HomeMy WebLinkAbout1919 W Main 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 81h Ave
Helena,MT 59620-1202
Property Address: 1919 West Main Street 1 Site Number: 24 GA 1794
(An historic district number may also apply.)
Historic Address(if applicable): 1919 West Main Street
City/Town: Bozeman County: Gallatin
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Historic Name: Robert F. Dye, Inc. Legal Location
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Original Owner(s): Robert F. Dye i PM: Montana Township: 2S Range: 5E
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Current Ownership X Private ❑Public i SE '/4 SE '/4 NE '/4 of Section: 11
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Current Property Name: Billion Auto Group ( Lot(s): 1 & 2A
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Owner(s): CVS Pharmacy t Block(s): 8
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Owner Address: 1919 West Main Street i Addition: West Park Manor 15t Addition Year of
Bozeman, MT Addition: Unknown
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Phone: i USGS Quad Name: Bozeman Year: 1987
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Historic Use: Car dealership UTM Reference wwNN.nris.mt.eov/topofindcr2
Current Use: Car dealership i ❑NAD 27 X NAD 83 (preferred)
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Construction Date: 1968 ❑Estimated X Actual i Zone: 12 Easting: 495079 Northing: 5058492
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X Original Location ❑Moved Date Moved: i
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National Register of Historic Places ; Date of this document: June 17, 2010
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NRHP Listing Date: Form Prepared by: Diana J. Painter, PhD
Historic District:
Address: 3518 N. C Street, Spokane,WA 99205
NRHP Eligible: X Yes ❑No Daytime Phone: (707) 364-0697
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MT SHPO USE ONLY t Comments:
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Eligible for NRHP: X yes ❑no i
Criteria: ❑A ❑B X C ❑D €
Date: 11/17/2010 `
Evaluator: Kate Hampton
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 2
Property Name: Billion Car Dealership Site Number: 24 GA 1794
ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION X See Additional Information Page
Architectural Style: Googie If Other,specify:
Property Type: Commercial Specific Property Type: Car dealership
Architect: Oswald Berg Jr. Architectural Firm/City/State: Oswald Berg Jr. Architects, Bozeman, MT
Builder/Contractor: Emil Martel & Sons Company/City/State: Bozeman, MT
Source of Information: HABS documentation
Location and setting. The Billion car dealership is a one-story building with an irregular footprint. The auto showroom
portion of the building faces south onto W. Main Street,while auxiliary uses, which include a 'quick lube,' an auto glass
shop, and offices, extend toward the rear of the lot in a series of adjoined buildings.
The building is prominently located in the northwest quadrant of the intersection of S. 191h Avenue (also known as
Route 412)and W. Main Street(also known as State Route 191). It is located toward the southeast corner of the block,
in the area closest to the intersection. In addition to the streets named above, the block is bounded by W. Beall Street
on the north, and the curving N. 201h Avenue on the west.
This stretch of W. Main Street is characterized by large and small commercial sites surrounded by parking. To the
northwest of the block that the Billion Dealership is located on is Kirk Park, a large park with playing fields.
Materials. The materials of the Billion Dealership include laminated wood 'ribs' and cladding that includes stucco-
finished composite panels and plate glass, contemporary corrugated metal, and concrete block. Aluminum-frame
windows and doors and metal overhead garage doors complete the list of materials on the building. The foundation is
concrete and the roof is built-up.
Massing and design. The Billion Dealership today is comprised of the main showroom building at the front of the lot
and several adjunct additions to the rear. The main showroom building is a faceted, nearly round building with curved,
laminated wood ribs that extend from the base of the building to beyond the roof. At the base of this building is a
short concrete stem wall. The lower portion of the building is glazed and the upper portion is finished in an incised,
stucco-finished, composite panel. Both the windows and panels are set within an aluminum frame. The building has
deep eaves under which can be seen the laminated beams that support the roof and eaves. A tall fascia that is finished
with stucco and capped with a narrow metal coping covers this ensemble. Around the base of the building are parking
stalls. Signs for"customer parking"are painted on the windows.
