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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRomney Gym (24GA1884) 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: Montana State University Campus Historic Address (if applicable): NA City/Town: Bozeman Site Number: 24GA1884 (An historic district number may also apply.) County: Gallatin Historic Name: Romney Gymnasium Original Owner(s): Montana State College of Agriculture & Mechanical Arts Current Ownership Private Public Current Property Name: Same 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 SW ¼ NW ¼ of Section: 13 Lot(s): Block(s): 43 Addition: Capital Hill Year of Addition: 1890 USGS Quad Name: Bozeman Year: 1987 Historic Use: Gymnasium Current Use: Same Construction Date: 1922 Estimated Actual Original Location Moved Date Moved: UTM Reference www.nris.mt.gov/topofinder2 NAD 27 or NAD 83(preferred ) Zone: 12 Easting: 496156 Northing: 5056874 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: 11/25/2013 Evaluator: Kate Hampton Comments: Contributor in the MSU-Bozeman Historic District MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 2 Architectural Description Property Name: Romney Gymnasium Site Number: 24GA1884 ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION Architectural Style: Other: If Other, specify: Italian Renaissance Revival Property Type: Education Specific Property Type: Architect: Architectural Firm/City/State: Shanley & Baker Architects / Great Falls, MT Builder/Contractor: R. G. Church (Superintendent of Construction, Substructure); W. V. Marshall (Superintendant of Construction, Superstructure) Company/City/State: Nelson and Pederson, Butte, MT (General Contract); D. H. Budd Company (Plumbing & Heating Contract); Cascade Electrical Company (Electrical Contract) Source of Information: University Records, 25-0001 Setting & Location Romney Gymnasium, a 1922 Italian Renaissance Revival style building, serves as the terminus of the north/south axis off Montana (Main) Hall , created by the 1917 George Carsley / Cass Gilbert Campus Plan. The oval-shaped “Romney Field” in front (north) of the building is campus’s best preserved green space. Traphahen Hall (Chemistry Building, 1920), also an Italian Renaissance Revival building, to the west and the A.J.M. Johnson Hall (Math-Physics Building, 1954) to the east , loosely follow the 1917 Plan, which called for a “physics group” and “chemistry group” in those approximate locations. Also in accordance with the 1917 Plan was the location of the college’s athletic field. Gatton Field (1930) stood immediately across Grant Street from Romney Gymnasium, however, it was destroyed in the early 1970s to make way for the Health & Physical Education Building (Magna Hosaeus Fitness Center, 1973, renovated 2008). Only the brick entrance gate, Gatton Field Gate, remains, although it has been moved to the east. Gaines Hall (1961, renovated 2010), immediately west of Romney Gymnasium, Reid Hall (1959), and Renne Library (1949, 1960) at the northern corners of Romney Field, deviate from the 1917 Plan. A small green space west of Romney Gymnasium, known as Veteran’s Memorial Park since the 1980s, underwent a landscape renovation in 2010. Summary The 1922 Gymnasium is a four-story structure of reinforced concrete with polychrome rug face brick and tannish-pink terra cotta tile cladding. Great Falls, Montana architects Shanley & Baker designed the building in the Italian Renaissance Revival style used for all of the buildings added to campus in the 1920s. It measures 163’ x 99' and has a distinctive steel truss barrel roof (purportedly the first steel riveted truss in non-industrial application in Montana) with an approximately 75’ wide cross barrel centered on the north facade. There is also a 35’ wide, flat-roofed , rectilinear enclosed staircase centered on the south (rear) elevation. The foundation is clad in granite, and creates a continuous lintel for most ground floor (basement story) windows. A stringcourse of soldier and rowlock bricks encircles the building between the ground floor and first floor creating a base for the building. On either side of the projecting arched entry of the north façade engaged brick pilasters with terra cotta bases and a centered stacked courses rise from the building base. The pilasters are capped by a terra cotta stringcourse, which serves as the entablature’s architrave and also marks the start of the fourth (attic) story. The south elevation has similar arrangement of bays with identical terra cotta ornament. The pilaster’s terra cotta capitals bevel to meet the building face at an approximate 60 degree angle, and are embellished with small terra cotta diamonds. Terra cotta brackets decorated with an inverted acanthus leaves on the brick frieze support the original copper gutter above each pilaster. The gutter acts as a cornice and is decorated with a projecting floral square above each bracket with three single acanthus leaves between each square. Rowlock courses of brick border the bottom and top of the frieze. Arched barrel