HomeMy WebLinkAboutHedges Complex (24GA1873) final
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:
S. 12 th Ave betweeen Grant & Garfield
Historic Address (if applicable): NA
City/Town: Bozeman
Site Number: 24GA1873
(An historic district number may also apply.)
County: Gallatin
Historic Name: North Hedges, South Hedges / Food
Services
Original Owner(s): Montana State College
Current Ownership Private Public
Current Property Name: Same / Miller Dining 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
NE ¼ SE ¼ NW ¼ of Section: 13
Lot(s):
Block(s):
Addition: NA Year of Addition:
USGS Quad Name: Bozeman Year: 1987
Historic Use: Residence Hall / Dining Facility
Current Use: Same
Construction Date: 1964-1967 Estimated Actual
Original Location Moved Date Moved:
UTM Reference www.nris.mt.gov/topofinder2
NAD 27 or NAD 83(preferred )
Zone: 12 Easting: 495777 Northing: 5056944
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: X yes no
Criteria: X A B X C D
Date: October 2013
Evaluator: Kate Hampton
Comments: Contributor in the MSU-Bozeman Historic District
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 2
Architectural Description
Property Name: North Hedges, South Hedges / Food Services Site Number: 24GA1873
ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION
Architectural Style: Other: If Other, specify: Modern
Property Type: Education Specific Property Type:
Architect: Architectural Firm/City/State: O. Berg Jr. & Associates & W. E. Grabow / Bozeman, MT
Builder/Contractor: Company/City/State: Haggerty-Messmer Company / Bozeman, MT (general); Palmquist
Electric Company / Helena, MT (electrical, Hedges South & Food Services); Bozeman Electric Company /
Bozeman Montana (electical, Hedges North) Frank J. Trunk & Son / Bozeman, MT (mechanical, Hedges South &
Food Services); Bingham Mechanical & Metal Products, Inc. / Idaho Falls, ID (mechanical, Hedges North)
Northwest Fixture Company (kitchen) / Billings, MT
Source of Information: University Records, 63-0011; University Records, 65-0012
Setting & Location
Completed in 1967, the Hedges Complex (South Hedges Residence Hall, North Hedges Residence Hall and the Food
Services Building) sits along the curving South 12 th Avenue between Grant and Garfield Streets. The round Food Service
Building is at the center of the complex with the eleven-story dormitories connected by one- to two-story annexes to the
southeast and northwest. The Hedges Complex was the first major extension of campus west of South 11 th Street that
was not related to applied agricultural research. Originally part of the County Poor Farm, the western portion of campus
was given to Montana State College soon after its creation in 1893 and it continued to serve as a “farm” with frame barns,
granaries, the Veterinary Research Laboratory, the brick 1952 McCall Hall, and other agricultural buildings. Today, only
the 1924 Beef Cattle Barn (S.O.B. Barn) and McCall Hall, which sit west of North Hedges and east of South Hedges
respectively, remain of the college’s once extensive farm. The Creative Arts Complex, constructed in 1974 to the north of
McCall Hall, replaced many of the buildings. Roskie Hall, an Exaggerated Modern style eleven-story dormitory, was
completed in 1967 just to the southwest of South Hedges. In 1997, North Hedges Suites #1 and #2 were added west of
North Hedges. A third suite (North Hedges Suite #3) is currently under construction. South of the Hedges Complex,
between Grant and Lincoln Streets, is an extensive paved parking lot.
Summary
The Hedges Complex consists of two eleven-story residences halls (South Hedges and North Hedges) connected to the
central Food Service Building (Miller Dining Hall) by one- or two-story annexes. All are reinforced concrete and structural
steel buildings with full basements. O. Berg Jr. & Associates and William E. Grabow, both of Bozeman, Montana designed
the complex in the Modern style. The Complex was constructed in two stages, with South Hedges and the Food Service
Building completed in 1965 and North Hedges finished by 1967. The dorms, which are virtually identical, have a “slab”
form with long (194’) east and west elevations and much shorter (73’) north and south ends. Long elevations have a
massive curtain wall of white precast concrete, Mo-Sai spandrel panels and columns, and slender ribbons of sliding
aluminum windows on stories two through eleven. The concrete columns act as pilotis creating the allusion that the upper
stories float above the recessed, and largely glass, first stories. Large canopies project from the first stories on the east
façades. Side elevations also have a curtain wall with Mo-Sai panels and aluminum windows, but lack columns. The
graceful, concave corners of the dormitory buildings are clad in red brick in a running bond capped by smooth white
concrete. They serve as the massive, solid “columns” supporting the buildings’ lightweight (and lightly-colored) walls. A
grill created with metal tubing offers ventilation for mechanical systems found between the curtain walls and the flat roofs
of the dormitories. The roofs have exaggerated overhanging eaves that are clad in dark red porcelain enamel.
