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MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
For the Montana National Register of Historic Places Program and State Antiquities Database
Montana State Historic Preservation Office
Montana Historical Society
PO Box 201202, 1410 8 th Ave
Helena, MT 59620-1202
Property Address: Montana State University Campus
NW Corner S. 6 th Ave & Hayes St.
Historic Address (if applicable): NA
City/Town: Bozeman
Site Number: 24GA1867
(An historic district number may also apply.)
County: Gallatin
Historic Name: Engineering Science Building / Cobleigh
Hall
Original Owner(s): Montana State University
Current Ownership Private Public
Current Property Name: Cobleigh Hall
Owner(s): Montana State University--Administration
Owner Address: 201 Main Hall / PO Box 172440
Bozeman, MT 59717-2440
Phone: 406-994-2001
Legal Location
PM: Montana Township: 2S Range: 5E
NW ¼ SE ¼ NE ¼ of Section: 13
Lot(s):
Block(s): 36
Addition: Capital Hill Year of Addition: 1890
USGS Quad Name: Bozeman Year: 1987
Historic Use: Classroom, Offices, Laboratories
Current Use: Same
Construction Date: 1970 Estimated Actual
Original Location Moved Date Moved:
UTM Reference www.nris.mt.gov/topofinder2
NAD 27 or NAD 83(preferred )
Zone: 12 Easting: 496423 Northing: 5056991
National Register of Historic Places
NRHP Listing Date:
Historic District: Montana State University-Bozeman HD
NRHP Eligible: Yes No
Date of this document: July 1, 2013
Form Prepared by: Jessie Nunn / Consultant
Address: 600 Meadowlark Lane, Livingston, MT 59047
Daytime Phone: 406-208-8727
MT SHPO USE ONLY
Eligible for NRHP: yes X no
Criteria: A B C D
Date: October 2013
Evaluator: Kate Hampton
Comments: Noncontributor in MSU-Bozeman Historic District
– Age.
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 2
Architectural Description
Property Name: Engineering Science Building / Cobleigh Hall Site Number: 24GA1867
ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION
Architectural Style: Other: If Other, specify: Late Modern
Property Type: Education Specific Property Type:
Architect: Architectural Firm/City/State: Morrison-Maierle & Associates / Billings, MT
Builder/Contractor: Company/City/State: Edsall Construction Co (general); Bozeman Electric; Columbus
Plumbing & Heating / Sheridan, WY
Source of Information: University Records, 69-0009 Cobleigh
Setting & Location
Cobleigh Hall was originally constructed between the Engineering Building and Shops (Roberts Hall and Ryon
Laboratories) and connected to the 1922 Italian Renaissance Revival style buildings by small annexes. It sat parallel with
the east elevations of the earlier buildings, but setback approximately 55’ from their western elevations. Roberts Hall,
located immediately to the north, is still extant, but the Ryon Laboratories were demolished in 1995 to make way for the
immense Engineering & Physical Sciences Building (EPS Building) completed in 1997. Cobleigh Hall is now connected on
its south elevation by a small annex of the newer building. More broadly, Cobleigh Hall is located in the southeast
quadrant of MSU’s core campus. Engineering Hall and the Engineering Laboratories to the south were part of the 1917
George Carsley / Cass Gilbert Plan and were intended to anchor the eastern end of the campus’s east / west axis. Today,
Roberts Hall, which sits on the southern side of Centennial Mall, continues to serve the same function. Cobleigh Hall was
designed as infill that would contrast stylistically with the earlier buildings, while still being sympathetic to their aesthetic
through the use of similar materials including face brick specifically selected to compliment Roberts Hall in color and
texture. The Student Union is located to the west of the Roberts Hall-Cobleigh Hall-EPS Building complex, while single
family residences and Greek housing sit to the east across 6 th Avenue.
