HomeMy WebLinkAboutFederal Building Nomination 2018
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
1
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations for individual properties and districts. See instructions in National Register
Bulletin, How to Complete the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. If any item does not apply to the property being
documented, enter "N/A" for "not applicable." For functions, architectural classification, materials, and areas of significance, enter only
categories and subcategories from the instructions.
1. Name of Property
Historic name: Federal Building and U.S. Post Office_________________________
Other names/site number: ______________________________________
Name of related multiple property listing:
N/A_________________________________________________________
(Enter "N/A" if property is not part of a multiple property listing
____________________________________________________________________________
2. Location
Street & number: 10 East Babcock Street_______________________________________
City or town: Bozeman______ State: Montana________ County: Gallatin_________
Not For Publication: Vicinity:
____________________________________________________________________________
3. State/Federal Agency Certification
As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended,
I hereby certify that this X nomination ___ request for determination of eligibility meets
the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of Historic
Places and meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60.
In my opinion, the property _X_ meets ___ does not meet the National Register Criteria. I
recommend that this property be considered significant at the following
level(s) of significance:
___national ___statewide _X_local
Applicable National Register Criteria:
_X_A ___B _X_C ___D
Signature of certifying official/Title: Date
______________________________________________
State or Federal agency/bureau or Tribal Government
In my opinion, the property meets does not meet the National Register criteria.
Signature of commenting official: Date
Title : State or Federal agency/bureau
or Tribal Government
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Federal Building and U.S. Post Office Gallatin, MT
Name of Property County and State
Sections 1-6 page 2
______________________________________________________________________________
4. National Park Service Certification
I hereby certify that this property is:
entered in the National Register
determined eligible for the National Register
determined not eligible for the National Register
removed from the National Register
other (explain:) _____________________
______________________________________________________________________
Signature of the Keeper Date of Action
____________________________________________________________________________
5. Classification
Ownership of Property
(Check as many boxes as apply.)
Private:
Public – Local
Public – State
Public – Federal
Category of Property
(Check only one box.)
Building(s)
District
Site
Structure
Object
X
X
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Federal Building and U.S. Post Office Gallatin, MT
Name of Property County and State
Sections 1-6 page 3
Number of Resources within Property
(Do not include previously listed resources in the count)
Contributing Noncontributing
_____1_______ ______0______ buildings
_____0_______ ______0______ sites
_____0_______ ______0______ structures
_____0_______ ______0______ objects
_____1_______ ______0_______ Total
Number of contributing resources previously listed in the National Register ___0_____
____________________________________________________________________________
6. Function or Use
Historic Functions
(Enter categories from instructions.)
GOVERNMENT/government office
GOVERNMENT/post office
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
Current Functions
(Enter categories from instructions.)
GOVERNMENT/government office
GOVERNMENT/post office
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Federal Building and U.S. Post Office Gallatin, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 7 page 4
__________________________________________________________________________
7. Description
Architectural Classification
(Enter categories from instructions.)
MODERN MOVEMENT: New Formalism
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
Materials: (enter categories from instructions.)
Principal exterior materials of the property: CONCRETE; STONE; GLASS
Narrative Description
(Describe the historic and current physical appearance and condition of the property. Describe
contributing and noncontributing resources if applicable. Begin with a summary paragraph that
briefly describes the general characteristics of the property, such as its location, type, style,
method of construction, setting, size, and significant features. Indicate whether the property has
historic integrity.)
______________________________________________________________________________
Summary Paragraph
Located along the southern edge of Bozeman, Montana’s Central Business District, the Federal
Building and U.S. Post Office (hereafter referred to as the FB&USPO) is located at 10 East
Babcock Street. Constructed in 1966, the FB&USPO occupies an approximately 2.15-acre site
just beyond the Main Street Historic District (listed in the National Register of Historic Places
[NRHP] in 1987). Fronting Babcock Street to the north, the building is bounded by South Tracy
and Black Avenues to the west and east, respectively, and East Olive Street to the south. A
broad, five-story office building, the FB&USPO was designed by Norman J. Hamill and
Associates of Butte, and embraces New Formalism in its inclusion of rhythmic elevations,
carefully-scaled building components, classical inferences, and textural materiality. While the
property has undergone multiple renovations during the last several decades, they have primarily
been directed at improving non-public functional building areas (e.g., post office workrooms)
and private office space, leaving the building exterior and public lobbies largely intact.1 The
property maintains its original function as a U.S. Post Office and federal office building,
1 A complete set of original drawings for the complex, drawn in August 1964, by Norman J. Hamill and Associates
and construction drawings for various renovations are on file with the U.S. General Services Administration,
Public Buildings Service, Rocky Mountain Region, and provide a thorough framework for evaluating current
integrity of the property. Drawings are not available for publication.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Federal Building and U.S. Post Office Gallatin, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 7 page 5
contributing to one’s understanding of the property’s design and associative use over time. The
property retains a high degree of integrity of location, setting, materials, design, workmanship,
feeling, and association.
______________________________________________________________________________
Narrative Description
SETTING AND SITE
The FB&USPO occupies an entire city block in downtown Bozeman, Montana. The building is
oriented to the north, facing East Babcock Street. South Tracy and South Black Avenues run
north-south to the west and east of the FB&USPO, respectively, and East Olive Street bounds the
block to the south. Located in a mixed-use area, the broader setting of the property is varied.
Fronting Babcock Street, the building opens into an urban context. The urban context at the front
(north) of the property quickly devolves as one moves south toward the rear of the property,
transitioning into a primarily residential setting defined by one-story forms of the early-to-mid
twentieth century. Interspersed throughout, ecclesiastical structures, apartment blocks, and low-
slung commercial buildings introduce architectural variety into the surrounding landscape.
Occupying an area totaling approximately 2.15 acres, the FB&USPO property can be divided
into two characteristically different pieces. The northern piece of the property, with the
FB&USPO as the centerpiece, establishes the façade. The property’s design integrates the
building into the broader setting through pedestrian-scaled landscaping interspersed throughout
the turfed forecourt that connects the property to the curbed sidewalks at the street edge. The
lawn extends onto the eastern edge of the property. A concrete walkway extending southward
from the Babcock Street right-of-way facilitates pedestrian access to this area and also connects
it to a secondary entrance on the west elevation of the building.
The transition to the utilitarian southern piece of the property—generally one large expanse of
asphalt—is marked by a concrete ramp extending eastward from South Tracy Avenue at the
southwestern corner of the building, which provides access to the underground parking facility.
The remainder of the southern piece of the property is given over to two parking lots. Site
features are limited throughout the property. Light poles are placed to provide security lighting.
GENERAL CONSTRUCTION AND EXTERIOR
While the total of the building employs a cohesive material palette, the FB&USPO is comprised
of two distinct sections: the five-story primary mass, which fronts Babcock Street and houses
agency offices and the post office, and the one-story, rectilinear mail sorting area and adjoining
loading platform at the rear (south) of the building, which opens into the large parking area at the
rear of the property. The building is broadly cast in New Formalism, its character derived
primarily from its rhythmic fenestration and classically-informed lines, with articulated precast
stone-clad mullions and columns reflecting the underlying structural framework and introducing
textural variety. The FB&USPO comprises approximately 97,000 sq ft of space. A full basement
runs beneath the primary mass, enframed with reinforced concrete walls and finished with a
reinforced concrete slab floor. Upper floors are supported with reinforced concrete spread
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Federal Building and U.S. Post Office Gallatin, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 7 page 6
footings of variable size. Structurally, the building is comprised of a reinforced concrete grid
interlocked at verticals and horizontals to establish a rigid frame.
On the exterior, rising from the basement, concrete masonry unit (CMU) walls form a base,
which projects from the wall plane; the CMU walls are veneered with polished oxford grey
granite panels and finished with a granite coping course. The underlying structural grid of the
building is explicitly expressed in the exterior arrangement, with reinforced concrete columns
extending the full height of the building. The first floor of the building is nearly wholly glazed,
with full-height, milled aluminum frame fixed windows spanning the space between structural
columns. Window units are capped by a precast stone belt course. The distinct delineation of
transparent first floor space gives the impression that the building rises from a first-floor
colonnade (or pilotis) situated on a granite pedestal, particularly when viewed from a distance.
On the second through fifth floors, each of the ten structural bays is further subdivided into four
bays by full-height precast stone mullions. Each bay houses a single-light window with tinted
glazing and milled aluminum frame; spandrels are filled with smooth-faced medium ironspot
buff brick laid in a running bond. The current window units were installed in 2006-2007.
Windows maintain the aluminum assemblies, configuration, and profile of the original units and
have double-pane glazing with a solar gray tint.
