Reviving The Ranch

On Old Clyde Park Road east of Livingston, just before the Yellowstone River plain runs to the Crazy Mountains and further out to open prairie, there is a spot where the wind calms a little at a stand of uncommonly tall trees.

Evergreens, poplars and cottonwoods. They stretch high and tall with the girth of their 100 years of life. They cause a pause on this open stretch of land and hold a certain quiet charm. At the edge of that circle of old growth, a white washed fence leads to the enchanting spread of Ferry Creek Ranch.

By itself, Ferry Creek Ranch has a history that embodies the pioneer spirit. The farmhouse that still stands on the property was built by Napoleon Ebert in 1892. It housed one of the area's first sheep ranching families and has consistently operated as a working ranch through rocky economic times, multiple generations and multiple owners.

The original owner's ventures building the Northern Pacific Railroad line to Gardiner brought him to Livingston. The wait for permission to continue the route into Yellowstone National Park up to Cooke City kept Ebert here. But when that construction grant never came, he was forced to find other work, so he turned to the land he'd been camping since 1882. He'd been a tin peddler, soldier, businessman and railroad contractor; it was time to reinvent himself again as a rancher. Ebert constructed his quaint family home on the very site where he first pitched his tent.

In a Livingston Enterprise Souvenir edition from 1984 he is quoted as having said, "I have never found a better "camping" place in my life. I figured that I would never strike any spot that looked more favorable to me than Montana and this section of it, so I just stayed and have never regretted it."

Almost a century later, current owners Rob Forstenzer and Julie Danaher had an opportunity to revive the historic ranch house and create a new life for themselves along the way.

"The house had good bones and we just liked it," said Forstenzer.

The couple had vacationed in Montana. They liked the country and the rural communities here in contrast to their life in New York. When they began to look for real estate near Livingston they saw this old house and commented on it to a real estate agent who informed them that the owners would never sell.

Shortly after that unsuccessful search, a friend from Montana called them in New York to tell them he found the perfect house for them. It was the old Ebert ranch. The course of events seemed fated and the couple bought the house and its 560 acres. That's when the real work began.

If romantic images of freshening up the place with a new coat of paint existed for Forstenzer and Danaher, they were soon dismissed. The dilapidated house first needed a new roof, insulation, modern electrical wiring, central heat and extensive interior renovation.

"I had no idea how long it would take and wasn't prepare for how much work there was to do or how difficult it was," admitted Danaher.

Working with local contractor Sean Cassiday, they stripped out the unfortunate 1970s efficiency remodel mainstays: faux wood paneling, hollow core doors and drop-accoustic tile ceilings. Little by little they began to uncover the original architectural detail of the house: plaster walls, fine wood trim, hardwood floors and 12-foot-high ceilings. Fortunately, the previous owners had kept the original ladder panel doors and hardware in the garage, making them easy to replace. Still it was a whole year before the couple was able live in the house.

Although Forstenzer and Danaher were conscientious of the home's historic integrity, they wanted to adapt it to modern living. In contrast to the design of its era, the couple aired the house out a little bit. They removed a wall that hid the staircase to the second floor; they opened up the living room and dining room; they created a library for reading, television and studying.

But most significantly, they changed the kitchen into a gathering place. Danaher described what existed before as a bare and empty space. She loves to cook and designed the new kitchen with that in mind. An island with a cooktop and opposing eating counter is the mainstay of the room. Butcher block counter tops and granite inlays make it a functional working area to cook with her two children. Bright yellow paint draws in daylight to create an inviting central hearth.

Throughout the house a combination of family antiques and contemporary furnishings meld together in a statement of comfort. Historic photos blend with new black and white family portraits. Rich, dominant paint colors on the ceiling in the living area offer a nod to Victorian-era frill, but also to a modern trend of using color for interior design.

In the dining room a vintage crystal chandelier hangs elegantly over a dining room table passed on to Forstenzer by his grandmother. Made of Carpathian Oak from Germany, the veneer of the dining set adds an ornate element to the classic simplicity of the house. The living room is divided by partial half-walls topped with white columns and Italian marble accents, details that were added during the renovation. Across the room, through double pocket doors is the library, located on the ground floor of the turret. One all is lined with bookshelves, on the opposite side an overstuffed couch beckons afternoon naps. On a more serious note a desk is centered into the bay of windows facing the south, where sunlight and mountains can be glimpsed through the glade of trees.

On the outside the home has changed very little over the years. Forstenzer and Danaher added a covered porch in the back where their family enjoys meals in the warmer months. They have extensively maintained the great white and red barn and other outbuildings on the property, too.

Townsfolk once referred to the house as "Ebert's Palace." The electric lights, hot and cold running water and a central heating system seemed luxurious for the time. Architecturally the house is an example of the popular Queen Anne Style because of the eight-sided turret and gabled roof. Yet Ebert adapted the design to incorporate locally quarried sandstone, which was used in an unusual pattern and stacked with red bead joinery. The stonework and four square columns that line the house's front porch give it a stalwart presence that contrasts the whimsy if the two-story turret and delicate scaled shingles on the dormers.

Listed on the Montana historic register, the house is significant for what it symbolizes in the agricultural community here. Ebert was well-known in Park County, first for his work as a contractor for the Northern Pacific Railroad and later for his success as a rancher. He served two terms as a county commissioner and later was a state legislator. At its zenith Ebert's ranch consisted of more than 1,600 acres of land.

Today, Forstenzer utilizes his 560 acres for a unique breed of Galloway cows and has found a niche market for natural, grass fed beef. True to its roots, the property remains a working ranch and the house is still a family cornerstone.

"We just thought if a place could look this good on the outside, it could be beautiful on the inside, too," said Forstenzer. "We're happy with how things turned out."

Seabring Davis is At Home's managing editor.