An entry accessed by a ramp with a metal rail is located at the southeast corner of this building. It is composed of a
single, aluminum frame door with full-height glass. To the left of the door is a broad,full-height window and to the
right is a narrow window of the same height. Two narrow transom windows are located above this ensemble. Where
the showroomjoins the service wing to the north is a single pedestrian door with full-height glass, accessed by an open
concrete stoop with three steps. This door has a full-height sidelight to the left.
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE
Property Name: Billion Car Dealership Site Number: 24 GA 1794
ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION
To the rear of the showroom is a long rectangular building that houses the service department. It is constructed of
concrete block. This wing has seven entry bays with overhead doors. Each door has six large, horizontally-oriented
lights. Each bay is separated by projecting pilasters of concrete block. Toward the front of this wing is a pedestrian
door with full-height glass. Also in this location is a small concrete block building. This addition has a shallow-sloped
shed roof and a two-part window with an aluminum frame and concrete sill on the east face. This wing also displays
deep eaves covered by a tall fascia finished with a narrow metal coping.
To the rear of this wing is another addition with a rectangular footprint that is perpendicular to the service wing. This
addition is also constructed of concrete block. It is primarily oriented toward the north or rear of the building. On the
north fagade are six overhead doors within seven bays. The overhead doors are of the same design as the doors on the
service wing. The second bay from the left or east is a storefront. It has a pedestrian door with full-height glass within
an anodized aluminum frame and a slightly horizontally-oriented,fixed, single light window. Both are covered with a
tall canopy on which is painted, "The Pit Stop Quick Lube." There is one bay with an overhead door on the south fagade
of this addition. On the west fa4ade are two flush, metal pedestrian doors.
The west fagade of the building adjacent to the addition described above displays a shallow addition with three
overhead doors and one pedestrian door. This addition is slightly taller than the adjacent addition to the south, and is
clad in contemporary corrugated metal siding. On the south side is a roll-up metal door at loading dock height and a
flush metal pedestrian door.
The central west fagade is the rear of the east-facing service bays. It displays the same overhead doors separated by
projecting concrete pilasters as the east fa4ade of this wing.
To the south is another slightly projecting wing that is clad in corrugated metal and has a roll-up metal door of the
same design as the roll-up door facing it to the north,To the left of this door is an aluminum-frame,two-part sliding
window. The west face of this wing has two openings, a two-part flush metal door and a four-panel overhead door.
Landscaping and site design. Almost all the area around the building is paved in asphalt and used for parking. A
landscaped strip at the front or south side of the site is planted in lawn, as is the planting strip on neighboring
properties. There is a public sidewalk on the east and south sides of the parcel.
Changes over time. Changes to the building appear to be as follows. It appears as though the auto showroom and
service bays are the original portion of the building. Additions have been constructed to the north and west to add
service bays and provide for additional uses. The upper portion of the showroom windows have been enclosed with
stucco panels. Doors have been altered over time,which is not unusual.
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 4
Pro ert Name: Billion Car Dealership Site Number: 24 GA 1794
ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION
Architectural context
The showroom portion of the building is a good example of"Googie" architecture. The original service bays to the
north of the building are utilitarian in design, but are integral with the showroom, in that they represent the 'working'
part of the auto dealer/service business, while the round showroom building is designed to showcase the automobiles
for sale.
Googie architecture grew out of the car culture of southern California beginning in the 1930s. This is a period when
commercial building owners and designers began catering to their automobile-driving clients, creating buildings that
were eye-catching and meant to be highly visible at automobile speeds and along suburban commercial corridors and
highways. This is certainly the case with the Robert F. Dye,Inc. building, although they advertised that they were
moving to their suburban location from the eastern edge of downtown Bozeman in order to expand their facility.
These early buildings reflected the interest in conveying speed at this time through streamlined effects. "Googie" is
named after a restaurant in Los Angeles designed by California architect John Lautner. It was coined as the name of the
architectural style in 1952 by architecture critic Douglas Haskell (Hess, 1985). As defined by Haskell, a Googie building
had an abstracted appearance, often seemed to 'float' above the ground, without the sense of gravity (in both senses of
the word) of ordinary buildings, and displayed modern materials and often a mix of structural systems. Car dealerships,
being by definition automobile oriented, often borrowed this style for their showrooms, creating a dramatic backdrop
for their merchandise.