The building rises approximately 71 ft to a flat roof, which is concealed behind a shallow parapet
finished with a precast stone-veneered coping. The coping projects slightly from the face of the
building, tying into the concrete structural columns and mullions the span the building. A
mechanical penthouse rises an additional 16 ft; the penthouse continues the material palette of
the building. Adjoining the penthouse to the east, an original unglazed terra cotta block screen
wall finished with precast stone-veneered columns and precast stone mullions conceals
mechanical equipment.
Façade (North Elevation)
The character of the façade (north elevation) is nearly wholly defined by the repetitious
fenestration and the regularity of the employed structural grid—emphasized in the inclusion of
precast stone mullions and veneered structural columns—that contributes to the building’s
carefully-articulated and scaled division of space, a characteristic element of New Formalism.
The first floor is broken only for the entry ensemble. Here, two entrances provide access to the
building—one directly into the post office and one into the vestibule fronting the federal office
lobby. In between the entrances, the building face is clad in polished academy grey granite
panels set with an 8-inch reveal. The space is finished with aluminum castings of the obverse and
reverse sides of the Great Seal of the United States, which flank affixed aluminum letters noting
the building as the “Federal Building” and “United States Post Office.” Below, an inset datestone
reads:
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Federal Building and U.S. Post Office Gallatin, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 7 page 7
United States of America
Lyndon B Johnson
President
General Services Administration
Lawson B Knott Jr
Administrator
1966
A cantilevered concrete canopy spans the entry ensemble, sheltering the walkway below. The
canopy features a geometric configuration defined by two interior voids extending along the
canopy’s juncture with the wall plane over the granite-clad façade. This allows natural light to
pass through the canopy and cast on the aluminum letters displaying the building name. The
canopy is lighted by eight inset square fixtures with domed lenses and four inset canister lights.
Side (West and East) Elevations
The side (west and east) elevations continue the articulated arrangement of the façade, with full-
height multi-part first-story windows, precast stone-clad structural columns, and upper-story
window openings flanked by precast stone mullions. The first-floor fenestration of the west
elevation is broken at the central bay by a single-leaf pedestrian entry housed in an aluminum
assembly with transom and sidelight. The central bay of the east elevation also is punctuated by a
single-leaf pedestrian entry, which houses a full-height aluminum door. The southern structural
bay on the east elevation is unfenestrated, reflecting the presence of an interior stairwell. Precast
stone mullions are maintained across this bay, preserving the overall rhythmic arrangement of
the building. The west and east elevation of the original one-story mail sorting area at the rear
(south) of the building complement the character of the primary mass.
Rear (South) Elevation
The rear (south) elevation is fronted by the one-story mail sorting area. The precast stone belt
course of the sorting area continues from the side elevations, spanning the one-story mass above
the loading platform. The platform is framed by brick wing walls on the east and west and
sheltered beneath a projecting steel-frame roof supported by an I-beam spanning the wing walls,
with intermediate lally columns sharing the load. The cast concrete platform is accessed via two
sets of concrete stairs and a cast concrete ramp; an adjustable steel lift-gate loading ramp is
located near the central stair. Pedestrian access is facilitated via a double-leaf entry to the east
and a single-leaf entry to the west. Two observation portals front the area of the interior
historically occupied by a lookout gallery or catwalk, which extended over the mail workroom.
The rear (south) elevation of the primary mass maintains the character of the façade. Ten
structural bays are defined by full-height precast stone-veneered structural columns and precast
stone mullions. Single-light milled aluminum frame windows front interior office space; interior
stair cores, elevator shafts, and restrooms are evidenced in unfenestrated bays at the western and
eastern ends of the elevation. A solar array set on steel framework is affixed to the building at the
western stair core.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Federal Building and U.S. Post Office Gallatin, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 7 page 8
INTERIOR
The FB&USPO features two distinct types of spaces: public spaces and private spaces. The
former include the entry vestibule, post office lobby, and federal office lobby, while the latter
include support spaces for post office operations, first-floor offices and break rooms, and upper-
story offices, restrooms, and related functional areas. Most public spaces retain a high degree of
integrity, with original high-quality finishes such as travertine wall panels and terrazzo flooring
still present. Some non-public areas, on the other hand, have had material alterations since the
building’s construction. They are characterized by modest, contemporary finishes defined by the
functional needs of the space and include suspended ceilings, gypsum board walls, and rolled
carpet or carpet tile flooring.
First Floor
Building access is primarily through the two public entrances on the façade (north elevation).
The eastern entrance opens directly into the post office lobby, while the western entrance leads
into a rectilinear vestibule that provides access to both the post office lobby and the federal office
lobby. Poured concrete floors in the vestibule are finished with terrazzo flooring that extends
onto the wall, forming an integral cove base. The west and south walls are clad with polished
Montana travertine panels, which are complemented by original plain-sawed black walnut
paneling above the window and entry on the north wall and the entry into the post office lobby
on the east wall. The ceiling exhibits a recessed walnut soffit with a suspended ceiling at center,
finished with acoustical tiles and recessed fluorescent light fixtures; domed canister lights in the
walnut soffit provide additional lighting. Contemporary commercial double-leaf entries with
aluminum assemblies and automatic sliding doors provide access to the post office lobby and
federal office lobby to the east and south, respectively. Each entry is set within an original
aluminum frame curtain wall.
The terrazzo flooring of the vestibule continues into the federal office lobby, where walls are
likewise clad in travertine panels. Single-leaf passageways on the south and west walls feature
walnut surrounds, and the two elevator bays on the south wall—each featuring stainless steel
doors and assemblies—are accentuated with inset walnut paneling. An original aluminum wall
directory is located on the south wall, and an aluminum and glass display case with integrated
casts of an eagle and the obverse and reverse sides of the Great Seal of the United States is
located on the west wall. The east wall features an original aluminum clock with free-standing
affixed numerals. Like the vestibule, the ceiling in the federal office lobby features a recessed
walnut soffit at the perimeter, with a suspended section at center. Domed canister lights provide
supplemental lighting around the perimeter.
The post office lobby features a combination of original and contemporary finishes. The façade
entry on the north wall opens into a free-standing aluminum and glass vestibule, with single-leaf
entries on the east and west; this vestibule is presumed to have been constructed during the late
twentieth century. Terrazzo flooring continues from the primary vestibule and federal office
lobby but terminates at interior walls on the south; floors in this area are ceramic tile. The north
wall retains original travertine panels, which are accentuated with walnut paneling above the
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Federal Building and U.S. Post Office Gallatin, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 7 page 9
double-leaf façade entry and above the banks of windows to the east. A curtain wall assembly
originally separated the mailbox area from the post office counter, but it was removed during the
late twentieth century; this separation of space is still distinguished by a header that spans the
two areas and helps to articulate original definitions of space. A contemporary suspended ceiling
finishes the post office lobby. Contemporary counters, metal display boards and product racks,
and related fixtures are located throughout the lobby.
Beyond the post office and federal office lobbies, the first floor is dedicated to federally occupied
space. The original vault remains at the eastern end of the postal service workroom. The vault is
secured by a steel exterior door and double interior doors with a gated enclosure. CMU walls are
veneered with buff brick, and the floor and ceiling are concrete. The workroom was
reconstructed c. 2005 to provide the postal service with modern space meeting contemporary
needs. Observation portals remain that recall the location of the lookout gallery or catwalk
originally located above this space. The one-story area at the rear of the workroom is presently
awaiting a new use and is finished with gypsum board walls. The entry to the loading dock
platform is characterized by concrete block walls with a buff brick wainscoting.
The remainder of the first floor is divided into support office space, storage areas, and common
areas. Contemporary finishes are located throughout, including suspended ceilings with
acoustical tiles, carpet tile, and a combination of gypsum board and plaster walls with corner
guards and rubber base molding; restrooms feature contemporary ceramic tile finishes.
Upper Floors
Upper floors are consistent throughout the building. Originally, the tenant space on upper floors
was designed to be flexible, with movable partitions allowing multiple configurations of space.
Upper floors are wholly characterized by contemporary finishes resulting from tenant alterations
in the 1990s and early 2000s. At each floor, the elevator bays and flanking stair corridors on the
south wall open into an “L”-shaped lobby, which wraps around the vertical core to the restrooms
at the rear (south). Original aluminum and glass mail chutes remain exposed and intact on the
east wall of the elevator lobby at certain floors; on other floors, the chutes are not evident. Each
floor’s lobby provides access to office space. These non-public spaces are simplistic. A recessed
soffit around the perimeter of the building originally concealed the track mechanisms for
integrated curtain systems, which have since been removed.