The round, two-story Food Service Building has a 162’ foot diameter and sits between the dorms, which are offset to the
northwest and southeast. It consists of 24 pie-shaped bays that are approximately 21’ wide on its exterior façade. Each
bay sits recessed between brick piers and below the building’s overhanging roof. In general, second story bays contain six
sliding glass windows above a white precast concrete Mo-Sai panel. On the east façade, first story bays also contain this
configuration, although due to the slope of the site only the upper story is above grade in the southern bays. First story
bays on the west (rear) elevation are typically filled with brick. The low-pitched roof has a central “monitor roof” with an
approximately 60’ diameter. A one-story annex connects the Food Service Building to the first story of South Hedges. It is
approximately 18’ wide and runs southeast for about 40’ before turning south for another 30’ to meet South Hedges. The
north annex is 4’ wider and runs approximately 50’ straight northwest to meet North Hedges. It is two-stories high and
connects to the dormitory’s basement and first stories. Both annexes are clad in red brick and have windows on their east
façades.
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 3
Architectural Description
Property Name: North Hedges, South Hedges / Food Services Site Number: 24GA1873
Food Service Building
Beginning at its northernmost point and moving clockwise, the round Food Service Building is divided into approximately
21’ wide bays numbered 1 through 24. The annex to South Hedges connects at Bay 8 and the North Hedges Annex
connects at Bay 22. The east façade, which is found between the annexes, contains nine bays (Bays 1-7 and 23-24) and
the west (or rear) elevation contains fifteen (Bays 8-22). While most bays follow the configuration described above, the
east façade also has a number of entrances. Bay 23, next to the North Hedges annex, contains a first-story entrance with
double aluminum-framed glass doors and a transom in its north half . In its south half, two aluminum windows are placed
above a Mo-Sai panel. Bays 24 and 1-3 are typical with aluminum windows above Mo-Sai panel on both stories, with the
exception of a single metal door entrance located in the south end of Bay 3. The site begins to slope upward at Bay 4, and
the remaining four bays on the east façade only have windows and Mo-Sai panels in their upper stories. Visible portions
of the first story are smooth concrete that has been painted white. Bay 7, which is immediately beside the South Hedges
annex, contains a single metal door entrance and transom flanked by two aluminum windows. The slightly elevated
entrance has a concrete stoop and stairs protected by a metal railing.
The larger , west elevation, second-story bays typically contain six sliding aluminum windows above Mo-Sai panels. First-
story bays are generally filled with red brick laid in a running bond; however, a handful of variations occur. Bays 19 and 20
have elevated loading docks with overhead garage doors , and Bay 18 has a single metal door with a square light. The
first story of Bay 13 is covered by a metal grate protecting exposed mechanical equipment. None of these variations are
depicted in the original architectural drawings and may have been added after the period of significance. The site begins
to slope upward at Bay 12, where the visible first story transitions from brick to concrete. Bay 9 has a second story
entrance consisting of a single metal door and transom flanked by two aluminum lights. It is reached by a concrete walk
with metal railings. Annexes to North and South Hedges are found at the ends of this elevation. The South Hedges annex
begins immediately below the roofline of Bay 8; however, the roof of North Hedges annex falls just below the second story
windows of Bay 22. This is due to the slope of the site from south to north.
Each of the T-shaped brick piers defining the bays are created by the placement of two corresponding vertical L-shaped
walls separated by thin strips of brick-colored metal paneling. Each pier supports a heavy Glue-Lam (glued laminated)
roof beam, which project s slightly beyond the closed overhanging eave. Each exposed beam is capped by a scupper
projecting from the metal fascia. The wide soffit is covered by white Glasweld asbestos panels, which also fill the vertical
space created by the “monitor roof.”