The evidence of Googie architecture on this building includes it unusual, eye-catching form and dramatic, curved
laminated wood 'ribs.' The original appearance of the main showroom has been somewhat altered by the addition of
stucco-clad panels in the upper portion of the windows where there originally was full-height plate glass windows.
These would have increased the dramatic appearance of the building, particularly at night,when the interior could have
been lit to enhance the display of cars.
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 5
JfPropertyName: Billion Car Dealershi Site Number: 24GA1794
HISTORY OF PROPERTY X See Additional Information Page
History of building. The Billion car dealership was developed by its original owners, Robert F. Dye and his partner Lou
ones as a GM dealership (Robert F. Dye, Inc., 2009). It was designed and constructed by Bozeman architect Oswald
Berg Jr. in 1968 to house the dealership,which was originally located at 512 E. Main Street. The property was sold in
May 1978 to Joseph Billion. Over the years at least two major additions have been made to the building, the service
bays to the north and the two loading bays on the west side of the building.
The area in which the automobile dealership is located was annexed to the city in 1997 as part of the 441-acre Valley
West annexation. The property was sold to Susan Pederson in 2002, although JC Billion,Inc. continues to operate the
business on the site (Robert F Dye, Inc., 2009). Susan Pederson sold the property to CVS Pharmacy in 2008, who plan to
redevelop the site about 2012 for a large, mixed-use commercial development ("CVS eyes dealership location for store,"
2008). The Billion Auto Group plans to relocate the business to their property on Huffine Lane in Bozeman
History of the business. The Billion Dealership is owned by Joseph C. Billion and his wife Susan. The Billion Auto
Group has three business locations in Bozeman and Livingston,the latter in a streamline moderne showroom. There are
several divisions within the business that handle sales,financing, a service department and a quick lube business. The
business has been in operation at this location since 1978.
INFORMATION SOURCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY ❑ See Additional Information Page
"Billion Auto Group,"http://biltionoutogroup.com/accessed June 2010.
Bowker, R. R.,American Architects Directory(First edition). Bowker LLC/American Institute of Architects, 1956 (Second
edition, 1962;Third edition, 1970).
Hess, Alan, Googie Redux: Ultramodern Roadside Architecture (revised edition). San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 1985.
Montana Architectural Drawings - Montana State University Digital Initiatives
http://arc.lib.montana.edu/architect/index.php accessed March 2010.
"Oswald Berg Jr.," (obit.), Bozeman Daily Chronicle, September 28, 2008.
Ricker, Amanda, "CVS eyes dealership location for store," Bozeman Daily Chronicle, June 17, 2008.
Ritter, Nicole Rosenleaf, "Thanks a Billion: Local dealership owner would like to set an example for charitable giving—
but he would prefer to do it out of the spotlight," Bozeman Daily Chronicle, December 19, 2005.
Robert F. Dye, Inc.Automotive Dealership&Service Center HABS Level II Survey. Prepared by Intrinsik Architecture, Inc.
Prepared for City of Bozeman. March 2009.
Schontzler, Gail, Annexation proposal takes a step," Bozeman Daily Chronicle, July 2, 1997.
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 6
Pro ert Name: Billion Car Dealership Site Number: 24 GA 1794
HISTORY OF PROPERTY
Joe Billion's farther, Henry Billion, entered the car sales business in Sioux Falls in 1935. He began in sales, eventually
owning his own dealership. Joe Billion joined his father in the business but decided to open his own dealership in
Bozeman. Both father and son, as partners in the business, relocated to the city from Sioux Falls in 1978 ("Thanks a
Billion. . . 2005). Henry Billion died in July 1, 1991.
Architect Oswald Berg Jr. Oswald Berg Jr.was a Montana native, born into a ranching family in Lewistown, Montana
on October 8, 1918. He attended St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota and then Washington State College (now
University),where he was awarded a BS in Architecture in 1941. He worked for the Civil Service Commission and the
Department of the Navy in Washington DC 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. until opening his own firm of Oswald Berg Jr. Architect in 1949. Between 1949 and 1983 Oswald
practiced under the names of Oswald Berg Jr. and Associates, Berg-Grabow and Partners, BGS Architects, and Berg-
Grabow-Schofield.