First- through fourth-floor restrooms feature a combination of contemporary finishes. The fifth-
floor restrooms retain original finishes. Floors are finished with green and white mosaic ceramic
tile, and walls are clad in green ceramic tile. Original partitions with baked enamel finishes
separate floor-mounted fixtures. Original wall-mounted sinks are flanked by stainless steel
receptacles and a vanity-style mirror, light bar, and related fixtures. A minor renovation project
was undertaken in the fifth-floor restrooms in early 2017; the only substantial change was the
widening of the single-leaf entries to accommodate accessibility needs. The fifth-floor spaces
otherwise retain their original character and definition of space.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Federal Building and U.S. Post Office Gallatin, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 7 page 10
Vertical Core
The building is serviced by two stair cores—one adjacent to the elevator shaft near the western
end of the building and one at the eastern end of the building. The eastern core provides access
from the basement to the fifth floor, and the western core provides access from the basement to
the penthouse.
The two elevator bays serving the building retain stainless steel doors, framing, and light and
button panels.
Basement
The basement is utilitarian space that provides access to support systems, the garage, and limited
storage and office space.
INTEGRITY
The FB&USPO retains a high degree of exterior integrity, as alterations have been sensitive to
the original design and materiality of the property and were designed to be compatible with
Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. For example,
while all glazing has been replaced, the project was sympathetic to the original architecture, with
the new units set within the original aluminum assemblies and replicating the configuration and
profiles of the original units so as not to alter perceptions of space. The interior retains a
moderate-to-high degree of integrity in public areas, including the first-floor vestibule and
lobbies. Changes within the entry vestibule and federal building lobby have been minimal. While
numerous material changes have been undertaken in the post office lobby in order to provide
necessary functional upgrades, the space still respects the original design concept, maintaining
the historic relationship of the mailbox lobby and the public counter, the two defining elements
of the space. Interior finishes in private office space and functional areas such as the mail sorting
area, meeting rooms, and most restrooms have been altered in order to meet the changing needs
of tenants, but these changes have occurred in non-public spaces that were originally simple in
character. In addition, some spaces, such as the offices, were intended to accommodate change
over time as part of the original design plan. In total, the building retains integrity of location,
setting, design, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association.
Location. The FB&USPO is in its original location.
Setting. The property retains its original setting, with the landscape beyond the
FB&USPO continuing to reflect the transition from the urban core of Main Street to the
north to the residential context to the rear (south) of the building. Importantly, the
relational context to Main Street is still intact, with commercial and institutional
buildings along South Tracy and Black Avenues continuing to tie the primary
commercial thoroughfare to Babcock Street. The landscaping is appropriately scaled and
does not detract from the overall aesthetic of the building.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Federal Building and U.S. Post Office Gallatin, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 7 page 11
Design, Materials, and Workmanship. The property retains a moderate-to-high degree of
integrity of design, materials, and workmanship, three inherently interrelated concepts.
Changes to the property have been minimal on the exterior. Original claddings remain in
place, and replaced window units maintain original profiles, window configuration, and
glazing tint and retain original aluminum assemblies. Most significantly, the original
design intent of the FB&USPO remains evident in the overall treatment of the building,
characterized by a restrained, contextually-sensitive New Formalist aesthetic, with the
building’s character derived from its rhythmic arrangement and classically-informed
lines. These lines are carried through in the precast stone-veneered structural columns
and precast stone mullions, which reveal the underlying structural grid of the building.
Such materials are complemented by the granite-veneered base and granite inset at the
façade (north elevation) entrances, which remain sheltered by the original canopy. The
effect, as originally intended, is one of formality, resulting in an impressive building
befitting of the federal government.
Public areas of the interior remain largely intact, with travertine panels, terrazzo, walnut
paneling, steel finishes, and inset ceilings retained in the vestibule and federal office
lobby. Alterations to the post office lobby have been more extensive. However, they are
simple in character, allowing the texturally-rich terrazzo floors, travertine wall panels,
and walnut insets on the north wall to remain the showcase of the space. Most
significantly, despite alterations, the post office lobby retains the original core
configuration—mailbox lobby and post office counter—based on the historic precedent,
reflecting the original designed use of the space.
Non-public areas feature new materials—including, for example, carpet tile, suspended
ceilings, and gypsum board—but these spaces were intended to be altered over time as
tenant needs changed. They do not detract from the original design intent. Notably,
original finishes still remain in select areas, such as fifth-floor restrooms, and vertical
cores, such as end stairwells.
Specifically, the following significant character-defining features remain intact
throughout the building, which support integrity of design, materials, and workmanship:
o New Formalist architectural treatment in the three-part arrangement of the
exterior, rhythmic fenestration and arrangement, classically-informed lines, and
cohesive design between and among the building’s constituent parts across all
elevations;
o Exterior material treatments in the precast stone-veneered structural columns and
precast stone mullions that reveal the underlying structural grid of the building
and the granite-veneered base;
o Replacement window units that are sympathetic to the original design, incorporate
original material finishes in the milled aluminum frames, retain original
aluminum assemblies, and maintain original profiles and configuration;
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Federal Building and U.S. Post Office Gallatin, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 7 page 12
o Façade entry ensemble with granite inset, cantilevered canopy, and entry
assemblies. Although new doors have been installed, they maintain original ratios
of transparent to solid space and original points of entry into the building;
o Entry vestibule and federal office lobby with original configuration and materials:
terrazzo flooring, travertine wall panels, inset walnut wall paneling and ceilings,
and aluminum and steel finishes at interior curtain wall, windows, and elevator
bays; and
o Core definitions of space—mailbox lobby and post office counter—in the post
office lobby, as well as original materials along the north wall.
Feeling. With the original materials, design, and configuration intact, particularly on the
exterior and in public spaces, the property continues to express its period of construction.
Association. Since its construction, the FB&USPO has continuously been used as a post
office and office space for federal agencies.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Federal Building and U.S. Post Office Gallatin, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 8 page 13
_____________________________________________________________
8. Statement of Significance
Applicable National Register Criteria
(Mark "x" in one or more boxes for the criteria qualifying the property for National Register
listing.)
A. Property is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the
broad patterns of our history.
B. Property is associated with the lives of persons significant in our past.
C. Property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of
construction or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values,
or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components lack
individual distinction.
D. Property has yielded, or is likely to yield, information important in prehistory or
history.
Criteria Considerations
(Mark “x” in all the boxes that apply.)
A. Owned by a religious institution or used for religious purposes
B. Removed from its original location
C. A birthplace or grave
D. A cemetery
E. A reconstructed building, object, or structure
F. A commemorative property
G. Less than 50 years old or achieving significance within the past 50 years
X
X
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Federal Building and U.S. Post Office Gallatin, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 8 page 14
Areas of Significance
(Enter categories from instructions.)
POLITICS/GOVERNMENT
ARCHITECTURE____
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
Period of Significance
1966_______________
___________________
___________________
Significant Dates
1966_______________
___________________
___________________
Significant Person
(Complete only if Criterion B is marked above.)
N/A________________
___________________
___________________
Cultural Affiliation
N/A________________
___________________
___________________
Architect/Builder
Norman J. Hamill and Associates/architect
Sletten Construction Company/contractor
___________________
___________________
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Federal Building and U.S. Post Office Gallatin, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 8 page 15
Statement of Significance Summary Paragraph (Provide a summary paragraph that includes
level of significance, applicable criteria, justification for the period of significance, and any
applicable criteria considerations.)
The FB&USPO is locally significant under Criterion A in the Area of Government/Politics.
Construction of the FB&USPO in 1966 represented recognition by both the local community and
the federal government of the importance of Bozeman as a regional market during the mid-
twentieth century. It also reflected a decades-long effort by the local community to engage
discussions with the federal government to establish a dedicated federal office building in the
city. The completion of a combined federal office building and post office solidified the
government’s ongoing commitment to maintaining a strong federal presence in Bozeman. The
FB&USPO is also locally significant under Criterion C in the Area of Architecture as a
noteworthy, regionally-contextual example of New Formalism in Bozeman, reflecting the federal
government’s injection of a refined Modern edifice into the core of the community. The period
of significance for the FB&USPO is 1966, coinciding with completion of the building and
occupancy by federal employees.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Narrative Statement of Significance (Provide at least one paragraph for each area of
significance.)