Annexes
On their east façades, the annexes connecting North and South Hedges to the Food Service Building continue the pattern
of recessed bays defined by red brick piers found on the latter building. The south annex (built with the Food Service
Building in 1964) has two sections on its façade: a northeast-facing section and an east-facing section. Both have four
recessed bays filled with full-length, six-light windows with aluminum mullions. These windows replace the original three
light windows over white Mo-Sai panels. The northeast façade of the north annex, which was built along with North
Hedges, retains its original window and Mo-Sai panel configuration in its five bays. Both annexes have solid brick walls
with no fenestration on their rear elevations. The annexes have flat roofs with boxed, overhanging eaves.
North and South Hedges, East Façades
The identical upper stories (2-11) on the east façades contain eight bays within the curtain wall between the buildings’
concave brick corners. Bays are defined by six slender, Mo-Sai precast concrete columns. Outer bays contain a ribbon of
three square , sliding , aluminum windows above white Mo-Sai spandrel panels, while the six central bays contain a ribbon
of eight identical windows above Mo-Sai panels. All North and South Hedges windows are original unless otherwise
specified. A row of Mo-Sai spandrel panels is also found between 11th story windows and the grill of metal tubing at the
mechanical level in the curtain wall portions of all elevations. Above the grill on the curtain wall and the buildings’ brick
corners are porcelain enamel-clad eaves. Each dormitory has three mechanical penthouses on its flat roof, with the
central penthouse containing the elevator. South Hedges’s 28’ x 20’ outer penthouses are clad in Cemesto panels, while
the 19’ x 27’ elevator penthouse has brick corner piers and is also clad in Cemesto panels. North Hedges’s outer
penthouses are longer (42’), while the elevator penthouse is similar in size. All three are entirely clad in Cemesto panels.
Long centered canopies dominate the first story of each façade. Protruding 63’ from the east face of the buildings, the
canopies are 40’ wide and rest upon twelve T-shaped brick piers. These piers have their “T-tops” facing inward and are
similar in design to the piers supporting the exposed roof beams of the Food Service Building. The canopies consist of
two 14’ wide flat roofs flanking a 12’ wide open span broken only by beams found at the piers. Each roof protects over a
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 4
Architectural Description
Property Name: North Hedges, South Hedges / Food Services Site Number: 24GA1873
paved walkway that leads to the main entrances of each dorm, while the central open span provides light for a small
concrete courtyard that includes two square plantings.
The first story fenestration patterns of North and South Hedges are both made up of mostly glass; however, they possess
differences that reflect both their original designs and later alterations. Both have two double glass door entrances with
sidelights to the outside and the canopy’s westernmost brick piers to the inside. Large glass panels fill the space between
canopy piers and the façade’s central concrete columns. On South Hedges, the slender south bay and half of the next bay
are brick, while the remaining bays outside of the entrances have glass paneling above a brick knee-wall. Originally, the
first story of North Hedges was similar, except the southernmost bays were glass not brick and the north bay (along with a
small section of the next bay) contained raised square windows like those found on the upper stories. The north side of
North Hedges also included a concrete ramp to the dormitories northern entrance. Today the north half of the first story
retains much of its original design; however, an approximately 12’ wide shed-roofed atrium addition was added to the
southern side in the early 1990s. Its window wall eastern façade has ten full -length lights with aluminum mullions and its
slanted roof is made up of smaller glass panels. Both ends of the addition are brick walls. While it does obscure a
significant portion of the original first story and compromise s the “floating” allusion created by the pilotis (Mo-Sai precast
concrete columns), the small addition is largely sympathetic to the building’s Modern aesthetic.
North and South Hedges, West (Rear) Elevations
Like the façades, the rear elevations of North and South Hedges are nearly identical. The upper stories (2-11) match the
fenestration pattern found on the façade, while the first stories, which consist largely of glass, are similar but lack
canopies. Perhaps the most significant difference between the dormitories, however, is found on the rear elevations.
