MISSOULA - A Missoula family is celebrating a 125th birthday this week.
Their historic home was built in the late 1800s and the mansion has been through a lot over the decades — from decay to fires.
But thanks to dedicated owners, she still stands the test of time.
Sitting in the lush gardens of 319 Fifth Street in Missoula, you can almost imagine what it was like in the late 1800s when the house was first built.
"They used to have garden parties, play Whist, and dances. A lot of dancing,” said homeowner Mark Estep.
It’s a Victorian Queen Ann house that Mark and Suzie Estep bought in the late 1990s when it was struggling.
"I got pictures of the day we closed, there were no walls — it was see-through. You could come in the kitchen and see through the front window. There was very little plumbing, no insulation or drywall. Half the electric was done,” Mark recalled.
It’s called the Fredrick C. Scheuch Home, named after one of the early founders of the University of Montana. And Mark Estep has done his homework on its history.
"I feel it’s been through a lot. It's got a great history. I've done a lot of research and gone back and found all the former owners and a lot of tales about them and it’s stood the test of time, it's been through a lot. Almost condemned, it was very nearly destroyed.”
A propane explosion from a faulty outdoor grill almost brought it down in 2020, which was not the first bad fire to happen there. Several people have died in the home during its history. Aand no, it’s not haunted, although some previous owners were convinced it might be.
"They were pretty serious about the voices they heard, and they actually had an exorcism here,” Mark told MTN News. “They had Reverend Landis come out and exorcize the house. and they said the voices stopped after that."
Through the years, as things are replaced, the Esteps have used local materials for repairs, keeping it as close to authentic as possible. Now, the family is celebrating the history of their home and its place in Missoula.