Summary
Cobleigh Hall is a six-story re-enforced concrete building completed in 1970 and designed in the Late Modern style by the
Helena, Montana architectural firm, Morrison-Maierle & Associates. It displays a 142’ x 108’ rectilinear footprint with the
north and south elevations being longer. Each building corner has a 9’ x 14’ “cutout” causing setbacks at the ends of the
east and west elevations. Approximately 48’ wide central stair towers that extend about 14’ above the main roofline are
flush with the main north and south elevation walls. Cobleigh Hall is connected to Roberts Hall with a 28’ x 36’ annex near
the western end of the north elevation. Its 24’-wide eastern portion, which is centered on the rear south elevation of
Roberts Hall, is four stories, while the rest of the annex is a single story. Cobleigh Hall is also connected to the EPS
Building on the west end of its south elevation by that building’s approximately 25’ x 30’ four-story annex. A 32’ x 54’
penthouse for Cobleigh Hall’s two elevators is centered on building’s built-up roof.
The entire building is clad in variegated-face brick laid in a common bond. There is very little decorative brickwork save
soldier courses found at the building’s rooflines and just above the concrete pilotis on the west façade. In addition,
windows added when the first story of the façade was infilled with brick circa 2008 have soldier course brick lintels and
continuous soldier course sills. A stringcourse of soldier bricks is also located within the infill just above grade. The
building retains its original aluminum windows on stories two-eight on each elevation. These are slender (5’ tall x 2’ wide)
units consisting of a single light above small hopper lights. Each window exhibits a distinctive 7’ x 4’ precast concrete
hood that project 1.5’ from the wall face of the building. Secondary entrances are located on the east, north and south
elevations, while the building’s main entrances are on the west façade.
West Façade
The symmetrical west façade of Cobleigh Hall is a five-story brick wall face punctured by evenly-spaced windows and
supported by four precast concrete columns or pilotis above a recessed ground story. The illusion that the upper stories
float above the ground, a visual technique commonly employed in the Modern style, was compromised somewhat when
the glass window wall of the recessed ground story was removed and the area infilled with brick and smaller windows
around 2008. Originally, the ground story consisted of a wall of aluminum-framed glass with a row of long rectangular
lights above a row of shorter lights. The window wall was flanked by the façade’s main entrances, which continue to be
located just outside the outer pilotis. Originally, each entrance consisted of double metal doors punctured by slender
rectangular lights with the window wall continuing again around the corner to meet the façade’s setbacks. With the infill of
the ground story, the doors were replaced with modern two-light metal units and the glass on the north- and south-facing
walls painted brown. Original flat-roofed canopies attached to the wall face above each entrance were retained during the
renovation. Currently, each space between the four pilotis contains two four-light aluminum windows. Each upper story (2-
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
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Architectural Description
Property Name: Engineering Science Building / Cobleigh Hall Site Number: 24GA1867
6) exhibits eight window bays containing slender aluminum windows with precast concrete hoods. Small , square, tubular
lights, possibly original to the building, occur between the second-story windows on the façade and rear elevation.
At the north and south ends of the façade are setbacks created by the cutouts at each of Cobleigh Hall’s corners. The
north- and south-facing walls of the setback, which are incorporated into the “floating” wall face of the main façade,
measure 14’ wide and the west-facing walls measure 9’ wide and extend the full height of the building. All setback walls
lack fenestration.
Side (North & South) Elevations and Annexes
Both side elevations of Cobleigh Hall connect to other buildings by annexes. The south annex to Roberts Hall was
designed along with Cobleigh Hall; however, the northern annex was constructed along with the EPS Building in 1997.
Both side elevations contain three window bays on stories two through six flanking un-fenestrated central stair towers. All
windows on the side elevations and the original annex to Roberts Hall are the same slender aluminum units with the
precast concrete hoods found on the façade. On the north elevation, the original four-story annex to Roberts Hall extends
across the inner window bay west of the stair tower; two widows occur on the lower stories (2-4). The north annex has two
elevations, with the east elevation containing three windows bays on stories two through four. A solid brick wall makes up
the west elevation of the four-story section of the annex, while the one story portion contains a single metal door near its
south end.