Here, the architects used decorative spandrel panels in the innermost bays on South Hedges, but, for whatever reason,
omitted them from the design of North Hedges. The panels, which have a raised rectangular boundary with a darker
portion to the outside, represent the only overt use of ornament in the design of the Hedges Complex.
The first story of North Hedges’s rear elevation has been altered slightly, probably around the same time the glass
addition was added to the façade. Short flights of stairs once offered access to the elevation’s three entrances, but the
north entrance (originally a single glass door) was removed . The central entrances are now reached by an elevated
concrete walkway. These entrances are located in the outer portions of the innermost bays and consist of double
aluminum-framed glass doors. Glass paneling is located between the entrances. To the south of the entrances are two
bays with four large rectangular lights. The slender southern bay contains two similar lights. Moving north of the
entrances, the first bay contains three large lights similar to those found to the south . The next bay contains a single large
replacement light. The remainder of this bay, and the slender northern bay, display brick-infilling with a ribbon of square
aluminum windows, mimicking the pattern found on the south side of the façade. A strip of porcelain enamel paneling is
located above the windows to the north, while glass is found above the entrances and to the south.
A second significant difference between the rear elevations of North Hedges and South Hedges (in addition to the use
decorative paneling on one dormitory but not the other) is the visibility of the basement on the former. Located below a
concrete water table, the basement is lit by a ribbon of square sliding aluminum windows except in the entrances bays.
The first story of South Hedges’s rear elevation is similar though there is no exposed basement and it is the southern bays
that are filled with brick. In addition, there is a small brick enclosure protecting a third entrance in the second bay from the
south. Its open southern wall is currently covered by a wood fence that continues along the remainder of the rear
elevation.
North and South Hedges, North and South (End) Elevations
The north elevation of North Hedges and the south elevation of South Hedges (the outer ends) are nearly identical. Both
are arranged with curtain walls of Mo-Sai spandrel panels and square aluminum-framed window ribbons between the
massive brick “columns” at the building corners. Each upper story window ribbon contains ten lights. Unlike on the east
and west elevations, the curtain wall extends the entire height of the building and no concrete columns exist to create
bays or serve as pilotis. Due to the slope of the site from north to south, the basement level is visible on the north end of
North Hedges. As such, this elevation has twelve visible stories. Each outer end has a grade level elevation on its western
end, which is found on the first story of South Hedges and at the basement story of North Hedges. The south entrance of
South Hedges includes a single aluminum-framed glass door with a sidelight and a transom. A slender brick column
divides the entrance from a ribbon of seven square, aluminum windows. A strip of dark red porcelain enamel paneling is
located above the entrance and the windows. The north entrance of North Hedges displays similar features except for
double aluminum-framed glass doors and lack of porcelain enamel paneling.
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 5
Architectural Description
Property Name: North Hedges, South Hedges / Food Services Site Number: 24GA1873
The inner ends (the south elevation of North Hedges and north elevation of South Hedges) are similar to the outer end
elevations with curtain walls between the brick building corners. Here, however, the ground level (the first story on both
dormitories) is dominated by the annexes connecting the dormitories to the Food Service Building. The annexes are
centered below the six inner windows in the upper stories and are flanked by brick or glass panels, porcelain enamel
paneling , or entrances.
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 6
History of Property
Property Name: North Hedges, South Hedges / Food Services Site Number: 24GA1873
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 Word 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 of 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
PAGE 7
History of Property
Property Name: North Hedges, South Hedges / Food Services Site Number: 24GA1873
A Modern University
In 1963, Montana State College was awarded its first “Bachelor of Arts” degrees in History and English, symbolizing a
significant shift in curriculum from the traditional emphasis on agriculture, engineering , and the physical sciences. Over
the next five years, four more Bachelor of Arts degrees were added in Modern Languages, Music, Government and
Philosophy , along with three “social” Bachelor of Science degrees in Sociology, Economics and Psychology. (Burlingame,
197). Enrollment also continued to grow alongside the curriculum and the “low-rise” dormitories at the north end of
campus quickly proved insufficient. Between 1958 and 1964, enrollment increased by 1,381 , and the College estimated
an additional 891 students would enroll over the next two years. With only 102 residential vacancies on campus in 1963,
the need for student housing was immediate. MSC moved forward with an ambitious plan to house and feed 1,200
students with two high-rise dormitories and a central food service hall. (Item 192-211, 18/12/1964). The proposed
dormitories promised to be the state’s tallest buildings. The massive scale and modern design of for the new residential
complex would come to represent the transition of campus from Montana State College to Montana State University
(MSU), a name change approve by the State Legislature in 1965. (Burlingame, 203 and 208). The Hedges Complex
(1964-1967), along with nearby Roskie Hall (1967) , would be featured on the front cover of the 1968 President’s Report,
which celebrated the diamond anniversary of Montana State University.