CRITERION A: GOVERNMENT/POLITICS
The FB&USPO is locally significant under Criterion A in the Area of Government/Politics,
representing the importance of Bozeman as a regional market for the federal government during
the mid-twentieth century. Following on the establishment of regional offices for agencies such
as the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Forestry Service (later the U.S. Forest
Service [USFS]) in Bozeman during the early twentieth century, the FB&USPO was important in
providing modern, efficient space to accommodate the federal government’s office in the post-
World War II era. Construction of the FB&USPO also represented the local community’s
recognition of the importance of the federal government in Bozeman and its resultant status as a
regional center, which supported the underlying economics and developmental growth of the
city. The FB&USPO was made possible by local congressional representatives and business
constituents who mobilized to demonstrate community support in 1963, making way for the
construction of the facility.2 Combined federal office buildings and post offices, such as the one
at Bozeman, became the physical manifestation of government needs in regional centers
throughout the country and often were the most prominent—if not only—federal building in the
community or region, serving a critical role in supporting local economies. Throughout its 51-
year history, the FB&USPO has continued to provide postal services for the benefit of the
community and serve as the face of the federal government for the region, remaining a physical
demonstration of the government’s commitment to maintaining a strong regional presence in
Bozeman as expressed in 1966.
2 “Bozeman Federal Building Plans Shelved,” Montana Standard-Post (Butte), 1 January 1963, 13; “Barrett
Wonders Whether Helena Wants New Building,” The Independent Record (Helena), 24 January 1963, 9.
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CRITERION C: ARCHITECTURE
The FB&USPO is locally significant under Criterion C in the area of Architecture as a notable
example of Modern architecture (New Formalism) in the City of Bozeman. Designed by the
Butte-based firm of Norman J. Hamill and Associates, the FB&USPO employs an aesthetic that
represented a dramatic stylistic change for architecture in Bozeman. This is best evidenced in
comparison with the architecture of the Montana State University (MSU) campus in Bozeman,
which benefited from a substantial expansion of facilities from the 1940s to 1960s. Outside of
this campus, the FB&USPO is an almost singular example of substantial investment in Modern
architecture in the City of Bozeman during the era. Furthermore, even in consideration of the
numerous examples of Modern architecture employed at MSU, the FB&USPO is uniquely
positioned within the architectural catalogue of Bozeman. The FB&USPO is wholly its own, an
individual landmark cast in a commercial institutionalism that the building inherits from being
located downtown and that is not evident in architecture elsewhere in the city. Benefitting from
this application and its New Formalist refinement, the FB&USPO can perhaps be considered
stylistically unique within the context of the City of Bozeman.
Representing the significant shift toward Modern architecture by the federal government, the
FB&USPO infused an executed example of New Formalism into the landscape of Bozeman. The
building is characterized by a distinct classicism in its inclusion of elements such as precast
stone-veneered concrete structural columns and precast stone mullions, which are complemented
by the granite panel-veneered base and recessed first-floor curtain wall. The total of these
elements serves as refined ornamentation referenced in the past in their interpretation as a three-
part ensemble, with the building’s rectangular structure rising from pilotis situated on a richly-
textured pedestal. The exterior’s refinement is further complemented by the entry ensemble in its
employ of expensive granite panels, which also introduce textural variety. This is balanced on
the interior with terrazzo flooring and locally-contextual Montana travertine panels that line the
walls of the vestibule, federal office lobby, and post office lobby.
Most importantly, while the façade is the most critical element as the public face of the building,
the total of the FB&USPO is treated as one integrated design, underscoring the architect’s design
intent and employ of New Formalist principles in the execution of a cohesive aesthetic. The
refinement of the façade is carried throughout the building in the rhythm and regularity engaged
in features such as the three-part arrangement and classical lines and proportions cast in the
articulated structural columns and mullions that span all elevations. The result is an architectural
vocabulary—in this instance rooted in the federal government’s acceptance of a monumental
Modernism—that is otherwise absent in the community, furthering the distinction of the building
as a notable example of Modern architecture in the City of Bozeman.
FACILITY HISTORY AND RELATIONSHIP TO THE FEDERAL BUILDING
PROGRAM
The history of efforts to improve federal facilities in Bozeman dates to 1915–1916, when the
community welcomed the completion of a handsome new post office. Located at 32 South Tracy
Avenue (across Babcock Street, directly north of the FB&USPO), the neoclassical building
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replaced the existing postal facilities on Main Street and gave the federal government a
prominent presence in the community.3 Yet, while the new post office served its role, by 1925,
calls were already made for new facilities. In that year, Eugene Graf, Sr. and five other
businessmen convened to discuss the future of Bozeman. Reviewing the opportunities ahead for
the city, the group identified six major construction projects of need: a modern hotel, new
courthouse, post office, high school, four new elementary schools, and a new creamery.4
To accomplish the prescribed building program, the Bozeman Executive Committee was
established to raise funds, assist with planning efforts, and function as the local booster. Under
the leadership of Eugene Graf, Sr., the committee accomplished all of its goals from the 1920s
through 1940s, except for the securing of a new post office. This was despite the fact that in the
mid-1930s, the local chamber of commerce explicitly acknowledged that the 1916 post office
building was “not sufficiently large” to house both the post office and the offices of the federal
government, particularly those of the Forestry Department. The committed continued to push for
a new facility, with Graf reminding the community “that the population in the area served by the
Bozeman Post Office was increasing rapidly and to the extent that postal facilities were wholly
inadequate.”5
The call for a larger post office was matched with a call for the coordination of federal offices in
Bozeman in the post-World War II era to remedy the fact that existing agencies were “scattered
to the extent that it interfered with services.”6 By fall 1946, it was well recognized that there was
a need for dedicated office space, with the chamber of commerce taking up the effort to
“determine the feasibility of obtaining a Federal Building with suitable adequate space for all
Federal agencies” and additional space that would entice more agencies to locate in Bozeman.7
Recognizing that “up to 1940 the chances of receiving a federal building” had been “very bright”
because of the number of agencies already located in Bozeman, the chamber drafted a prospectus
on the need for federal office space. With this, the chamber undertook a survey of federal
agencies in Bozeman, identifying that the city’s federal payroll of 256 people distributed
between agencies and departments such as the Soil Conservation Service (SCS), USFS, Farm
3 U.S. Treasury Department, Digest of Appropriations for the Support of the Government of the United States for the
Service of the Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 1916 (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1916), 95.
4 “Olsen Answers Critics of New Federal Building,” Bozeman Daily Chronicle, 13 September 1966.
5 Minutes of the Special Meeting of the Board of Directors, Bozeman Chamber of Commerce, 17 June 1935,
unpublished manuscript, located in Collection 2393, Bozeman Area Chamber of Commerce Records, 1911-
1997, Box 1, Folder 1:2, Montana State University Special Collections and Archives, Bozeman, Montana;
Report on the Bozeman Chamber of Commerce, 1936, unpublished manuscript, located in Collection 2393,
Bozeman Area Chamber of Commerce Records, 1911-1997, Box 1, Folder 1:2, Montana State University
Special Collections and Archives, Bozeman, Montana.
6 “Olsen Answers Critics of New Federal Building,” Bozeman Daily Chronicle, 13 September 1966.; “Federal
Building Set at Bozeman,” Billings Gazette, 17 March 1962.
7 Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Directors, Bozeman Chamber of Commerce, 11 September 1946,
unpublished manuscript, located in Collection 2393, Bozeman Area Chamber of Commerce Records, 1911-
1997, Box 1, Folder 1:5, Montana State University Special Collections and Archives, Bozeman, Montana.
United States Department of the Interior
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Federal Building and U.S. Post Office Gallatin, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 8 page 18
Security Administration, and Veterans Administration (VA) required a building of at least
28,000 sq ft.8 Yet, despite prolonged calls for expanded federal facilities, no progress was made.
As was the case with federal construction programs throughout the country, it took the dramatic
restructuring of government planning and building programs before such plans would proceed in
Bozeman. In the aftermath of the Depression and World War II, the federal government faced
new challenges in administering the country, including a rapidly ballooning federal
infrastructure. Congressional leadership pushed for the consolidation of the government to
streamline essential functions and reduce inflating costs. Out of this came the U.S. General
Services Administration (GSA), organized under the Federal Property and Administrative
Services Act of 1949. The GSA centralized the administrative functions originally spread across
multiple agencies to “provide the resources needed by U.S. agencies to accomplish their
missions.”9 To service the needs of federal building infrastructure, the Public Buildings Service
(PBS) was established within the GSA and became responsible for all real property issues.
Among other things, the PBS set out to encourage and set the “pace for, rather than pursue,
modern architectural patterns,” which allowed for efficiencies in modern federal building
programs.10 This new policy statement was significant for two reasons. Not only did it represent
the federal government’s commitment to be a leader in architectural innovation, but it also
marked the acceptance of Modernism as part of that commitment. Such would underscore the
design and execution of future buildings such as the FB&USPO.