The original annex to Ryon Laboratories (portions of which are still extant) on the south elevation was only one story,
allowing for windows in all six bays of stories two through six. With the replacement of the Ryon Laboratories with the EPS
Building, however, a new four-story annex was added to the western portion of the south elevation. Now only the top two
stories (5 and 6) have three window bays in the west portion of the elevation and only the inner window bay is present on
the lower stories (2-4). All windows bays east of the central stair tower remain intact. The ground story of the south
elevation contains a series of entrances east of the annex. Immediately east of the EPS Building annex is an original
portion of the one-story annex to Ryon Laboratories with a concrete loading dock extending off its east elevation. The
southern wall of this projection has been covered with brick to match the EPS Building. The loading dock, which also has
a set of concrete steps on its eastern end, provides access to a freight elevator and an elevated entrance (reached by
metal steps) to the west. At grade on the main building, the south elevation contains two entrances located just east of the
loading dock. The east entrance of this pair contains a single metal door with a tiny square light and the recessed west
entrance contains double metal doors with slender rectangular lights.
East (Rear) Elevation
The symmetrical rear elevation is similar to the east façade except there are no pilotis and the main wall extends the
entire height of the building. Like the façade, stories two through six have eight bays containing slender aluminum
windows with precast concrete hoods. The first story, which is not recessed on this elevation, displays two evenly-spaced
garage door openings, which contain newer rolling overhead garage doors. Also like the façade, 9’ x 14’ setbacks created
by the building’s corner cutouts flank the main wall face of the rear elevation.
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
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History of Property
Property Name: Engineering Science Building / Cobleigh Hall Site Number: 24GA1867
HISTORY OF PROPERTY
Development of Montana State University Campus
Montana State University was founded on February 16, 1893 (four years after statehood) as Montana’s land grant college
under the Morrill Act of 1862. It has the distinction of being Montana’s first legislatively-created public university, with the
University of Montana in Missoula being created the following day. Initially called the Agricultural College of the State of
Montana, the new college was situated on a 200-acre site, part of which had been platted as the Capital Hill Addition in a
(failed) bid for the State Capital. Bozeman citizens raised funds to purchase half the land, and Gallatin County donated
the other half, which included the County poor farm. The first purpose-built building on campus was the Agricultural
Experiment Station (Taylor Hall) constructed in 1894. Main Hall (or Montana Hall), the centerpiece of the campus, was
completed in 1898. The construction of the Neo-classical Revival style Agricultural Building (Linfield Hall) in 1909 further
illustrated the primary role of agriculture at Montana State. In 1913, the college was renamed the Montana State College
of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts (MSC).
The college anticipated a period of expansion after World War I, and contracted with Montana architect, George Carsley,
and nationally-known landscape architect, Cass Gilbert, to develop a campus plan, now known as the “1917 George
Carsley / Cass Gilbert Plan.” This plan, which exhibited a formal Beaux-Arts symmetry, was adopted by the Montana
State Board of Education in 1920 and guided campus development until the outbreak of World War II. Its implementation
was assisted by a $5 million bond to fund building development programs on all of Montana’s campuses. At MSC this
resulted in the construction of several Italian Renaissance Revival buildings, including Roberts Hall, Traphagen Hall,
Lewis Hall, Harrick Hall, Romney Gymnasium and the Heating Plant.
MSC continued to grow and evolve during the Great Depression and World War II. This was spurred in part by the growth
of the Extension Service under the New Deal’s Agricultural Adjustment Administration, an increase in unemployed
students who enrolled in the years from 1932 to 1939 and expanded military training (including a flight school) during
World War II. The 1935 “Quads,” a women’s dormitory financed through the Works Progress Administration, and the
oldest portion of the Student Union, completed in 1940, were the era’s most significant additions to campus. Both were
designed by Bozeman architect, Fred F. Willson, in the Tudor Revival style. Slight deviations from the 1917 George
Carsley / Cass Gilbert Plan during the mid-1940s resulted from a desire for new buildings alongside a need to curb paving
and heating costs by reducing the space between buildings.