The Hedges Complex
In 1963, MSC retained Bozeman architects O. Berg , Jr. and William E. Grabow to design a 1,200-student residential and
dinning complex . The subsequent plans and specifications called for a thoroughly modern design. Students would be
housed in two 11-story, slab-type curtain wall dormitories flanking a round Food Services Building. To accommodate the
proposed complex, MSC selected a site across 11 th Avenue, consequently introducing the first non-agricultural
development within the portion of campus previously designated for farming research. The dormitories would be
constructed in two phases, with South Hedges and the Food Service Building started in 1964 under one contract , and
North Hedges in 1965 under a separate contract. To help finance the first phase of the complex, which was expected to
cost nearly $5 million in construction costs and furnishings, MSC turned to the federal government for a Housing and
Home Finance Agency loan under the College Housing Program. On March 8, 1963, MSC Business Manager Bernard
Copping received preliminary approval for a $2,900,000 loan and construction bids were advertised just one month later.
(Lathrop to Copping, 3/8/1963; Advertisement for Bids, 4/8/1963). Haggerty-Messmer Co. received the $2,079,000
general contract and construction on Hedges South and the Food Service Building began in the June of 1963. (Durkee to
Cooping, 8/26/1963). Minutes from weekly construction meetings documented the project’s progress, while providing a
catalog of building materials and their arrival dates. On October 29, for instance, both the Cofar (composite steel decking)
and Glue-Lam (glued laminated timber) beams for the Food Service Building were on site, and the first of many Mo-Sai
(pre-cast concrete) panels had arrived by the 18 th of November. By December 30, all could agree that, “the whole job
seems to be going fairly well and if the weather is with us, the construction should be close to schedule.” (Construction
Meeting Minutes). Construction continued to progress relatively smoothly, although it would extend a few months past the
October 5, 1964 deadline due largely to paperwork and order delays. (Item 192-111).
In the meantime, MSC pushed toward construction on South Hedges. In October of 1964 , authorization to construct and
finance, “the second residential section of the Hedges Hall Complex” was received from the State Board of Education,
and the architects had plans and specifications ready in January of 1965. (Item 192-111). Haggerty-Messmer Co. again
received the general contract, this time for $1,829,000, and construction began in March with a deadline of September 1,
1966. (Notice to Proceed, 3/10/1965). Delays extended construction past the initial deadline, but work was completed by
the following June and the $2,399,765 project was approved by the MSC Physical Plant in September of 1967. (Affidavit,
6/16/1967, Whalen to Hauck, 9/20/1967).
Furnishings and equipment for the Complex made up a significant portion of the total cost, with kitchen equipment and
furnishings totaled over $280,000 during the project’s first phase. The Northwest Fixture Company of Billings, Montana
received the kitchen equipment contract, while Haggerty-Messmer Co. advertised for furnishings. Beds, mattresses,
chairs, sofas and dining tables made up the bulk of the furnishing expense, but the contractor also purchased a variety of
other items, including ten game tables, sixteen table lamps, three cigarette tables , and sixty-five “sand urns.” Most
furnishings came from Montana vendors, including Vaughns Furniture (Bozeman), Northwest Interiors (Missoula),
Missoula Mercantile, Rosenberg Furniture (Butte) and House of Carpets (Billings), but Fredrick & Nelson and Doces, both
of Seattle, and Spokane Dry Goods were also successful bidders. (List of Successful Bids).
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 8
History of Property
Property Name: North Hedges, South Hedges / Food Services Site Number: 24GA1873
Unfortunately, South Hedges and the Food Service Building required additional work almost immediately after their
construction. Haggerty Messmer Co. added a new glass vestibule at the entrance to South Hedges at the close of 1965,
and McLees Sheet Metal replaced the dormitory’s entire roof in 1968. The next year new brick and concrete block was
added to lower concourse of the Food Services Building. (Project Nos. 65-0011; 68-0100; 68-0017). These projects cost
the University an additional $20,000.
