak entry hall, “expensive art glass,” two parlors, and a dining room elegantly finished in carved cherry. The home had changed hands three times when Dr. John V. Cole became its fourth owner in 1905. Dr. Cole, a prominent pioneer dentist, was also an accomplished violinist, an avid gardener, and published poet. He died in 1914, and his wife, Jane, died in 1922. Daughter Hazel and her husband, William Converse, subsequently made their home here. Tragedy marred the family when their two young sons, ages 6 and 9, were killed by a speeding automobile in 1931. Hazel slowly recovered, finding solace at her piano in the parlor. For almost four more decades, the bell at the side gate let Hazel know of William’s arrival home from work. When Hazel Cole Converse died at 92 in 1982, she left a valuable legacy of family photographs, linens hand-stitched by her mother, and stories. These, treasured by the current owners, are an integral part of the history of this beautiful, lovingly preserved home.
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