Along with colleges and universities across the nation, MSC expanded to accommodate students attending college under
the “GI Bill” after World War II. The square footage of campus buildings doubled in the following decades. At this time,
further departures were also made from the 1917 George Carsley / Cass Gilbert Plan as growth demanded expansion
beyond its boundaries and within its open spaces. The Renne Library (1949) and the small Danforth Chapel (1952),
MSC’s first Modern style building, were the era’s earliest additions to campus but several others followed during the 1950s
and early 1960s. Four Mid-Century Modern dormitories were added to the northern end of campus and new academic
buildings, including Reid Hall and the Math-Physics Building (AJM Johnson Hall), were erected in open spaces south of
Garfield Street. Several older buildings also received significant Modern style additions, including Renne Library and
Linfield and Lewis Halls. The result was a campus showcasing a dynamic blend of revivalist and modernist styles.
The college was re-named Montana State University (MSU) in 1965, and the high-rise dormitories (Hedges and Roskie
Halls) that would symbolize the modern era were completed by 1967. More buildings were added in the 1970s as MSU
replaced all of its temporary frame buildings with permanent structures. Growth slowed during the 1980s through the
beginning of the 21 st century in the core campus area, although a few new buildings (Visual Communications, the EPS
Building and the Chemistry & Biochemistry Building) were added. Many older buildings have also undergone significant
alterations in recent decades. Perhaps the greatest addition to campus during the contemporary period was Centennial
Mall along what was once Garfield Street. In providing a strong east-west linear focus, the well-landscaped pedestrian
mall was actually a return to the axial arrangement of 1917 George Carsley / Cass Gilbert Plan. Today, the MSU campus
represents a blend of early formal planning, post-war expansion and contemporary buildings that respond to current
needs. It offers an excellent example of the evolution of campus planning in Montana. (Burlingame, in passim; Painter,
Montana Property Record Form for Langford Hall.)
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
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History of Property
Property Name: Engineering Science Building / Cobleigh Hall Site Number: 24GA1867
A Permanent and Walkable Campus: The 1968-1974 Building Campaign
In 1965, Montana State College became Montana State University (MSU), and over the next decade the campus grew to
reflect its loftier name. Between 1964 and 1967 the Hedges Dormitory Complex, which included two high-rise dormitories
and a round food service building, and Roskie Hall, a futuristic clover-shaped dormitory, were constructed at the very
southwestern corner of campus across 11 th Avenue. The modern aesthetic and elevated skyline of these buildings
symbolized just how grown-up Montana State had become. However, expanding outward and upward would not be
enough to keep pace with the University’s growth. Enrollment increased from about 4,000 in 1960 to nearly 9,000 by
1975, and in 1965 MSU’s leaders decide changes to the campus’s core—including new construction, the renovation of
some older buildings and the demolition of others, and the establishment of a network of paved walkways—was
necessary to complete a modern, pedestrian campus. (MSU Website, Enrollment History; Classroom-Office Building EIS,
2)
MSU’s campus architect, Andy Van Teylingen, and building coordinator, William Johnstone, introduced the new campus
plan to students in the February 1968 Exponent article, “Buildings to Blossom at MSU.” Among other projects, the plan
included the construction of an Engineering Science Complex, a Life Science Building and an Arts Center. Johnstone also
called for a “pedestrian campus,” which would be created through an, “eight minute circle” with administrative buildings
(Montana Hall and the newly-renovated Hamilton Hall) surrounded by general academic buildings, then professional
schools and finally residence halls. A pedestrian campus, according to Johnstone, would also require the abandonment of
all roads through campus in exchange for paved walkways to serve both pedestrians and emergency vehicles. ( Exponent,
2/16/1968). Eventually the plan included a new Classroom-Office Building and a Nursing Building within the campus core
area, as well as a Heath & Physical Education Complex, a new Football Stadium and housing for married students. A
secondary goal of the plan included “razing of all the wooden buildings in the academic core of campus,” which included
the Montana Hall Annex, a pair of World War I-era barracks near the Wool Lab and Bridger Hall, which housed Nursing
and Health and Physical Education. (Classroom-Office Building EIS, 2). The frame buildings, which had always been seen
as temporary solutions to MSU’s space and housing shortages, simply did not fit within the modern university campus
envisioned by Van Teylingen, Jonhstone and University President Leon Johnson.
