Historic Whitefish home being restored to original grandeur

When Andrew and Denise Strong purchased their home on Central Avenue near downtown Whitefish, they began to admire another home just a few doors down from their own.

Later they met the owner, Sam Wayman, as he walked his dog through the neighborhood, and his daughter Wendy. The Strongs told the owners they loved the home so much that if they ever wanted to sell they’d be interested in purchasing it.

After Sam Wayman died in December 2020, his family reached out to the Strongs about their previous offer. The Strongs jumped at the opportunity to purchase the home with the intent of restoring it.

“It’s such a beautiful home and we knew we wanted to restore it,” Andrew Strong said. “We wanted to bring it back to its original glory.”

The home at 405 Central Avenue has a long history in Whitefish, having been constructed in 1905. The house was originally the home of Dr. Hugh E. Houston and was constructed just west of the original hospital that was located on Spokane Avenue.

Dr. Houston was a prominent figure in early Whitefish, serving first as a physician and surgeon for Great Northern Railway and then the hospital, according to the “Stumptown to Ski Town” book on the history of Whitefish. Houston, who also served as city health officer, later traded houses and medical practices with Dr. Taylor of Kalispell, the book notes.

“What I love about Whitefish is the special history it has and part of that is this house,” he said.

AFTER DIGGING into its history and learning the home is known as the Houston house, Andrew Strong feels the purchase was meant to be since they split their time between Whitefish and Houston, Texas. Also, inside the basement of the house, the original boiler for the home was discovered with the name Andrews Heating Co.

“I spent about two hours looking through the house before we decided to purchase it and it was just so exciting,” he said. “It would have been easier and cost less to tear it down, but that’s not worth it with all this history.”

Wayman owned the home for about 50 years, according to Strong. When Wayman purchased the residence it had already been converted into four apartments, one of which he resided in himself. The property also includes a carriage house and garage.

The Strongs brought on Leo Keane, owner of North Country Builders, and Doug Rhodes of Sunworks Architecture to return the home to a single-family residence. In mid-September demolition began on the inside and with the front porch that had become unsafe.

Keane has taken on other historical remodeling projects with the train depot in Whitefish and the Belton Chalet in West Glacier.

“As bad as it looks now,” he said, standing in the living room space among the demolition, “we’re going to get it back to being a beautiful place.”

The goal is to update the home with modern amenities such as the kitchen and bathrooms while also preserving the historic character of the home as much as possible, particularly on the outside.

Keane says the process is in discovery mode, taking the time and patience to demolish what’s necessary while planning for the remodel. The project is expected to be completed in June next year.

DURING THE demolition phase, the crew has come across old photographs, newspapers and a wedding invitation in the walls and behind the mantle. One pamphlet is dated 1903.

Plans are to create a living space, dining room, kitchen and main bedroom on the main floor. The upstairs is planned for two more bedrooms and a bathroom, along with additional living space.

The metal surround for a fireplace has been saved with the hope of converting it to a new modern fireplace; original fireplace mantels have been saved. The original bricks also have been saved.

The walls were created with lath and plaster using narrow strips of wood nailed by hand horizontally across wall studs and then coated in plaster. The rocks and material used to lay the bricks likely were found locally, and the foundation was dug by hand.

Keane says it’s interesting to take a look at the historic building methods.

“How they figured out the materials and did all the work by hand back then was impressive,” he said.