Berg had a long and prolific career, designing over 200 buildings. He and his partners designed churches and chapels,
schools and university buildings, banks, libraries, shops, some commercial buildings, and some residential projects. He
designed several buildings for Montana State College in Bozeman and Montana State College in Havre. Among his
most well-known buildings the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman (1971) and the South Hedges dormitory and food
service building at MSU—Bozeman. He designed projects throughout the state of Montana, as well as Wyoming and
Oregon. He taught at Montana State College as a visiting professor and was licensed as an engineer in addition to
being an architect.
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 7
Pro ert Name: Billion Car Dealership Site Number: 24 GA 1794
GuNGRATULATIONS
TO
ROBERT F. DYE, Inc.
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GENERAL CONTRACTOR j
EIMIL MARTEL & SONS
kl F:.'Rii 4i((JN`tACt('B
MANNIX ELECTRICAL INC.
sr,Nr.,wCaa rawrsa,_n�r
FULLERTON PLUMBING & HEATING
PITTSBURGN PRINT 8 GLASS Clk K•DECORATIFRS
GALLATIN VKLEY FURNITURE Ca.
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Advertisement, Bozeman Daily Chronicle, 1968
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 8
Pro ert Name: Billion Car Dealershi Site Number: 24 GA 1794
NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES
NRHP Listing Date:
NRHP Eligibility: X Yes ❑No X Individually ❑ Contributing to Historic District ❑Noncontributing to Historic District
NRHP Criteria: ❑A ❑ B X C ❑D
Area of Significance: Commerce Period of Significance: 1968
STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE ❑ See Additional Information Page
The Billion car dealership building is significant as an excellent example of Googie architecture. While the building's
integrity is only fair,the dramatic and iconic form of the showroom ensures that this portion of the building is what are
most noticeable, not building additions or window replacements.
The building is also a good and very typical example of where and why Googie buildings were constructed. It is an auto
showroom (and service) building, which was a popular building type for Googie architecture. It was constructed for a
company that wanted to expand, and chose a suburban area outside the city limits. Googie architecture was often
constructed along suburban arterials. Its eye-catching forms and expressions were designed to attract notice from
drivers traveling at higher speeds than would be the case on downtown urban streets. Finally, Googie is known as an
auto-related architectural style. This is also the case in both the form and use of this building.
The building is scheduled to be demolished and the site redeveloped some time before 2012. HABS documentation
was prepared for the structure.
INTEGRITY ❑ See Additional Information Page
The building displays fair integrity. It has integrity of location. Design has been altered in both the form of the building
and some details. The setting is likely similar to what it was historically, or within the historic period of the building
(note that the latest Sanborn maps for this area date to 1943, and at that time this area was outside the city limits).
Newer materials have been added to the building, including stucco panels and corrugated metal siding. Workmanship
is intact. The feeling and association of the building in intact. In summary,the building retains integrity of location,
setting, workmanship,feeling and association. It does not retain integrity of design and materials.
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 9
Pro x rt� Name: Billion Car Dealership Site Number: 24 GA 1794
MAY 12-20
Robert F. DiiLLION
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NOW J. �C. INC.
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TREMENDOUS SAVINGS
Over 150 New Cqrs and Trucks in Stock!
We've drastically stashed prices on every new and used car In stock. l
Conic In and got acquainted enjoy free refreshments and take J
Il adwonioge of this tremendous oppor!unity la save like never before!
The same great people,the some great products,
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Advertisement, Bozeman Daily Chronicle, 1978
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PHOTOGRAPHS
Epro =Billion alershi Site Number: 24 GA 1794
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Description: Auto showroom,viewed from south
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Description: Building overview,viewed from southeast
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PHOTOGRAPHS
Property Name: Billion Car Dealership Site Number: 24 GA 1794
Description: Main entry, northeast facade
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Description: Original service bays, east facade
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PHOTOGRAPHS
Property Name: Billion Car Dealership Site Number: 24 GA 1794
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Description: Rear additions,viewed from northeast
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Description: West facade, rear(north) portion
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PHOTOGRAPHS
Property Name: Billion Car Dealership Site Number: 24 GA 1794
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Description: West facade, central portion
Description: West facade,south portion
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
SITE MAP
Pro perl) Name: Billion Car Dealership Site Number: 24 GA 1794
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MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
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