Unlike many neighborhoods in railroad towns, the lots here in Urlin’s Addition were not owned and developed by the Northern Pacific, but sold to private individuals who built rental housing for railroad employees. This gable-front vernacular style home on its prominent corner follows that pattern. Built circa 1902, early tenants were Northern Pacific conductor John Butler and his wife, Lillie. Later, Northern Pacific engineer Frank J. McIntosh owned the property and lived here from 1922 until his death in 1959. His wife, Bertha, kept the home for almost another decade before it once again housed a series of tenants. The residence reflects the trend to utilize extra space on corner lots by building slightly larger homes for higher paid employees. A band of spindles under the front porch eaves, corner brackets, decorative window trim, and a stained glass transom above the back door spark its personality. Quality interior finishing includes a built-in dining room oak hutch with leaded glass doors and beveled mirror. On the opposite kitchen side is a built-in “Hoosier” style cabinet with a zinc counter.
Images