Originally constructed for male students, North and South Hedges became co-educational in the fall of 1972 in an effort to
comply with Title IX. North Hedges currently offers male, female and co-ed floors, while South Hedges is largely arranged
by “themes”, which include business, art and architecture, freshman experience, honors , and sophomore floors. The Food
Services Building (now Miller Hall) houses the Miller Dining Room and is also home to Auxiliary Services.
O. Berg Jr. and William E. Grabow
Oswald Berg , Jr. was a Montana native, born into a ranching family in Lewistown on October 8, 1918. He attended St.
Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota and then Washington State College (now University), where he was awarded a
Bachelor of Science degree in Architecture in 1941. He worked for the Civil Service Commission and the Department of
the Navy in Washington D.C. during World War II and attended night school at George Washington University. After the
war, he was employed by the college architecture office at WSU and as an architect for N.W. Fabricators, Inc. before
opening his own Bozeman-based firm in 1949. Between 1949 and 1983, Berg practiced under the names of Oswald Berg
Jr. and Associates, Berg-Grabow and Partners, BGS Architects, and Berg-Grabow-Schofield. His longtime partner,
William Edmund Grabow , was born in Livingston, Montana on September 10, 1924 and attended Montana State College,
from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Architecture in 1950. He opened his own firm, where he
practiced from 1956 until officially joining Berg in 1968.
Berg had a long and prolific career in Montana, Washington , and Oregon. He and his partners designed churches and
chapels, schools and university buildings, banks, libraries and shops, along with some commercial and residential
buildings. Some of his best known works were designed in partnership with Grabow and include MSU’s Museum of the
Rockies, Hedges Complex , and Roskie Hall. Berg also designed buildings at MSU-Havre. In addition to his architectural
practice, Berg taught as a visiting professor at MSU and was a licensed engineer. Grabow was also engaged in the
Bozeman community, serving as mayor in the early 1970s. (Adapted from Painter, 47 and 55).
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 9
Information Sources/Bibliography
Property Name: North Hedges, South Hedges / Food Services Site Number: 24GA1873
INFORMATION SOURCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY
Berg & Grabow, “Montana State College Men’s Residence Hall,” Specifications, c. 1963. University Records, 63-0011.
Berg & Grabow, “Montana State College Men’s Residence Hall,” Architectural Drawings, 20 April 1963. University
Records, 63-0011.
Berg & Grabow, “Montana State College Men’s Residence Hall ‘B’,” Specifications, c. 1965. University Records, 65-0012.
Berg & Grabow, “Montana State College Men’s Residence Hall ‘B’,” Architectural Drawings, 18 January 1965. University
Records, 65-0012.
Building Master List. Physical Plant Records, Montana State University.
Burlingame, Merrill. A History: Montana State University. Bozeman, Montana. Bozeman, MT: Office of Information
Publication, February 1968.
“Construction Meeting Minutes,” 1964-1965. University Records, 63-0011.
Durkee, L. R. (Housing and Home Finance Agency). Letter to Bernard Copping, 26 August, 1963. University Records
63-0011.
Haggerty-Messmer Co. “Affidavit on Behalf of Contractor,” 16 June 1967. University Records, 65-0012.
Haggerty-Messmer Co. “List of Successful Bidder [South Hedges Furnishings], c. 1964. University Records, 63-0011.
Lanthrop, Glenn H. (Housing and Home Finance Agency). Letter to Bernard Copping, 8 March 1963. University Records,
63-0011.
Montana Division of Architecture and Engineering. “Notice to Proceed,” for Haggerty-Messmer Co. 10 March 1965.
University Records, 65-0012.
Montana State Board of Education. “Item 192-211, Construction and Financing of Second Residential Section of the
Hedges Hall Complex,” 12 October 1964. University 65-0012.
Montana State Board of Education. “Advertisement for Bids,” 8 April 1963. University Records, 63-0011.