ends on the east and west elevations have elaborate corner pilasters with soldier course bases and “capitals,” and a central panel of stacked courses with three rowlock courses flanked by a stretcher course, another rowlock course , and a soldier course. At the upper corners of the pilasters are terra cotta embellishments with the same floral square above an inverted acanthus leaves motif found at the roofline of the north and south elevations. The corner pilasters “support” an elaborate decorative brick and terra cotta arched “entablature” in the barrel ends. Smaller arches created by corbelled brick are located just below the arch and first-, second-, and third-story windows are found in six arched bays. The projecting arch on the north façade has a similar organizational pattern, except the corner pilasters are wider and have first- and second-story windows flanked by simple brick panels. Originally, the roof was covered with wide- battend (7") copper, but it has recently been re-roofed with a standing seam metal system. Parapets on the barrel ends are covered in green roofing tile and accented with terra cotta tile floral panels at their corners. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 3 Architectural Description Property Name: Romney Gymnasium Site Number: 24GA1884 Windows are typically multi-light steel-framed units with center pivoting sections or multi-light double-hung wood units (steel at the sports and locker rooms and wood at the stair hall and offices). Those first-story windows lighting the swimming pool at the northwest corner of the building have been filled with glass block. All windows not immediately above a horizontal embellishment have terra cotta lug sills and many windows not found within arched bays have rowlock brick lintels. North Façade The north façade is distinguished by its approximately 75’ wide cross barrel arch, which projects approximately 12’ from the main wall face and contains the building’s main entrance on its ground story. It is flanked by 12’ x 18’ flat-roofed bays that act as the arch’s corner pilasters. The roofs of all three projections are embellished by green terra cotta roof tiles. The two-story corner pilasters begin at the base of the building and include a window bay flanked by brick panels framed horizontally by soldier courses and embellished near their tops by terra cotta floral squares above inverted acanthus leaves. A wide entablature of decorative terra cotta and brick extends across the projecting bays, meeting at a terra cotta shield decorated with a raised “M” and garlands in the center of the arch. The entablature includes a corbelled terra cotta band decorated with evenly-spaced terra cotta diamonds in a floral motif, and bead and reel molding, all between bands of stretcher bricks bounded by rowlock courses. The top band of brick in the arched entablature is capped with a thin band of terra cotta. Small, corbelled-brick arches are found just under the entablature within the arched projection. Seven arched window bays, which step down in height from the center bay in a raked arcade, are found in the projecting arch, in addition to the two rectilinear window bays in the flanking pilasters. The former are framed by rowlock bricks and bead and reel terra cotta molding, while the latter have soldier course bases and tops and are flanked by stacked stretcher courses. All nine window bays have a similar configuration with terra cotta bases with two raised rectangles and terra cotta spandrel panels separating the second and third stories. The spandrel panels are decorated with raised depictions of sporting equipment with a football in the center, flanked by rapiers, boxing gloves, bats and balls and dumbbell weights (in the pilaster bays). Second-story windows are six-over-six, double-hung wood units, while upper stories (3-4) have the following configuration (moving out from the tallest center window bay): twenty-one-over-nine, nine- over-eighteen, twelve-over-nine, six-over-three and six-over-six (in the pilaster bays). Six terra cotta floral squares above inverted acanthus are set between arches. The main entrance is situated under the three central arched window bays. It is protected by a large copper canopy attached to the building by four large chains set in terra cotta diamonds on the building face. The frieze of the canopy has a Union Jack pattern broken by four small "pilasters" decorated with an intertwined 'M' and 'C.' Four globe lights are set on the top of the pilasters, while three hang from the center of the canopy. The entrance consists of three sets of double wood and glass doors with bronze pulls and individual transoms. There are three six-over-six windows to each side of the entrance on the ground floor of the projecting bays and six-over-six windows on each story (1-3) of the pilaster bays’ east and west side elevations. All have terra cotta lug sills and the east and west-facing windows are set between the same engaged pilasters found on the remainder of the north façade and the entire rear (south) elevation. On