Through a series of public building acts from 1949 onward, the GSA refined its approach to
federal construction programs, ultimately affirming its commitment to the integration of private
sector professionals into federal design programs and to Modern architecture that met the needs
of efficient government infrastructure in the modern era.11 Through these acts, an unprecedented
8 Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Directors, Bozeman Chamber of Commerce, 25 September 1946,
unpublished manuscript, located in Collection 2393, Bozeman Area Chamber of Commerce Records, 1911-
1997, Box 1, Folder 1:5, Montana State University Special Collections and Archives, Bozeman, Montana;
Bozeman Chamber of Commerce Highlights for 1946, unpublished manuscript, located in Collection 2393,
Bozeman Area Chamber of Commerce Records, 1911-1997, Box 1, Folder 1:5, Montana State University
Special Collections and Archives, Bozeman, Montana.
9 Office of Management, U.S. General Services Administration, “The Establishment of the General Services
Administration: July 1, 1949-February 15, 1950,” vol. 1 (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office,
1950), 3; U.S. General Services Administration Strategic Plan, Fiscal Year 2014-2018, electronic resource,
http://www.gsa.gov/portal/mediaId/187599/fileName/GSA_FY14-18_GSA_Strategic_Plan.action (accessed 15
June 2017); United States, Cong. House, The Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, U.S.
Statutes at Large 63 (1949), 377.
10 Office of Management, U.S. General Services Administration, “The Establishment of the General Services
Administration: July 1, 1949-February 15, 1950,” vol. 1 (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office,
1950), 24.
11 United States, Cong. House, Public Buildings Act of 1949, 81st Congress, 1st Session, H.R. 3662 and 3019
(Washington: Government Printing Office, 1949), 2; Judith H. Robinson and Stephanie Foll, Growth,
Efficiency, and Modernism: G.S.A. Buildings of the 1950s, 60s, and 70s (Washington, D.C.: U.S. General
Services Administration, Office of the Chief Architect, Center for Historic Buildings, 2003), 37.
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Federal Building and U.S. Post Office Gallatin, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 8 page 19
wave of federal construction ensued. In 1961 and 1962 alone, for example, over 7 million square
feet of federal space was added to the government’s portfolio.12 Additional reinforcement for
modern design standards in physical investments of the federal government came in the wake of
President John F. Kennedy’s inauguration, set against the backdrop of the increasingly
inefficient, outmoded building infrastructure of Washington, D.C. At Kennedy’s behest, an ad
hoc committee was established to survey the federal government’s space needs and, equally
important, to develop principles to guide the direction of future federal building programs. The
result was a policy on architectural commissions that encouraged architecturally distinguished
buildings befitting of the federal government, utilization of local materials and methods, an
emphasis on economy, and cooperation with local entities in site selection and design.13 These
tenets were subsequently reinforced through Lyndon B. Johnson’s “Program for Beautification
of Federal Buildings,” under which the GSA engaged the construction of buildings throughout
the country. Among these would be several new large-scale projects in Montana, including, for
example, the U.S. Courthouse and Federal Building in Billings, completed in 1966; the
expansion of the U.S. Courthouse and Post Office in Helena, completed in 1967; and the subject
of this document, the Federal Building and U.S. Post Office in Bozeman, completed in 1966.
While efforts had been directed at securing a new post office for Bozeman since 1925 and calls
for a federal office building grew in the aftermath of World War II, it was not until after the
establishment of the GSA and the Public Buildings Act of 1959 that such desires were met.
Particularly important was a renewed emphasis on efficiency, which encouraged the Post Office
Department and federal agencies to work hand-in-hand in coordination with one another to
establish plans meeting the needs of new post office and federal office facilities in locations
across the country. Such cooperation allowed for the maximum use of funds and building space,
particularly in limited regional markets, such as Bozeman, where standalone post offices or
federal office buildings no longer made sense. Working together on site selection and building
infrastructure needs and benefiting from “highly satisfactory working relationships,” the GSA
and Post Office Department engaged an aggressive program to meet the needs of both entities.
“More than 140 Post Office-Federal Office Buildings or Post Office Court House Buildings”
were authorized by the GSA in 1963, following the wave of funding that came with the Public
Buildings Act of 1959.14
At Bozeman, discussions regarding the viability of a federal office building continued into mid-
century. In 1954, it was announced that Bozeman was selected as a potential federal building
project location. Eugene Graf encouraged the city to purchase the 1916 post office for use as a
city hall, but this did not happen. Graf also encouraged the local chamber to urge the federal
government to proactively purchase a lot for the anticipated federal building project. Calls for
action continued through 1956, with the chamber of commerce undertaking additional study of
12 Ibid., 41.
13 “Guiding Principles for Federal Architecture,” electronic resource, http://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/136543,
accessed 15 June 2017..
14 URS Group, Inc., USPS Nationwide Historic Context Study: Postal Facilities Constructed Between 1940 and
1971 (Germantown, MD: URS Group, Inc., 2012), 3-48, 3-51.
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the project.15 The chamber ultimately decided that the push for a new federal office building
should come from the city and be integrated into Bozeman’s long range development plan.16 The
city responded accordingly, addressing the idea of a federal building as part of a civic center also
housing city offices to be located at the eastern end of Main Street, with the idea that “if these
can be located around a civic center park, they would be an additional feature for the Central
District.”17
Despite such planning, it was not until the 1960s when the federal building program moved
forward. Concrete announcements for a joint federal building and post office project were first
made to the public in March 1962, following the GSA’s submittal of project prospectuses to the
Senate Public Works Committee. Anticipated to cost $2.6 million and contain 94,600 sq ft, the
FB&USPO was planned to consolidate “federal activities in one building except space retained
by the Department of Agriculture and Army Reserve.”18 State Representative Arnold Olsen
announced a month later that the project was approved by the committee and efforts were
underway to finalize site selection, with 13 potential locations under consideration in early
1962.19
While plans progressed following announcement in 1962 and construction of the building was
included in President Kennedy’s budget of fiscal year 1963, the building remained under
discussion in the local community. The chamber of commerce continued to undertake study of
pros and cons of the project.20 The most significant outcome of discussions came in September
15 Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Directors, Bozeman Chamber of Commerce, 14 April 1954, unpublished
manuscript, located in Collection 2393, Bozeman Area Chamber of Commerce Records, 1911-1997, Box 8,
Folder 8:1, Montana State University Special Collections and Archives, Bozeman, Montana; Minutes of the
Meeting of the Board of Directors, Bozeman Chamber of Commerce, 19 April 1954, unpublished manuscript,
located in Collection 2393, Bozeman Area Chamber of Commerce Records, 1911-1997, Box 8, Folder 8:1,
Montana State University Special Collections and Archives, Bozeman, Montana; Minutes of the Meeting of the
Board of Directors, Bozeman Chamber of Commerce, 15 November 1956, unpublished manuscript, located in
Collection 2393, Bozeman Area Chamber of Commerce Records, 1911-1997, Box 8, Folder 8:3, Montana State
University Special Collections and Archives, Bozeman, Montana.
16 Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Directors, Bozeman Chamber of Commerce, 11 December 1957,
unpublished manuscript, located in Collection 2393, Bozeman Area Chamber of Commerce Records, 1911-
1997, Box 8, Folder 8:4, Montana State University Special Collections and Archives, Bozeman, Montana
17 S.R. DeBoer & Co., A City Plan for Bozeman, Montana: Summary and Conclusions 1958 (Denver, Colorado:
S.R. DeBoer & Co., 1958), 107.
18 “$4 ½ Million Approved by GSA for Federal Building Construction in Bozeman, Helena,” Montana Standard-
Post (Butte), 30 March 1962, 4; “Federal Building Set at Bozeman,” Billings Gazette, 17 March 1962, 2;
“Federal Projects Proposed in State,” Billings Gazette, 30 March 1962, 54.
19 “Bozeman Federal Building Favored,” Montana Standard-Post (Butte), 17 April 1962, 2.