Montana State University. “North Hedges,” “South Hedges,” and “Miller Dining Hall,” Website accessed online at
http://www.montana.edu/campusmap/ .
Montana State University. “Ideas Toward a New Tomorrow: The President’s Report,” 1968.
Rydell, Robert, Pierce Mullen and Jeffrey Safford. In the People’s Interest: A Centennial History of Montana State
University , 1993.
Painter, Diane J. Montana Post-World War II Architectural Survey and Inventory: Historic Context and Survey Report ,
December 2010.
Painter, Diane J. “Langford Hall, Montana Property Record Form,” July 18, 2010. Montana State Preservation Office.
Whalen, M. F. (Director, MSU Physical Plant). Letter to Phil Hauck, 20 September 1967. University Records, 65-0012.
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 10
Statement of Significance
Property Name: North Hedges, South Hedges / Food Services Site Number: 24GA1873
NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES
NRHP Listing Date:
NRHP Eligibility: Yes No Individually Contributing to Historic District Noncontributing to Historic District
NRHP Criteria: A B C D
Area of Significance: Education, Architecture Period of Significance: 1964-1968
STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
The Hedges Complex (1964-1967) includes three contributing buildings within the proposed Montana State University
Historic District, which is eligible for listing under Criteria A and C. It is significant for its association with MSU’s continued
effort to provide suitable and attractive housing for a growing number of undergraduate students after World War II. Along
with Roskie Hall (1967), the Hedges Complex is the last large-scale residential hall constructed adjacent to the core
campus. Later residences for traditional undergraduate students would be in the form of “suites” or apartments.
Architecturally, the Hedges Complex and Roskie Hall represent the pinnacle of Mid-century Modern architecture within the
core MSU campus. The next major construction project on campus (Cobleigh Hall, 1970) would have a decidedly different
Late Modern (or Brutalist) aesthetic. For the design of the Hedges Complex, architects O. Berg , Jr. and William F.
Grabow, used contrasting modern forms with high-rise “slab” dormitories flanking a low-rise, round service building. The
upper stories of the dormitories appear to float above their recessed, glass ground floors, supported solely on concrete
columns that mimic pilotis—a Modern design technique made famous by French architect, Le Corbusier. With their
massive expanses of aluminum windows and pre-cast concrete panels, the dormitories are also an excellent example of
curtain wall construction. The entire complex is also significance for the extensive use of mid-century materials including
Mo-Sai precast concrete panels, Glasweld asbestos panels, Cemesto panels, Cofar steel decking, aluminum windows
and Glue-Lam (glued laminated timber) beams. Finally, along with Roskie Hall, the Hedges Complex is significant as
arguably the best work produced during the long partnership of Bozeman architects, O. Berg. Jr. and William F. Grabow.
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 11
Integrity
Property Name: North Hedges, South Hedges / Food Services Site Number: 24GA1873
INTEGRITY (location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, association)
The Hedges Complex retains excellent integrity of design, materials and workmanship, although minor alterations have
taken place on all three buildings. On North Hedges, a shed-roofed glass addition was added to the south side of the east
façade in the early 1990s. The rear entrances were also reworked at this time with the north entrance removed and
concrete steps leading to the other entrances replaced with elevated walks. The canopy of South Hedges was renovated
in c. 1988 and windows and Mo-Sai panels in the annex connecting it to the Food Service building have been replaced by
full-length windows. The Food Service Building has undergone several minor alterations, including the probable addition
of entrances on the first story of the west elevation. Finally, all three buildings have been reroofed on multiple occasions.
Due to the large scale of the buildings and the complex, however, none of the alterations significantly detract from their
overall integrity.
The Hedges Complex also retains its integrity of location as the first major campus development west of 11 th Avenue not
related to the college farm or applied agricultural research. It also largely retains its integrity of setting. Roskie Hall, an 11-
story dormitory constructed immediately to southwest in 1967, was also designed by O. Berg Jr. and Grabow and is
distinctive but stylistically sympathetic. More recently (1997), MSU built two three-story residential “suites” immediately to
the west of North Hedges, with a third currently under construction. These buildings do somewhat detract from the historic
setting, although their low profile and location behind the Hedges Complex mitigates the impact. Overall, the Hedges
Complex retains sufficient integrity to covey is associational significance with the continued growth of MSU and its
architectural significance as an outstanding representation of Modern architecture.