the main wall face of the north elevation, there are two bays flanking the projecting arch and its pilasters. The inner bays contain paired six-over-six windows on the first and second stories, paired nine-light third story windows , and paired six-light (two rows of three lights) windows in the fourth (attic) story. Second- and third-story pairs have continuous terra cotta lug sills, are surrounded by rowlock bricks and separated by a stacked course of stretcher bricks. Fourth-story pairs are also separated by a stacked stretcher course and are set between the terra cotta architrave and the rowlock course at the top of the brick frieze. The corner bays have a sixteen-light ground floor window in the building base. Second- and third-story windows are set within a continuous bay bordered by rowlock bricks. This bay a has terra cotta base with two raised rectangles (identical to the base of the window bays in the projection), a six-over-six second-story window, a wide terra cotta spandrel panel with a raised rectangular outline and centered diamond, a twelve-light third-story window , and another spandrel panel. There is a single six-light window in the frieze. East & West Elevations The east and west barrel -end elevations are nearly identical. The same arch entablature of corbelled terra cotta decorated with raised diamonds between bands of brick found in façade’s central projection also embellishes the arch of these elevations. Four louvered vents are centered above the entablature and corbelled brick of two stretcher courses flanked by rowlock courses decorate the roofline underneath the green tiled parapet. Small arches created by corbelled brick are found directly under the entablature. There are six arched multi-story window bays that descend in height from the two MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 4 Architectural Description Property Name: Romney Gymnasium Site Number: 24GA1884 central bays between the corner pilasters. These extend up from the base of the building and are bordered by corbelled terra cotta with a bead and reel molding. Ascending, each bay has a brick panel base decorated with a rectangle of rowlock bricks, a sixteen-light second-story window, a brick spandrel panel with a rectangle of rowlock bricks and a twelve-light third-story window. Above the third-story windows, the four shorter bays have arched brick panels decorated with a rowlock brick arch and the taller central bays have six-light fourth-story windows. All windows have terra cotta sills. This pattern is altered slightly on the west elevation because of the swimming pool at the southwest corner of the building. Here, the second-story windows in the two southern bays are slightly shorter and filled with glass block. Four-light ribbon windows are found below the glass block windows. In the building base on both elevations, there are 20-light windows under the north corner pilaster and recessed brick panels under the south pilaster. Moving from north to south, the center of the building base on the east elevation contains two pairs of 20-light windows, a single 20-light window and a four-light window with a terra cotta sill. On the west elevation, the south pair of 20-light windows is replaced by a recessed brick panel and there is an entrance containing a modern metal door with an upper light flanked by 12-light sidelights to the north of the paired 20-light windows. South Elevation The south elevation is divided by a centered tower built around a staircase that was originally not enclosed. The flat- roofed, brick-clad tower rises slightly above the roofline breaking the original copper gutter / cornice. It has an entrance with two modern aluminum-framed glass doors and sidelights , set within a segmental brick arch of three rowlock courses in the west bay of south elevation. A small, two-light window is found to the east of the entrance. There are sixteen-light second- and third-story windows and twelve-light first-story windows in both of the south elevation’s two bays, as well as on the single-bay of the tower’s east and west elevations. A single metal door is located at the ground story on the east elevation of the tower and the west elevation has a small shed-roofed, brick-clad projection with a single metal door on its west wall. All of the tower’s widows have concrete slip sills and the door on the east elevation has a rowlock brick lintel. There are five bays defined by engaged pilasters to the west of stair tower. Second-story windows, which light the pool area, are filled with glass block , and have ribbon widows immediately below them. Bays two, three , and five (starting from the west) have 18-light windows in their third story and 12-light (two rows of six) windows in the frieze (attic story), while bays one and four have recessed brick panels in both stories. Windows and panels in bay one are not as wide as in the other bays. For instance, the first-story ribbon windows in bay one contain four lights, as opposed to the six -light ribbon windows in the other bays. A pair of six-light windows is located in the east bay of the ground story, but the remainder of the building base lacks fenestration on this side of the south elevation. Four similar bays are found east of the stair tower. The east bay has recessed brick panels at each story, which, like in the west bay of this elevation, are somewhat slimmer then the widows in the inner bays. The remaining three bays have identical fenestration on the third and attic stories as bays west of the stair tower; however, second- and first-story windows are different. Bays two and three (from the east) have 24-light first-story windows, while bay four has a pair of 12-light windows. 