20 Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Directors, Bozeman Chamber of Commerce, 24 April 1962, unpublished
manuscript, located in Collection 2393, Bozeman Area Chamber of Commerce Records, 1911-1997, Box 8,
Folder 8:9, Montana State University Special Collections and Archives, Bozeman, Montana; Minutes of the
Meeting of the Board of Directors, Bozeman Chamber of Commerce, 22 May 1962, unpublished manuscript,
United States Department of the Interior
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Name of Property County and State
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1962, when the chamber undertook a poll of its membership to gauge interest in the proposed
federal building program. The result of this poll, as relayed by the Bozeman Chamber of
Commerce to the newspapers and Senator Lee Metcalf, was that 46.2 percent of respondents
were against the project; 27.8 percent were for the project; 16.8 percent wanted a new post office
only; 46.2 percent wanted to enlarge the 1916 post office; and 25.2 supported a privately-
financed federal building. While it appeared that there was little favor for the project, it was later
clarified that the results of the poll were based on a response rate of only 30.2 percent of a total
membership of more than 400 persons and businesses and did not accurately reflect the full
interest of the chamber.21 A new poll was conducted in January 1963. With a response rate of
71.2 percent, the FB&USPO project received 83.9 percent favorable vote. Discussing “the matter
thoroughly,” the chamber “then voted unanimously to concur with the wishes of the membership
and endorse and support construction of a federal building in Bozeman.”22
The January 1963 survey results were quickly relayed throughout the GSA system, with Senator
Metcalf writing Bernard Boutin, GSA administrator, five days later. Forwarding communication
from individuals, labor unions, and civic organizations to the GSA expressing favor in the
project, Metcalf concluded that “overwhelming support indicates that there is a strong desire at
all levels, and across party lines, for this building, and I urge you to reinstate this project as
authorized as soon as possible.”23 Boutin responded affirmatively, noting that the response
“clearly indicated the need for a new Federal Building in Bozeman and the desire of the
overwhelming majority of citizens to proceed with construction of the proposed building at the
located in Collection 2393, Bozeman Area Chamber of Commerce Records, 1911-1997, Box 8, Folder 8:4,
Montana State University Special Collections and Archives, Bozeman, Montana.
21 “Bozeman Federal Building Plans Shelved,” Montana Standard-Post (Butte), 1 January 1963, 13; “Barrett
Wonders Whether Helena Wants New Building,” The Independent Record (Helena), 24 January 1963, 9;
Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Directors, Bozeman Chamber of Commerce, 11 September 1962,
unpublished manuscript, located in Collection 2393, Bozeman Area Chamber of Commerce Records, 1911-
1997, Box 8, Folder 8:9, Montana State University Special Collections and Archives, Bozeman, Montana;
Letter from Guy Sperry to Senator Lee Metcalf, 22 September 1962, unpublished manuscript, located in
Collection 2393, Bozeman Area Chamber of Commerce Records, 1911-1997, Box 14, Folder 14:4, Montana
State University Special Collections and Archives, Bozeman, Montana; “Helena Federal Building in Kennedy
Budget,” The Independent Record (Helena), 17 January 1963, 9; Letter from Guy Sperry to Senator Lee
Metcalf, 22 September 1962, unpublished manuscript, located in Collection 2393, Bozeman Area Chamber of
Commerce Records, 1911-1997, Box 14, Folder 14:4, Montana State University Special Collections and
Archives, Bozeman, Montana
22 Letter to Senator Lee Metcalf, 25 January 1963, unpublished manuscript, located in Collection 2393, Bozeman
Area Chamber of Commerce Records, 1911-1997, Box 14, Folder 14:4, Montana State University Special
Collections and Archives, Bozeman, Montana; “Bozeman C of C Approves New Federal Building,” Montana
Standard-Post (Butte), 23 January 1963, 4.
23 Letter from Senator Lee Metcalf to Bernard Boutin, 28 January 1963, unpublished manuscript, located in
Collection 2393, Bozeman Area Chamber of Commerce Records, 1911-1997, Box 14, Folder 14:4, Montana
State University Special Collections and Archives, Bozeman, Montana.
United States Department of the Interior
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Name of Property County and State
Section 8 page 22
earliest possible date.”24 Clearing the way, Boutin pushed forward site selection of the Babcock
Street location and plans proceeded.25 Bids for architectural services were solicited. In March
1963, the firm of Norman J. Hamill and Associates of Butte, Montana, was selected for the
project, presumably on the basis of cost and local reputation.26 Into the year, the project was
officially approved by the House appropriations committee, and the GSA moved forward with
site acquisition.27
Planning continued into 1964 as site preparations were made and design concepts were reviewed.
Project specifications were produced August 10 for review by the GSA, and advertisements for
construction bids were released in September, with an anticipated project completion period of
18 months.28 Four construction bids were received by the GSA. Sletten Construction Company
of Great Falls, Montana, submitted the low bid at $2.1 million and ultimately won the
construction contract.29 Notice-to-proceed on the project was set for the second week of
November, although building permits were ultimately not issued until February 1965.30 Just over
a year later, in April 1966, the project was considered substantially complete, with 85% of work
completed and only “miscellaneous finishing work” left.31
By late summer, the project was effectively finished, and the dedication program was set for
September 12, 1966. Representative Olsen and Senator Metcalf, who had served as local
proponents of the project, were the principal speakers; they were complemented by Mayor
Edmund P. Sedivy, Sr. and Vernon Koelser, president of the Bozeman Chamber of Commerce,
as well as E.R. Thissen, regional administrator for the GSA.32 Praising the efforts of the chamber
24 Letter from Bernard Boutin to Senator Lee Metcalf, 20 February 1963, unpublished manuscript, located in
Collection 2393, Bozeman Area Chamber of Commerce Records, 1911-1997, Box 14, Folder 14:4, Montana State
University Special Collections and Archives, Bozeman, Montana.
25 Ibid.; “Site is Selected for Bozeman Federal Building,” The Independent Record (Helena), 12 December 1962, 15.
26 “Butte Firm Awarded Contract for New Bozeman Post Office,” Montana Standard-Post (Butte), 2 March 1963, 2.
27 “Construction Approved,” Montana Standard-Post (Butte), 8 October 1963, 5; “Government Seeks to Condemn
Land for Bozeman Post Office,” Montana Standard-Post (Butte), 16 November 1963, 2.
28 “New Post Office Planned for Bozeman,” The Independent Record (Helena), 3 August 1964, 2; “Bid Opening
Set,” Montana Standard-Post (Butte), 4 September 1964; “Bid Opening Date Set for Post Office,” Bozeman
Daily Chronicle, 4 September 1964; “Bozeman Post Office Bids to be Received,” Billings Gazette, 5 September
1964, 2.
29 “Federal Buildings Bids Being Opened Today,” Bozeman Daily Chronicle, 13 October 1964; “Falls Firm Bids
Low on Building,” Bozeman Daily Chronicle, 14 October 1964, 1.
30 “Federal Building Job Let,” Bozeman Daily Chronicle, 29 October 1964; “Bozeman Post Office Contract Let,”
Billings Gazette, 30 October 1964, 2; City of Bozeman Building Permit, unpublished document, located in the
“Buildings” clipping files of the Montana Room, Bozeman Public Library, Bozeman, Montana.
31 “Bozeman’s Federal Building,” Billings Gazette, 14 April 1966, 7.
32 “Bozeman Plans to Dedicate New Post Office,” Montana Standard-Post (Butte), 1 September 1966, 5; “Federal
Building Dedicated,” Bozeman Daily Chronicle, 12 September 1966, 1; Dedication program for the Federal
Building and U.S. Post Office, unpublished document, located in the files of the Gallatin County Historical
Society, Bozeman, Montana.
United States Department of the Interior
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Name of Property County and State
Section 8 page 23
and local businessman Eugene Graf, Sr., who championed the project for nearly 40 years, Olsen
proclaimed the building a “genuinely needed federal investment” and said that its worth was “not
really local” but a benefit to the “agricultural community of all Montana.”33
MODERN ARCHITECTURE IN BOZEMAN
In the years following World War II, Bozeman’s population surged, increasing more than 65
percent between 1950 and 1970, from 11,325 persons to 18,670 persons. The most dramatic
increase came after 1960, when the population grew by more than 5,000 persons.34 Growth was
accompanied by a new wave of construction, resulting in the introduction of thousands of new
dwellings, multiple elementary and high school campuses, and dozens of commercial enterprises
to the landscape of Bozeman, particularly in newly-developed fringe areas and along prominent
corridors such as Highway 191 (Main Street/Huffine Lane), 7th Avenue, and 19th Avenue. Such
construction introduced to the landscape an architecture embracing the evolving tenets of
Modernism, from the execution of Ranch houses and Contemporary dwellings to articulated
frame and Googie-style commercial buildings.
