John H. Huseby House
Fifteen-year-old John H. Huseby came from Norway in 1880, three years before the Northern Pacific Railroad arrived in Helena. The placer mining town was on the cusp of a population boom with its attendant need for substantial new buildings. Trained as a brick and stone mason, Huseby was in the right place at the right time to participate in Helena’s dramatic expansion. He knew his trade well and his own home, built circa 1891, attests to his success. Its brick construction is unusual in the neighborhood. Huseby was active in fraternal organizations and served a term in the Montana legislature. In 1900, he married Norwegian immigrant Anna Nesing. Huseby died in 1915; Anna died in 1918. They left two children, twelve-year-old Henry and sixteen-year-old Marie. Marie taught school at Rimini and by 1922 she was principal at Kessler School. Henry and Marie eventually relocated to the Seattle area and tenants occupied the family home. Among them was Helena fire chief Otto Krieg, in residence during the 1935 earthquakes. The home passed out of the Huseby family in 1947 to John P. Morgan, a previous tenant. Brick arches above the windows and stone lintels showcase Huseby’s masonry skills. Architectural features include lovely stenciled window heads, decorative brackets, and an unusual roofline reminiscent of the Second Empire style. The interior is a study of Victorian detailing. Bull’s-eye molding throughout, stained glass, and transoms over the doorways survive intact. An unusual finished basement with full length windows originally accommodated the Husebys’ lodgers. Earthquake damage, however, necessitated reinforcing the foundation and the loss of daylight windows.
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