18-light windows are located in the building base of bays two, three and four. All windows and recessed panels on this elevation (except those in the building base) have terra cotta lug sills and are framed by rowlock bricks accented with terra cotta corner squares. Interior Floor Plan The basement was designed to contain four racquetball courts, a 20’ x 60' pool , and an indoor tanbark field. The basement gymnasium to the west was later divided into two smaller rooms. The second floor contains locker rooms, showers, offices , and restrooms. The men's and women's locker rooms have been remodeled and reassigned, so that the men's locker room is now the women's , and vice versa. The third story features the main gymnasium, measuring 128’ x 83' with an encircling balcony. A 56’ x 66’ auxiliary gymnasium and a fifth racquetball court were also on the third floor. The auxiliary gym is now used as a dance studio. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 5 History of Property Property Name: Romney Gymnasium Site Number: 24GA1884 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 PAGE 6 History of Property Property Name: Romney Gymnasium Site Number: 24GA1884 Campus Expansion in the 1920s Like the other five buildings constructed between 1920 and 1922, the Gymnasium was constructed in response to a need for increased classroom and office space for the expanding Montana State College. According to historian Merrill Burlingame, in 1920, with projected enrollment expected to rise following World War I, Chancellor Edward Elliot urged the legislature and state to pass a special property tax of 2 and 1/2 mills to be used in support of higher education. A bond issue for $5 million for new buildings was initiated. Both measures were heartily passed, and the university was finally able to proceed with construction that would transform the campus and college. Five new Italian Renaissance style academic buildings and the Heating Plant were constructed between 1920 and 1922, followed in 1925 by Herrick Hall. Shanley & Baker The college hired the Great Falls, Montana architectural firm of Shanley & Barker to design Romney Gymnasium. George H. Shanley, perhaps Great Falls most prominent architect, was born in 1875 in Burlington, Vermont and attended the University of Vermont. After graduation, he worked for various architects in Duluth, Minnesota. In 1898, he came west to help his father build St. Mary’s Cathedral in Fargo, North Dakota and a barn near Glacier Park. During his early years in Montana, Shanley worked in Kalispell in the firm of Gibson and Shanley. In 1900, he moved to Butte, where he was associated with the firm of Shanley, Wilson and Hugenin. He formed his own firm in Great Falls in 1907, however; he continued to collaborate with others. In 1915, he worked with the renowned Spokane architectural firm of Cutter & Malmgren on a country house in West Glacier for Mrs. John G. Morony. For his MSC buildings (Lewis Hall and Romney Gymnasium), Shanley worked with Great Falls architect Charles H. Baker. Between World War II and his death in 1960, Shanley transitioned into the Modern style, forming the partnership of Shanley & Shanley with his son, Frank B. Shanley. In addition to Lewis Hall and Romney Gymnasium at MSC, Shanley designed numerous buildings throughout Montana, North Dakota and Wyoming. Representative examples include: the First National Bank Building, Federal Reserve Bank Building and the State Highway Department Building in Helena; the Finlen Hotel, the Immaculate Conception School and Convent and the main pavilion at Columbia Gardens in Butte; the Baxter Hotel in Bozeman; the Army Winter Training Camp at Yellowstone National Park; numerous commercial buildings in the Great Falls Commercial District, as well as the Montana State Fair Grounds and, with Spokane engineer Ralph Adams, the 10 th Street Bridge in Great Falls. He also designed several Catholic churches, many schools and numerous banks. [Adapted from Painter, 53-54]. Romney Gymnasium Prior to the construction of Romney Gymnasium, the college used a one-story, frame, "Drill Hall" for their athletic events. It was located directly west of Main (Montana) Hall, further down the slope of the hill. The placement of the new gymnasium was a result of the 1917 George Carsley / Cass Gilbert Campus Plan. The State Board of Education contracted with Gilbert, a successful New York landscape