The most extensive evidence of Modernism in Bozeman was manifested at Montana State
College, which grew rapidly to a population of 5,250 students.35 Such growth spurred a dramatic
transformation of the campus from the 1940s through 1960s, with classrooms, laboratory
buildings, dormitories, and other associated facilities constructed to accommodate expanding
student populations and curriculums. These buildings introduced a collection of “Modern” and
“Late Modern” architectural motifs in the campus, ranging from buildings that adapt the
International Style’s emphasis on rectangular grids and volumetric arrangement; to small-scale
buildings that incorporate the Contemporary-style influence of projecting canopies and plate
glass curtain walls; to articulated frame buildings that lack stylistic distinction but draw their
character from the honest expression of the underlying building structure. The result was a varied
architectural vocabulary that reflected the vast array of stylistic and material treatments emerging
from the Modern aesthetic, even if applied unevenly across the campus.36
In the historic core of Bozeman, Modern architecture had a lesser overall impact than it did in an
area such as MSU. While downtown Bozeman had witnessed the influence of modernistic
architecture of the 1930s and 1940s in the completion of works such as the 1931 Hamill
Apartment complex, the 1936 Gallatin County Courthouse, the updated Woolworth Building of
1948, and the 1949 American Legion Building, Modernism of the 1950s and 1960s took root in
downtown Bozeman to a much lesser extent.37 Various façades were updated with modern
slipcovers during the period, but large-scale endeavors were limited. Among the most substantial
investments—and one of the only remaining intact examples of Modern architecture from the
33 “Olsen Answers Critics of New Federal Building,” Bozeman Daily Chronicle, 13 September 1966.
34 Renewable Technologies, Inc., Bozeman Historic Resource Survey: 2008 Revised Edition, February 2008.
35 Ibid.
36 Jessie Nunn, “Montana State University Historic District,” National Register of Historic Places nomination, 2013.
37 “Main Street Historic District,” National Register of Historic Places Nomination, 1986.
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period—was the updating of the Commercial National Bank building (now U.S. Bank) at 104
East Main Street, just one block north of the FB&USPO. Constructed in 1920, this building was
remodeled in 1971, employing a ground floor covered with tinted exposed aggregate concrete
panels punctuated by full-height single-light windows inset within smooth-finished cast concrete
surrounds. Rising from the base, four-story-tall banks of windows rise to a projecting precast
stone-veneered cornice. To the east, a one-story mass replicating the columnar arrangement of
the adjacent tower provides access to the interior lobby.
Sharing a similar context with the FB&USPO, new municipal buildings also were constructed
during the period along the Main Street corridor and flanking streets. In 1966, the City of
Bozeman moved its offices to a new city hall at Main Street and Rouse Avenue, the first such
building especially designed for city offices in Bozeman. With new fire and police stations also
constructed on the site, the new facility provided the local government with a permanent,
prominent location fronting downtown’s primary thoroughfare. Largely consistent with trends
likewise captured at the FB&USPO, completed the same year, the new city hall also reflected the
growing influence of Modernism in civic and government construction. Employing a primarily
New Formalist composition, the one-story building was characterized by wholly-glazed façade
walls, a projecting concrete canopy, and a broad, flat roof with articulated fascia. Now a coffee
shop, the building has been significantly altered. Its recessed façade entry and canopy have been
completely transformed and the articulated fascia is now clad in aluminum banding.
In the context of Bozeman’s modern architectural catalogue, then, the FB&USPO is a
noteworthy and unique example of refined Modernism as espoused in New Formalist
architecture of the period, in this instance cast in a regionally-contextual palette. New Formalism
emerged in the 1950s as a response to the minimalist and occasionally harsh nature of
architecture that proliferated during the modern era under the umbrella of the International Style.
It was not a rejection of Modernism itself but rather a casting off of the limitations of most
interpretations of Modernism, which employed a strict, austere aesthetic and required the
dismissal of all other considerations. New Formalism became a mechanism by which architects
married advancing technologies and buildings forms with the reinterpretation of accepted design
concepts of the past. New Formalism reversed the exclusion of the role of tradition in
architectural design. Classical allusions are common, adopting new forms and materials in the
inclusion of stylized colonnades, podiums, and entablatures that accentuate carefully
proportioned and scaled building forms. While examples by master architects are limited,
particularly outside of significant metropolitan areas, New Formalism found approval in local
communities throughout the country in the design of public buildings such as government
centers, libraries, museums, and university buildings, which reveled in the monumental, refined
nature of the design approach but applied contextualized palettes and simplified motifs.38
The FB&USPO represents the adaptation and integration of New Formalism in a regional
market. The design harkens a refined classicism in its rhythmic elevation treatments, stylized
columnar supports, and its abstracted three-part arrangement. This design carries through in the
incorporation of a regionally-contextual material palette, which underlie the emphasis on
38 Marcus Whiffen, American Architecture since 1780 (Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press, 1992), 261-262.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Federal Building and U.S. Post Office Gallatin, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 8 page 25
economy engaged by the GSA during the 1960s in the inclusion of efficient, affordable
materials, particularly in a limited market. The juxtaposed use of precast stone-clad columns and
mullions and brick spandrels provide a material depth to the building. They also introduce an
architectural variety to functional upper floors that reflect the architect’s ability to establish a
pleasant composition that met the needs of the space and the budget without being unduly simple
or undistinguished. More expensive materials are limited to areas of direct pedestrian interaction,
with the entry ensemble employing granite panels that introduce textural variety into the building
and public interior spaces incorporating terrazzo flooring and Montana travertine panels.
Perhaps most importantly, while the façade is the most critical element of the design as the
public face of the building, the total of the FB&USPO is treated as an integrated design,
underscoring the employ of New Formalist principles in the execution of a cohesive design
befitting of the federal government. The refinement of the design is carried throughout the
building in the rhythm and regularity established in the three-part arrangement of the building
and the classical lines and proportions cast in the articulated structural columns and mullions that
span all elevations. This equal treatment across the total of the building provides an architecture
that moves beyond a single distinguished façade to a cohesive, holistic approach. The
arrangement of the columns and mullions also evokes a reference to the colonnade, an integral
element of New Formalism. The total effect is a contextualized approach to a monumental
architecture founded in modern classicism—in this instance rooted in the federal government’s
emphasis on efficiency of the era—that is otherwise absent in the community, furthering the
distinction of the building as a notable example of Modern architecture in the City of Bozeman.
NORMAN J. HAMILL AND ASSOCIATES
The FB&USPO was designed by Norman J. Hamill and Associates, an architectural firm
established in Butte, Montana, in 1952 by Norman James Hamill. Hamill earned his bachelor’s
degree in architecture from Montana State College (now MSU) in 1933, and then went to work
for Fred F. Willson, AIA, of Bozeman as a draftsman. From 1935 to 1937, Hamill worked for the
Public Works Administration (PWA) in Helena as an examiner and construction engineer.
Following, he relocated briefly to Great Falls, where he worked for Cottier and Herrington
before the outbreak of World War II. Hamill then moved to California, taking a position as an
engineer with the War Department from 1940 to 1945. Following the war, Hamill briefly owned
a construction company in California before moving to Butte to join the prominent firm of J.G.
Link and Company. Three years later, in 1951, Hamill joined with Walter Arnold to form Arnold
and Hamill. In 1952, Hamill broke away to form his own company.39
Under Hamill’s leadership, his firm grew in prominence, earning him work throughout the
region. While the preponderance of the firm’s work was directed at small-scale commercial
buildings and offices, elementary schools, and churches, the firm also earned more substantial
39 “Norman Hamill, “Mining City Architect, Dies,” Montana Standard-Post (Butte), 3 April 1966, 1; Norman J.
Hamill Membership File, American Institute of Architects Historic Directory of American Architects, electronic
resource, public.aia.org/sites/hdoaa/wiki/Wiki%20Pages/ahd1017952.aspx, accessed 15 September 2017.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Federal Building and U.S. Post Office Gallatin, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 8 page 26
work, including, for example, projects at the Western College of Education in Dillon, Montana;
armories for the Montana National Guard in Dillon, Butte, and Anaconda, Montana; buildings
for Malstorm Air Force Base, Havre Air Force Base, Gowen Field, and the Atomic Energy
Commission, located in Great Falls, Montana, Havre, Montana, Boise Idaho, and Arco, Idaho,
respectively; units for the state hospital in Warm Springs, Montana; and offices for the Veterans
Administration and Selective Service Board in Butte.40
While nearly all of Hamill’s work employed contemporary architectural modes—most
commonly the basic tenets of volumetric arrangement and minimalist treatments as espoused in
the International Style—he also was involved in architecturally-notable commissions of the
period. Such work includes the Prudential Federal Savings and Loan facility in Butte. With
renowned architect William L. Pereira serving as principal architect, Hamill served as
collaborating architect on this structurally-expressive building, which employs a sculptural
concrete colonnade that spans an articulated circular drum housing the first-floor lobby and
upper-story auditorium. In some ways harkening his future designs at the FB&USPO, Hamill’s
work also included the Montana Power Company headquarters in Butte. Employing aluminum
structural members in the execution of the curtain wall, the building relies on the efficiency of
the grid and structural honesty in its arrangement of mullions, recessed window openings
fronting upper-story office space, and porcelainized aluminum spandrel panels. At the first story
and end wing walls, richly-textured granite panels framed the building, the earthen hues
juxtaposed against the implied modernity of the brightly-colored spandrel panels and aluminum.
