06/20/2022
HISTORY OF THE HOUSE
The residence was completed in 1931 by K.D. Rose as a wedding present for his wife, Elizabeth Holden Rose. Mrs. Rose visited us here in 1993 and again in 1995. During her time with us, Mrs. Rose shared a good bit of history about the house, the yard and the Rose family. This is what she had to tell us.
When it was built in 1931, the house sat on ten acres and was known locally as "Rose Acres." The property extended south and west to Rose Hill Cemetery. The original house color was red, as it is today.
A small farmhouse of lava rock construction was originally on the property. The current residence incorporates three walls from the older structure, believed to have been built around 1870. Two relics from the old farmhouse include the leaded glass china cabinet in the kitchen nook and the beveled glass front door which now separates the kitchen and pantry.
Because the house was built during the Depression, Mrs. Rose said that carpenters lined up every morning, looking for work. A cabinet maker was subsequently hired for each room, a fact clearly visible in the fine woodworking throughout the house.
A large, two story addition was added to the house in 1950 to accommodate the oldest sons. One wall of the addition is made entirely from large stones.
The house was decorated with "antiques from all over the country." The heating system was the first v***r vacuum system "west of the Mississippi," and was installed by an engineer sent out from Cincinnati by Trane. Helen Aupperle, one of the founders of the Idaho Falls Art Guild, created the stained glass window in the formal entryway.
According to Mrs. Rose, they employed six house and yard "helpers," because they did so much entertaining - on one occasion hosting an outdoor dance and dinner for 400 guests. When Mr. Rose had the automated dishwasher (the first in Idaho Falls) installed, Mrs. Rose said she fussed, "But I have six dishwashers already!"
When we asked Mrs. Rose about the living quarters in the basement, she told us that originally, some of the helpers lived in the basement. The Rose Family communicated with them through a system of buzzers installed throughout the house that rang in the basement. Mrs. Rose had especially fond memories of one full-time housekeeper - a Scandinavian immigrant - who lived in the basement. She said that while this young woman was "very prudent about her dates," she had a habit of "running about the house in nothing but a towel." The problem was that the housekeeper "couldn't decide which side to cover, the front or the back!"
In addition to the gardener's shed, the original ten acres included a horse stable and a riding area for Mrs. Roses' show horses. During the summer months, the full-time gardener lived in the shed with his wife.
Mrs. Rose died May 8, 2006 at the age of 104. She was a great lady who created a wonderful home and we were truly blessed to have known her.