architect, to develop building programs for all four of the state's institutions. The plan re-oriented the campus, creating a classical axial arrangement which retained Montana Hall as the center of the campus, but expanded the property to the south. The Gymnasium formed the south anchor to campus proper, directly in line with Main (Montana) Hall, but separated by a wide grassy open area. It was one of five Italian Renaissance buildings built between 1920 and 1922 that complimented the classical symmetry of Gilbert's plan. The Chemistry Building (Traphagen Hall), Romney Gymnasium, and the Engineering Building (Roberts Hall) and non-extant Engineering Shops (Ryon Labs) balanced the opposite sides of the expanse. A detailed account of the building's construction is available in University Archives. Following the assignment of Nelson & Pederson to the sub-and superstructure contract, construction was delayed due to groundwater. A second problem was the result of intense construction activity across the state. So busy were brick yards and the demand for masons so high that construction on the new Heating Plant, Lewis Hall, the Engineering Shops and the Gymnasium was delayed in continuing efforts to secure supplies and labor. The contractors were forced to abandon their usual brick supply out of Helena because of unavailable material, and obtained bricks out of Lewistown. Construction was then delayed 23 days while Nelson & Pederson searched for brick layers. Hoping to finish before the winter, the contractor offered $11 a day, and $30 to any person willing to work for 30 days. He was never able to hire more than three at a time. Only the Engineering Building escaped this problem. [PA6.2/Buildings-cost Folder 4; The Weekly Exponent, 26 Sept. 1922, p.1]. Other materials and skilled labor for the Gymnasium came from a variety of locations, including many in Montana. E. A. Stamm of Livingston provided painting and kalsomining services, and the lathing, terrazzo work and the copper roof were MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 7 History of Property Property Name: Romney Gymnasium Site Number: 24GA1884 completed by Great Falls craftsmen, R. E. Smith, R. M. Demarco and Gus G. Minter, respectively. Ornamental Iron and the swimming pool tile work were provided by Butte companies. Marble, terra cotta and millwork, however, were shipped in from the Pacific Northwest, probably due to the Seattle-based general contractor’s preferences. [List of Sub- contractors, 5/6/1922]. The college’s exacting Supervising Architect, William R. Plew, kept contractors and sub-contractors in compliance with the architect’s specifications, and, when necessary, fought the Chancellor and State Board of Education to see the job done right. For instance, when the administration requested $2,000 be cut from the terra cotta allocation, Plew responded, “this cannot be done without detracting from the appearance of the building.” The administration acquiesced, and the terra cotta was eventually installed according to Shanley & Baker’s vision. [Shanley to Marshall, 2/24/1922]. Plew was also not afraid to take on the powerful Anaconda Company when the new gymnasium’s roof failed, despite not knowing if the copper came from them or not. Writing to the Vice President of the Anaconda Sales Company in New York on the day after Christmas, Plew admonished, “I seriously question if copper is the proper roofing material in this country,” and went on to suggest the only reason it was used was to, “give support to the rather strenuous advertising campaign that your people were putting on.” [Plew to Anaconda Sales Company, 12/26/1924]. A representative from the roofing department quickly responded, “naturally we are most anxious that a copper roof should give satisfaction…particularly…a copper roof installed on one of the university buildings in Montana were the architect was doubtless influenced to some extent by sentimental consideration.” [Anaconda Sales Company to Plew, 1/5/1925]. Eventually, the Company (just like the State Board of Education) saw things Plew’s way, telling College President Alfred Atkinson, “we will send out best man from New York to look into this & and see what can be done to fix it up…[we] should have had a man there when it was put on.” [Atkinson to Plew, 8/27/1925]. Despite difficulties in obtaining labor and materials, the gymnasium was completed in time for dedication during a 1923 basketball game. Together with seating available in the auxiliary gymnasium, the new building could accommodate 2,500 spectators. [30th Annual Catalogue, p. 22]. George H. Shanley, Architect The college hired the Great Falls, Montana architectural firm of Shanley & Barker to design the new gymnasium. George H. Shanley, perhaps Great Falls most prominent architect, was born in 1875 in Burlington, Vermont and attended the University of Vermont. After graduation, he worked for various architects in Duluth, Minnesota. In 1898, he came west to help his father build St. Mary’s Cathedral in Fargo, North Dakota , and a barn near Glacier