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 12
Photographs
Property Name: North Hedges, South Hedges / Food Services Site Number: 24GA1873
Food Service Building
East Elevation with South Hedges in Background, Facing: SW
Montana State University
Jessie Nunn, January 8, 2013
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 13
Photographs
Property Name: North Hedges, South Hedges / Food Services Site Number: 24GA1873
Food Service Building
East Elevation with Connection to South Hedges, Facing: NW
Montana State University Campus
Jessie Nunn, January 8, 2013
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 14
Photographs
Property Name: North Hedges, South Hedges / Food Services Site Number: 24GA1873
Food Service Building
West Elevation with South Hedges in Background, Facing: SE
Montana State University
Jessie Nunn, January 5, 2013
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 15
Photographs
Property Name: North Hedges, South Hedges / Food Services Site Number: 24GA1873
Food Service Building
West Elevation with North Hedges in Background, Facing: N
Montana State University
Jessie Nunn, January 5, 2013
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 16
Photographs
Property Name: North Hedges, South Hedges / Food Services Site Number: 24GA1873
South Hedges
East Façade and North Elevation, Facing: SW
Montana State University
Jessie Nunn, January 8, 2013
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 17
Photographs
Property Name: North Hedges, South Hedges / Food Services Site Number: 24GA1873
South Hedges
East Façade Entrance, Facing: NW
Montana State University
Jessie Nunn, January 8, 2013
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 18
Photographs
Property Name: North Hedges, South Hedges / Food Services Site Number: 24GA1873
South Hedges Hall
South Elevation, Facing: NE
Montana State University
Jessie Nunn, January 5, 2013
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 19
Photographs
Property Name: North Hedges, South Hedges / Food Services Site Number: 24GA1873
South Hedges Hall
West Elevation (Food Services in foreground), Facing: SE
Montana State University
Jessie Nunn, January 5, 2013
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 20
Photographs
Property Name: North Hedges, South Hedges / Food Services Site Number: 24GA1873
North Hedges Hall
East Façade, Facing: W
Montana State University
Jessie Nunn, January 5, 2013
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 21
Photographs
Property Name: North Hedges, South Hedges / Food Services Site Number: 24GA1873
North Hedges Hall
North Elevation, facing: SE
Montana State University
Jessie Nunn, January 5, 2013
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 22
Photographs
Property Name: North Hedges, South Hedges / Food Services Site Number: 24GA1873
North Hedges Hall
West Elevation, Facing: E
Montana State University
Jessie Nunn, January 5, 2013
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 23
Photographs
Property Name: North Hedges, South Hedges / Food Services Site Number: 24GA1873
North Hedges Hall
North and West Elevation, Facing: SE
Montana State University
Jessie Nunn, January 5, 2013
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 24
Photographs
Property Name: North Hedges, South Hedges / Food Services Site Number: 24GA1873
Food Services Building, East & West Elevations, “Montana State University Men’s Dormitory” O. Berg Jr. &
Associates, William E. Grabow, Sheet F8 of 14.
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 25
Photographs
Property Name: North Hedges, South Hedges / Food Services Site Number: 24GA1873
Dormitory Floor Plan (Floors 2-11) and First Floor Plan, “Montana State College Men’s Residence Hall,” O. Berg
Jr. & Associates, William E. Grabow, Sheet D3 of 20.
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 26
Photographs
Property Name: North Hedges, South Hedges / Food Services Site Number: Error! Reference source not found.
North Hedges, East Façade, “Montana State University State College Mens Residence Hall,” O. Berg Jr. &
Associates and William E. Grabow, Sheet D9 of 21.
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 27
Photographs
Property Name: North Hedges, South Hedges / Food Services Site Number: Error! Reference source not found.
North Hedges, South and North Elevations, “Montana State University State College Mens Residence Hall,” O.
Berg Jr. & Associates and William E. Grabow, Sheet D10 of 21.
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 28
Site Map
Property Name: North Hedges, South Hedges / Food Services Site Number: 24GA1873
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 29
Topographic Map
Property Name: North Hedges, South Hedges / Food Services Site Number: 24GA1873