Such an ambitious building campaign naturally provided plentiful challenges and stirred occasional controversy. Funding
the projects, for instance, proved difficult during the Vietnam War, but MSU cobbled together sufficient state and federal
funding to complete all of its major construction projects by 1974. Unfortunately for the administration, however, several
projects proceeded slowly, either due to insufficient funds or engineering problems. The confrontational mood of students
during the social upheaval of the Vietnam-era only exacerbated negative perceptions of the building campaign. When it
was revealed in early 1972 that the 7 th and 8 th floors of the Life Science Building (Leon Johnson Hall) would remain
unfinished due to lack of funds and that its foundation had a settling problem, two sophomores published a poem titled
“Unfinished” in the Exponent . Their poem revealed the frustration surrounding MSU’s construction woes, and included
verses such as, “Leaning dorms, floating floors, have come to MSU. No you haven’t had too much Coors / These things
happen yes they do,” and “Unfinished Reid, unfinished Library, unfinished Life Sciences Building, too. Will they ever
complete a whole building by 1982?” ( Exponent , 2/29/1972). Even the Classroom-Office Building, which was completed
without incident, could not escape criticism, with the Exponent lamenting the loss of campus’s “most beautiful lawn” and
pointing out the building’s resemblance to the latest in “prison architecture.” ( Exponent , 1/28/1975).
Van Teylingen addressed the challenges and criticisms in the Fall of 1973, telling the Exponent there was more good
news to be found in, “Montana State University’s most ambitious building program in history,” than bad news. ( Exponent ,
9/20/1973). Indeed, the 1968-1974 building campaign did achieve its goals. It transformed the campus from one still
partially dependent on temporary structures and bisected by streets to a more permanent and pedestrian-friendly
environment. While the campaign did result in some lamentable losses, most notably in open space and architectural
unity, it undeniably brought Montana State University into the modern era. Since that time only three major buildings have
been added to the core area of campus: the Visual Communications Building (1983), the Engineering and Physical
Sciences Building (1997), which replaced the Ryon Laboratories, and the Chemistry and Biochemistry Building (2007).
Cobleigh Hall (Engineering Science Building)
By the mid-1960s, the various engineering programs (civil, chemical, electrical, agricultural) at MSU needed space, and a
new mid-rise Engineering Science Building between Roberts Hall and Ryon Labs (the Engineering Building and Shops)
was part an ambitious building program established by campus architect, Andy Van Teylingen, and building coordinator,
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 6
History of Property
Property Name: Engineering Science Building / Cobleigh Hall Site Number: 24GA1867
William A. Johnstone. While classroom space sufficed through 1973, office and laboratory space was at a premium and
the quality of available space also become an issue. The aging Ryon Labs (1922) needed renovation and Agricultural
Engineering was located “in a wooden WWI barracks on the opposite end of campus from the rest of Engineering.” (Title
III Grant Application, 3/31/1970). In short, a new general “Engineering Sciences Building” was a high priority. Funding
issues, however, temporarily delayed construction. The Montana State Legislature authorized construction of the building
during their 1965 Session, but failed to provide funding, and when they did allocate $1,373,333.00 toward construction in
1967, the amount fell approximately $800,000 short of what was needed. (Johnstone Memo, 1/12/1966; Financial Status,
8/21/1969). MSU looked elsewhere to make up the difference. Fortunately, the University was able to obtain just under
$700,000 in federal Title I and Title II grants, enabling construction to begin on March 3,1969. ( Exponent , 10/29/1969).
MSU had previously selected Morrison-Maierle & Associates of Helena, Montana to design the building and Edsell
Construction Company of Bozeman received the $1,163,220.48 general contract in January. Interestingly, the contractor
used CMP (Critical Path Method) of Billings, Montana to create the construction program. Utilizing emerging “computer”
technologies, CMP, “fed everything into a computer before construction began, and the computer produced a program for
scheduling each phase of construction.” ( Exponent , 10/29/1969). The schedule listed the order and duration of each
construction task, and even took into account holidays, weekends and breakdowns, and most impressively, labor strikes.