Park. During his early years in Montana, Shanley worked in Kalispell in the firm of Gibson and Shanley. In 1900, he moved to Butte, where he was associated with the firm of Shanley, Wilson and Hugenin. He formed his own firm in Great Falls in 1907, however; he continued to collaborate with others. In 1915, he worked with the renowned Spokane architectural firm of Cutter & Malmgren on a country house in West Glacier for Mrs. John G. Morony. For his MSC buildings (Lewis Hall and Romney Gymnasium), Shanley worked with Great Falls architect Charles H. Baker. Between World War II and his death in 1960, Shanley transitioned into the Modern style, forming the partnership of Shanley & Shanley with his son, Frank B. Shanley. In addition to Lewis Hall and Romney Gymnasium at MSC, Shanley designed numerous buildings throughout Montana, North Dakota , and Wyoming. Representative examples include: the First National Bank Building, Federal Reserve Bank Building , and the State Highway Department Building in Helena; the Finlen Hotel, the Immaculate Conception School and Convent , and the main pavilion at Columbia Gardens in Butte; the Baxter Hotel in Bozeman; the Army Winter Training Camp at Yellowstone National Park; numerous commercial buildings in the Great Falls Commercial District, as well as the Montana State Fair Grounds and, with Spokane engineer Ralph Adams, the 10 th Street Bridge in Great Falls. He also designed several Catholic churches, many schools and numerous banks. [Adapted from Painter, 53-54]. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 8 Information Sources/Bibliography Property Name: Romney Gymnasium Site Number: 24GA1884 INFORMATION SOURCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY Anaconda Sales Company. Letter to William R. Plew, 5 January 1925. University Records, 25-0001. Atkinson, Alfred. Letter to William R. Plew, 27 August 1925. University Records, 25-0001. Building Master List. Physical Plant Records, Montana State University. Burlingame, Merrill. A Historv: Montana State University. Bozeman. Montana. Bozeman, MT: Office of Information Publication, February 1968. "Campus Torn Up By New Changes in Campus Plan," The Weekly Exponent, 24 September 1925. "Folder A6.1/Buildings, History of." Montana state University Archives. "Folder 4, PA6.2/Building-cost." Montana state University Archives. Freeman Cortland L. “The Growing Up Years: The First 100 Years of Bozeman as and Incorporated City from 1883 to 1983,” Bozeman, MT: Gallatin County Historical Society, 1988. Nepper, Carl J. 1939 Building Appraisal. "New Campus is Now Assuming Form," The weekly Exponent, 26 September 1922. 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. Plew, William R. Letter to Anaconda Sales Company, 26 December 1924. University Archives, 25-0001. Shanley, George. Letter to W. V. Marshall, 24 April 1922. University Records, 25-0001. Shanley & Baker, Architects, “Gymnasium for the State College of Agriculture & Mechanical Arts,” Architectural Drawings, 1921. University Archives, 25-0001. Shanley & Baker, Architects, “Specifications Governing the Material, Labor, Etc. for the Construction of Gymnasium Building to be Erected at State College of Agriculture & Mechanical Arts,” 1921. University Archives, 25-0001. University of Montana Bulletin, Montana State College. "29th Annual Catalogue 1921-1922," no. 22 . Great Falls, MT: The Tribune Printing Co., 1922. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 9 Statement of Significance Property Name: Romney Gymnasium Site Number: 24GA1884 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: Education, Architecture Period of Significance: 1922-1968 STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE Romney Gymnasium is a contributing building within the potential Montana State University Historic District, which is eligible for listing under Criteria A and C. It is important for its associations with the growth of Montana State University, particularly during its second construction period (1919-1926). Architecturally, Romney Gymnasium is a significant example of the Italian Renaissance Revival style, as well as well as a representative work of Great Falls, Montana architect, George H. Shanley. The university's evolution from an uncertain agricultural school in 1893 with only eight students , to its present status as a leading engineering and technical school of over 14,000 , is due in part to the construction of this building. Without the construction of Romney Gymnasium and the other Italian Renaissance Revival style buildings during the 1920s, the college's growth would have been subject to overcrowded facilities , limit ed enrollment and teaching resources, and inadequate research space. The college’s first year, spent in rented buildings and high school classrooms, was described over 60 years later by former student, Thomas H. McKee, as: …an idea, a disembodied one, without house to dwell in, without teacher or student, and worst of all, without a dollar. To get its ensuing appropriations it had to be a going concern. It needed