A historic red brick building near downtown Kalispell is poised to get its star turn in an upcoming home renovation series.  

Located at the corner of Sixth Avenue West and Center Street, the building’s weathered bricks have withstood the test of time since 1894, two years after Kalispell was incorporated. Its historical significance caught the eye of “Home Reimagined,” a show following families around the country as they transform defunct structures into a home.  

Local business owners and artisans Jana and Tanner Roach will be featured in the Kalispell-centered episode. The building is owned by Block Fifty LLC, a natural light photo studio and creative space. Tanner Roach is listed as the business’ registered agent in state records.  

The two-story structure has worn different hats over its 130 years, beginning as the Kalispell Malting and Brewing Company. 

German immigrants Gust Gamer and Henry and Charles Lindlahr arrived in Kalispell from Chicago in hopes of running a brewery, according to historical author, local schoolteacher and Air Force veteran Henry Elwood in his 1980 book, “Kalispell Montana and The Upper Flathead Valley.”    

The three business partners bought 10 city lots on Fifth Avenue West — known as “Block 50” — from the Kalispell Townsite Company. By 1894, Kalispell Malting and Brewing Company was in business.  

The brewery churned out 1,200 barrels of beer a month by 1895 and in 1901 purchased over 600,000 pounds of local barley, according to an article by Rick Hull in the Northwest Montana Posse of Westerners, a publication by a group of local historians.  

“The Kalispell Malting and Brewing company has completed arrangements for the enlargement of their already extensive brewery in this city,” read a 1901 article from The Kalispell Bee newspaper. “The improvements and additions have been necessitated owing to the largely increased demand for the product of the company.” 

As business grew, the brewery transformed into a complex that housed a hog farm, malt storage room, bottling house and a four-story tower with barley elevators, according to Hull. 

Horse drawn wagons delivered beer six days a week while crates dropped off at the Great Northern Railway were shipped to other towns in Western Montana and parts of Idaho. 

After Charles Lindlahr died in 1898, his interests were sold to Christ Best, a member of the Pabst family of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer fame, according to Elwood.  

The brewery survived Prohibition by selling cider and near beer, resuming its original purpose in 1933 and becoming Montana’s first brewery to reopen for business, according to Elwood.  

The local brews were known by several names, like Best Bottled Beer, Glacier Beer and Topper Beer. 

Ownership was eventually handed over to long-time employee Gus Bischoff. But after struggling to match national competitors, he closed the doors in 1955. 

What's left standing today is the last remanence of the old brewing complex.  

The building's address, 19 Sixth Ave. W., began popping up in the Daily Inter Lake in 1967, this time under the name of Kalispell Cabinet Works. The company advertised sales on steel roofing, cabinet doors, shingles and other building materials for years. 

In 2022, Tanner Roach registered Block Fifty LLC, an apparent homage to the building’s beginnings. The building’s decorated interior could be rented out for small events and photoshoots. 

But a devastating December fire ripped through the neighboring Beck and Cap workshop, also owned by the Roaches, prompting part of the Block Fifty building to close down. The Roaches set up a temporary workshop in the former brewery building.  

Jana Roach is also co-owner of The Market Beautiful and Honey Home & Design. 

The couple has raised nearly $20,000 on GoFundMe to replace damaged equipment and refund lost orders at Beck and Cap.  

NOW "HOME Reimagined” is expected to shine a new light on the brewery’s old bricks. 

According to documents obtained by the Inter Lake, filming was planned for April through November 2025. But as of July 14, the city has not issued any building permits to the property, according to Kalispell’s online database.   

The property owners plan to convert the building’s second floor into a residential apartment with commercial space below, according to Assistant Development Services Director PJ Sorensen. He was unsure whether a building permit for the apartment had been granted yet. 

Block Fifty did not respond to requests for an interview.  

The television crew also intends to shoot footage at the Northwest Montana History Museum, according to an internal email between the museum and Steve Joachim, executive producer with Lion Television. 

Joachim did not respond to requests for an interview.  

 A pilot episode of “Home Reimagined” was released in 2023 that followed a couple in the small town of Salem, New York. The two transformed a garment building from the 1800s into their new home. No other episodes have been released yet.  

“From abandoned churches and schools, to defunct fire houses and factories. Brave builders are giving these architectural relics new life by turning them into one-of-a-kind family homes,” said host Vern Yip in the show’s intro. 

Yip is an American interior designer who has overseen room transformations ranging from low-cost to high-end, including designing a high-profile Oscar party in 2006, according to his website.  

Magnolia Television is running the show. The American cable network is co-owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and Chip and Joanna Gaines. Formerly known as the DIY Network, Magnolia Television is also responsible for “Fixer Upper,” “Maine Cabin Masters” and “Barnwood Builders.” 

Reporter Jack Underhill may be reached by 758-4407 or [email protected].  

   The Block Fifty building on Sixth Avenue West in Kalispell on Wednesday, July 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    Building with a sign that reads "Kalispell Malting and Brewing Co." Courtesy photo.