Construction moved forward through the summer of 1969 and by October, the Exponent reported that “outside work”
neared completion. The beginning of 1970, however, brought challenges. During a site visit in February, Verdon L. West,
the project supervisor from Montana’s Division of Architecture & Engineering, took issue with the masonry, writing to the
architects, “If the brick workmanship on the Penthouse is a sample of what the exterior brick work is going to be on the
building, corrective steps should be taken at once.” (West to Morrison-Maierle & Associates, 2/19/1970). Apparently, he
was not the first to notice the poor workmanship. Writing to the general contractor after receiving West’s letter, Dick Griffin
of Morrison-Maierle warned, “I have previously discussed the quality of this work with you.” (Griffin to Edsall, 2/23/1970).
Funding the building’s completion also continued to be a problem. The University was still about $75,000 short of the
building’s projected $2.2 million cost, forcing them to apply for a Title III grant under the Higher Education Facilities Act
late at the end of March. (Title III Grant Application, 3/31/1970). Finally, the building was accepted as complete by the
State of Montana on November 4, 1970, five years after its approved construction by the Montana Legislature. (Saxby to
Morrison-Maierle & Associates, 11/9/1970).
The Engineering Science Building was renamed Cobleigh Hall by the Building Names Committee in August of 1968,
before construction began. A professor of Physics and Chemistry, William M. Cobleigh (1872-1951) served as Dean of
Engineering from 1929-1943 and also as Acting University President in 1942-1943. Cobleigh Hall continues to serve its
original function as the home to the Chemical, Civil and Electrical Engineering Departments, as well as the newer
Departments of Computer and Biological Engineering. Many laboratories are also found in the building, including the Sub-
zero Lab and Fluid Mechanics Lab. (Building Names, 8/16/1968; University Website, “Cobleigh Hall”).
Morrison-Maierle & Associates
In 1945, John Morrison left his stable job with the Montana Highway Department to start his own engineering firm and was
quickly joined by his former co-worker and friend, Joseph Maierle. Together they formed Morrison-Maierle & Associates,
which has grown to include offices in Montana, Wyoming, Washington and Arizona. In addition to Cobleigh Hall at MSU,
the Helena, Montana firm also designed the 1973 Reno Sales Stadium (now Bobcat Stadium) and served as consulting
engineers on a handful of other buildings, including Cooley Laboratories. (Morrison-Maierle, Inc. Website, “History”).
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 7
Information Sources/Bibliography
Property Name: Engineering Science Building / Cobleigh Hall Site Number: 24GA1867
INFORMATION SOURCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY
Building Master List. Physical Plant Records, Montana State University.
Building Names Committee (MSU). Memo to President Leon Johnson, 16 August 1968. Univeristy Archives, A5-2-2-b,
“Building Names.”
“Buildings to Blossom at MSU,” The Exponent , 16 February 1968.
Griffin, Dick (Morrison-Maierle & Associates). Letter to Edsell Construction Company. 23 February 1970. University
Records, 69-0001.
“Financial Status: Engineering Science Building,” 21 August 1969. University Records, 69-0001.
Johnstone, William A. “Engineering Science,” Memo, 12 January 1966. University Records, 69-0001.
Montana State University. “Application for Title III Grant, Department of Heath, Education and Welfare, Higher Education
Facilities Act of 1963. 31 March 1970. University Archives, 69-0001.
Montana State University, “Cobleigh Hall,” Website accessed at
http://calendar.msu.montana.edu/locations.php?building=2&ref=map .
Montana State University. “Fall Head Count Enrollment History, 1893 to Present,” Website accessed online at
http://www.montana.edu/opa/facts/headhist.html .
Morrison-Maierle & Assocaiates, “Engineering Science Building, Montana State Univeristy, Specifications for
Construction,” Univeristy Records, 69-0001.
Morrison-Mairele & Associates,” Engineering Science Building, Montana State University,” Architectural Drawings,
University Records, 69-0001.