money to get started and couldn’t get money until it did start. (Burlingame, 12) The appropriation of 200 acres and some small farm buildings south of town on “a low hill, [and] a slightly place,” was the result of contributions by Bozeman citizens. One year later, the college boasted a large brick structure that commanded a view of the entire valley. (Burlingame, 19, 30) The first major period of construction (1894-1918) resulted in five brick buildings atop the low hill south of Bozeman. It was a good start for the 20-year old school, but larger things would follow. Romney Gymnasium was possible due to a large sum of money appropriated for the expansion of Montana’s university system. This resulted in the greatest construction period yet on the Montana State College (MSC) campus. The building was part of a concentrated effort by the State Board of Education and MSC to project an appearance of stability within an intellectually nurturing environment. It complimented landscape architect Gilbert's classical plan, and was appropriate to the academic institution. The style evoked images of the 16th-century's intellectual rebirth and optimism in mankind's future. The result was an ordered, refined campus in keeping with the college's status as one of the state's leading academic institutions. Built in 1922, the Italian Renaissance Revival style Romney Gymnasium was one of six such academic structures constructed on the campus between 1919 and 1926, and one of only two designs by the Great Falls firm of Shanley and Baker. Romney Gymnasium bears a close similarity to Lewis Hall, the other Shanley and Barker design. Both are situated on an east/west axis, and have the same green roof tiling on side elevation parapets. Both are also well-executed examples of the Italian Renaissance Revival design, and exhibit the versatility of the architects in adapting the style to suit different functions and forms. The Gymnasium's impressive appearance and massing was also important in its role as the southern anchor of campus, a role it continues to serve. The building is different in massing and detail from the other Italianate Renaissance Revival buildings on campus, a result of its function and significant role within the campus plan. It is the most ornately detailed, and also the best preserved. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 10 Integrity Property Name: Romney Gymnasium Site Number: 24GA1884 INTEGRITY (location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, association) Romney Gymnasium is in excellent condition, and remains nearly intact except for the enclosure of the south staircase, the alteration of some interior spaces and the removal of the original copper roof. It retains much of its historical appearance and detailing, including the brick cladding, terra cotta ornamentation and green tile parapets. Another positive factor has been the lack of major additions or other construction directly adjacent to the building which would detract from the intended siting of the building. The broad expanse of lawn to the north emphasizes the importance of the building, and maintains the relationship between it and Montana (Main) Hall. Due to the substantial construction that has occurred on campus, much of 1917 Carsley / Gilbert Campus Plan has been obscured. The relationship between the Gymnasium and Montana Hall is one of the few examples left of Gilbert's intentions for the future growth of the University. It is also a good example of the Italian Renaissance Revival style, which was popular for academic buildings in the early twentieth century, and easily conveys associations with the growth of Montana State University in the early 20th century. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 11 Photographs Property Name: Romney Gymnasium Site Number: 24GA1884 Romney Gymnasium North Façade, Facing: NW Montana State University Jessie Nunn, October 7, 2012 MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 12 Photographs Property Name: Romney Gymnasium Site Number: 24GA1884 Romney Gymnasium Main Entrance, North Façade, Facing: S Montana State University Jessie Nunn, October 7, 2012 MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 13 Photographs Property Name: Romney Gymnasium Site Number: 24GA1884 Romney Gymnasium West Elevation, Facing: E Montana State University Jessie Nunn, October 7, 2012 MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 14 Photographs Property Name: Romney Gymnasium Site Number: 24GA1884 Romney Gymnasium North Elevation, Facing: SW Montana State University Jessie Nunn, October 7, 2012 MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 15 Photographs Property Name: Romney Gymnasium Site Number: 24GA1884 Romney Gymnasium East Elevation, Facing: SW Montana State University Jessie Nunn, October 7, 2012 MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 16 Site Map Property Name: Romney Gymnasium Site Number: 24GA1884 MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 17 Topographic Map Property Name: Romney Gymnasium Site Number: 24GA1884