The Floral Park Addition, platted in 1914, is the focus of Butte Citizens for Preservation and Revitalization’s annual Dust to Dazzle tour this year.
The event runs from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 29.
In 1913, Ed Bolever and his partner Ira Brown acquired 113 sagebrush acres on the Flat and set about to make a neighborhood of trees and gardens, which they advertised as a “transplanted California.” They named the spot Floral Park and its primary street Floral Boulevard.
The tour includes the 1916 home at 2735 Floral Blvd. that Mr. Bolever and his wife Susan built for themselves to be a showpiece of the community.
The other featured properties in and around Floral Park are: 2945 Bayard St. – United Congregational Church. Mr. Bolever donated the lots for this Mid-Century Modern church and turned over the first shovel of dirt at the 1952 groundbreaking.
2904 State St. – This early 1940s house typifies the Minimal Traditional style of architecture. The house was purchased sight unseen in 2020, and the current owner has put much effort into restoring its original charm while updating it for modern living.
1900 Wall St. – This is a modern reconstruction of a Craftsman home built at this same location in 1910. The original home burned in 2008, and the owners set about to lovingly recreate it.
3031 Burlington St. – This beautifully restored Craftsman home was built in 1918, back when Lake Avoca was nearby. It was featured on a previous tour but merits an encore due to additional updates.
This year’s silent auction is located nearby at the Home Atherton Fire Hall, 3900 Sheridan Ave.
Tour-goers can browse at their own pace and visit the featured properties in whatever order they choose.
Tickets are $20 each. They will be available at all properties on tour day and may be purchased in advance at Isle of Books and Books, 43 E. Broadway, The Corner Bookstore, 1877 Harrison Ave., and Second Edition Books, 112 S. Montana St.
This event is Butte CPR’s main fundraiser for its Historic Improvement Program grant fund. For more information, visit www.buttecpr.org.
