HomeMy WebLinkAbout409 N. Bozeman Nomination MONTANA HISTORICAL/ARCHITECTURAL INVENTORY #2r Z- 7 Y C246A 9 3
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1HISTORI6 NAME: Beall Park Community Center _ --
ADDRESS: 409 N. Bozeman
LEGAL BOUNDARY: A square of land in the center of the east side of Beall Park, measuring
200' by 2001 , centered on the building;
eastern boundary is the right-of-way of _
North Bozeman Ave. �
OWNER'S NAME: City of Bozeman
OWNER ADDRESS: P.O. Box 640, Bozeman, MI` _ - -
SPECIFIC DATE: 1927
ARCHITECT: `W.R. Plew V
BUILDER: Unknowns
ORIGINAL OWNER: Unknown
-ORIGINAL USE: c re reation center
PRESENT USE: arts center ;�► -
UTM REFERENCE: 12/4097350/5058700
ACREAGE: less than one
U.S.G.S. QUAD: Bozeman, 1953
STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: - -
Applicable Criteria: C ~ .�-- .� .. ......_... �. _ ,
Number of Contributing Properties: 1
The Beall Park Community Center, the focal point of Beall Park, is an excellent example of
the Craftsman style, and is the most significant of the few examples of the work of local
architect W.R. Plew. Plew was a civil engineer who initiated course in architecture at -
Montana State College, which led to the establishmneet of a Department and later a School _
of Architecture. It is likely that Plew received this architectural license under the
"grandfather" clause,' He was one of the few architects working in early 20th Century
Bozeman aside from Fred F. Willson. Willson had a virtual monopoly in his field during his
career, which lasted from 1910 to 1956. Ironically, the three known examples of Plew's
work in Bozeman: this building, and two residences, 1004 S. Willson and 120 W. Cleveland,
located within the Bon Ton Historic District, display considerably more originality than
Willson's work.
The building was donated to the city by Mrs. Ella T. Martin as a community recreation
center. Her husband, E. Broox Martin, became a prominent Bozeman entrepreneur shortly
after the turn of the century, and built some of the Main Street blocks still in existence,
including the Lovelace Building at 14 W. Main, located within the Main Street Historic -
District.
The Bozeman nursery school had been housed in the building from the 1950's until 1983, when
it folded. In 'that year, the Community Art Center won use of the building, chosen.from
four competing projects,
Although the interior of the building has unfortunately been completely remodeled, the
.cobblestone and fieldstone exterior remains in original condition.
Beall Park -
_T Community Center (cont. )
- PHYSICAL,�DESCR I PT ION:� -
This detached, one-and-one-half story structure is rectangular in plan and has an enclosed
clipped-gable projecting entry with arched opening centrally located on the front facade.
There is a bracketed gable overdoor above this entry and the one on the south elevation.
Windows are eight-over-eight double-hung with segmental stone arches. The bearing wall
construction is fieldstone with cobblestone on the bottom and rests on a rubble foundation.
A concrete belt course encircles the building between the cobblestone and fieldstone wall
finishes. - The gable roof has clipped ends and is covered by green asphalt shingles. There
are overhanging eaves and exposed rafters and a central fieldstone chimney. The axis of
the roof is parallel to the street.
A concrete ramp for handicap access was added to the south side of the building rising to
the existing cobblestone terrace on that elevation in 1986. This ramp was sensitively
designed and harmonizes well with the building's architecture.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: --; .--- �-
Boz ➢an Daily l Y CblQnicla, December 13, 1983, p.4
Bozeman Daily Qbj.Qni cle, November 27, 1983, p.1
FORM PREPARED BY: James R. McDonald, P.C. (1983-84) ; Matthew Cohen (1985-% revision) ;
Patricia Bick (1987 revision) , State Historic Preservation Office, 225 No. Roberts, Helena,
Montana 59620 (406) 444-7715