Morrision-Maierle, Inc. “History,” Website accessed online at http://www.m-m.net/culture/history-2/ .
“New Engineering Building Named for Cobleigh,” Exponent , 29 October 1969.
Painter, Diane J. “Langford Hall, Montana Property Record Form,” July 18, 2010. Montana State Historic Preservation
Office.
Saxby Doyle B. (State Comptroller). Letter to Morrison-Maierle & Associates. 9 November 1970. Unversity Records, 69-
0001.
Van Teylingen, Andy. “Classroom-Office Building, Enviromental Impact Statement,” August 28, 1972. University Records,
74-0001.
Van Teylingen, Andy. “Campus Construction: First the Good News…,” The Exponent , 20 September 1972.
West, Verdon L. (Montana Department of Architecture & Engineering). Letter to Morrison-Maierle & Associates, 19
February 1970. University Records, 69-0001.
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 8
Statement of Significance
Property Name: Engineering Science Building / Cobleigh Hall Site Number: 24GA1867
NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES
NRHP Listing Date: NA
NRHP Eligibility: Yes No Individually Contributing to Historic District Noncontributing to Historic District
NRHP Criteria: A B C D
Area of Significance: Period of Significance:
STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
Cobleigh Hall does not currently contribute to the Montana State University-Bozeman Historic District due to age.
Completed in 1970, it falls just outside of the district’s period of historical significance, 1893-1968. Its contributing status
should be reconsidered in any future amendments or expansions to the district. The building is a significant example of
Late Modernism and is one of many designs on campus from the 1970s and 1980s to exhibit a restrained form of
Brutalism. Moreover, the building is historically associated with the 1968-1974 Building Campaign, which aimed to create
a permanent and walkable campus. This campaign marked the most ambitious and comprehensive period of campus
development since the 1917 George Carsley / Cass Gilbert Campus plan and the six Italian Renaissance Revival building
constructed between 1920 and 1926. Finally, the building represents the evolution of facilities constructed for the School
of Engineering at MSU.
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
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Integrity
Property Name: Engineering Science Building / Cobleigh Hall Site Number: 24GA1867
INTEGRITY (location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, association)
Cobleigh Hall currently retains good integrity of design, materials and workmanship. In particular, its slender windows and
precast concrete windows hoods remain intact. The most significant alteration is the infill of the recessed first-story
window wall on the west façade with brick and smaller windows. The building also retains its historical connection to the
1922 Roberts Hall (Engineering Building). Its south elevation, however, has been recently altered with an annex
connecting it to the 1997 Engineering and Physical Science Building (EPS Building).
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 10
Photographs
Property Name: Engineering Science Building / Cobleigh Hall Site Number: 24GA1867
Cobleigh Hall
West Façade, Facing: E
Montana State University
Jessie Nunn, January 5, 2013
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 11
Photographs
Property Name: Engineering Science Building / Cobleigh Hall Site Number: 24GA1867
Cobleigh Hall
North Elevation & West Façade (Roberts Hall, foreground), Facing: SE
Montana State University
Jessie Nunn, January 5, 2013
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 12
Photographs
Property Name: Engineering Science Building / Cobleigh Hall Site Number: 24GA1867
Cobleigh Hall
South & East Elevations, Facing: NW
Montana State University
Jessie Nunn, January 5, 2013
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 13
Photographs
Property Name: Engineering Science Building / Cobleigh Hall Site Number: 24GA1867
Cobleigh Hall
North Elevation, Facing: SW
Montana State University
Jessie Nunn, January 5, 2013
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 14
Photographs
Property Name: Engineering Science Building / Cobleigh Hall Site Number: 24GA1867
Cobleigh Hall, West Elevation. Digital Historic Photograph Collection, MSU Library, Photo ID: parc-000599.
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 15
Site Map
Property Name: Engineering Science Building / Cobleigh Hall Site Number: 24GA1867
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 16
Topographic Map
Property Name: Engineering Science Building / Cobleigh Hall Site Number: 24GA1867