No doubt a capstone of the firm’s practice was the awarding of the commission for the
FB&USPO at Bozeman, a high-profile project that bore witness to the stature of the firm. In
combination with the success of the firm throughout the 1950s and early 1960s, the awarding of
this project influenced the establishment of the firm’s branch office in Bozeman in March 1966,
intended to capitalize on business opportunities emerging from press related to the building.41
Ultimately, however, Hamill never witnessed the fruits of his efforts. At age 59, Hamill passed
away on April 3, 1966, five months prior to the dedication of the FB&USPO. While the firm
continued through its active commissions under the service of principals such as Vincent G.
Aanes, Norman J. Hamill and Associates was subsequently dissolved.
40 Norman Hamill & Associates, AIA portfolio, unpublished resource, located in the files of the Norman J. Hamill
and Associates Photographic Collection, Butte-Silver Bow Archives, Butte, Montana.
41 “Hamill Retains Butte Headquarters,” Montana Standard-Post (Butte), 27 March 1966, 12B.
United States Department of the Interior
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NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Federal Building and U.S. Post Office Gallatin, MT
Name of Property County and State
Sections 9-end page 27
______________________________________________________________________________
9. Major Bibliographical References
Bibliography (Cite the books, articles, and other sources used in preparing this form.)
Articles
“$4 ½ Million Approved by GSA for Federal Building Construction in Bozeman, Helena.”
Montana Standard-Post. 30 March 1962.
“Barrett Wonders Whether Helena Wants New Building.” The Independent Record. 24
January 1963.
“Bid Opening Date Set for Post Office.” Bozeman Daily Chronicle. 4 September 1964.
“Bid Opening Set.” Billings Gazette. 4 September 1964.
“Bid Opening Set.” Montana Standard-Post. 4 September 1964.
“Bozeman C of C Approves New Federal Building.” Montana Standard-Post. 23 January
1963.
“Bozeman Federal Building Favored.” Montana Standard-Post. 17 April 1962.
“Bozeman’s Federal Building.” Billings Gazette. 14 April 1966.
“Bozeman Federal Plans Shelved.” Montana Standard-Post. 1 January 1963.
“Bozeman Plans to Dedicate New Post Office.” Montana Standard-Post. 1 September 1966.
“Bozeman Post Office Bids to be Received.” Billings Gazette. 5 September 1964.
“Bozeman Post Office Contract Let.” Billings Gazette. 30 October 1964.
“Butte Firm Awarded Contract for New Bozeman Post Office.” Montana Standard-Post. 2
March 1963.
“Construction Approved.” Montana Standard-Post. 8 October 1963.
“Falls Firm Bids Low on Building.” Bozeman Daily Chronicle. 14 October 1964.
“Federal Buildings Bids Being Opened Today.” Bozeman Daily Chronicle. 13 October 1964.
“Federal Building Dedicated.” Bozeman Daily Chronicle. 12 September 1966.
“Federal Building Job Let.” Bozeman Daily Chronicle. 29 October 1964.
“Federal Projects Proposed in State.” Billings Gazette. 30 March 1962.
“Federal Building Set at Bozeman.” Billings Gazette. 17 March 1962.
“Government Seeks to Condemn Land for Bozeman Post Office.” Montana Standard-Post.
16 November 1963.
“Hamill Retains Butte Headquarters.” Montana Standard-Post. 27 March 1966.
“New Post Office Planned for Bozeman.” The Independent Record. 3 August 1964.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Federal Building and U.S. Post Office Gallatin, MT
Name of Property County and State
Sections 9-end page 28
“Norman Hamill, Mining City Architect, Dies.” Montana Standard-Post. 3 April 1966.
“Olsen Answers Critics of New Federal Building.” Bozeman Daily Chronicle. 13 September
1966.
“Site is Selected for Bozeman Federal Building.” The Independent Record. 12 December
1962.
Books
Curtis, William J.R. Modern Architecture Since 1900. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall,
Inc., 1987.
Jenks, Jim. A Guide to Historic Bozeman. Helena, Montana: Montana Historical Society,
2007.
Robinson, Judith H. and Stephanie Foell. Growth, Efficiency, and Modernism: G.S.A.
Buildings of the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. Washington, D.C.: U.S. General Services
Administration, Office of the Chief Architect, Center for Historic Buildings, 2003.
Whiffen, Marcus. American Architecture Since 1780: A Guide to the Styles. Cambridge,
Massachusetts: MIT Press, 1996.
Plans, Drawings, Maps, and Photographs
Architectural drawings. Post Office and Federal Building, Bozeman, Montana (Project No.
24904). Norman J. Hamill & Associates. August 24 1964. Located in the files of the
General Services Administration, Public Buildings Service, Rocky Mountain Region.
General Services Administration, Public Buildings Service, Rocky Mountain Region.
Bozeman Federal Building and U.S. Post Office. Photographic collection.
“Norman J. Hamill and Associates Photographic Collection.” Butte-Silver Bow Public
Archives, Butte, Montana.
Technical Reports and Government Publications
Avenue L. Architects. GSA Eligibility Assessment: Federal Building/Post Office. Denver,
Colorado: Avenue L. Architects, 2009.
S.R. DeBoer & Co., A City Plan for Bozeman, Montana: Summary and Conclusions 1958.
Denver, Colorado: S.R. DeBoer & Co., 1958.
“Main Street Historic District.” National Register of Historic Places Nomination. 1986.
Nunn, Jessie. “Montana State University Historic District.” National Register of Historic
Places Nomination, 2013.
Office of Management, U.S. General Services Administration. “The Establishment of the
General Services Administration: July 1, 1949-February 15, 1950,” vol. 1. Washington,
D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1950.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Federal Building and U.S. Post Office Gallatin, MT
Name of Property County and State
Sections 9-end page 29
Painter, Diana J. Montana Post-World War II Architectural Survey and Inventory. Helena,
Montana: Montana State Historic Preservation Office, 2010.
Renewable Technologies, Inc. Bozeman Historic Resource Survey: 2008 Revised Edition.
Helena, Montana: Montana State Historic Preservation Office, 2008.
Smith, Stephanie. “General Services Administration Prospectus Thresholds for Owned and
Leased Federal Facilities.” Congressional Research Service Report for Congress,
(October 3, 2005). Electronic resource, located at
http://digital.library.unt.edu/govdocs/crs/permalink/meta-crs-7678:1, accessed June 2017.
URS Group, Inc. USPS Nationwide Historic Context Study: Postal Facilities Constructed
Between 1940 and 1971. Germantown, Maryland: URS Group, Inc., 2012.
United States, Cong. House, Public Buildings Act of 1949, 81st Congress, 1st Session, H.R.
3662 and 3019. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1949.
U.S. Commission on the Organization of the Executive Branch of the Government. General
Management of the Executive Branch: A Report to the Congress. Washington, D.C.:
Government Printing Office, February 1949.
U.S. Treasury Department. Digest of Appropriations for the Support of the Government of
the United States for the Service of the Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 1916. Washington,
D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1916.
Unpublished and Electronic Resources
Bozeman Area Chamber of Commerce Records, 1911-1997. Collection 2393. Montana State
University Special Collections and Archives, Bozeman, Montana.
City of Bozeman Building Permit. Located in the clippings files of the Montana Room,
Bozeman Public Library, Bozeman, Montana.
Dedication program for the Federal Building and U.S. Post Office. Located in the files of the
Gallatin County Historical Society, Bozeman, Montana.
Norman J. Hamill Membership File. American Institute of Architects Historic Directory.
Electronic resource, located at
public.aia.org/sites/hdoaa/wiki/Wiki%20Pages/ahd1017952.aspx, accessed June 2017.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Federal Building and U.S. Post Office Gallatin, MT
Name of Property County and State
Sections 9-end page 30
______________________________________________________________________
Previous documentation on file (NPS):
____ preliminary determination of individual listing (36 CFR 67) has been requested
____ previously listed in the National Register
____ previously determined eligible by the National Register
____ designated a National Historic Landmark
____ recorded by Historic American Buildings Survey #____________
____ recorded by Historic American Engineering Record # __________
____ recorded by Historic American Landscape Survey # ___________
Primary location of additional data:
_X__ State Historic Preservation Office
____ Other State agency
_X__ Federal agency
____ Local government
____ University
____ Other
Name of repository: U.S. General Services Administration______________________
Historic Resources Survey Number (if assigned): ________________
______________________________________________________________________________
10. Geographical Data
Acreage of Property ___2.15________
Use either the UTM system or latitude/longitude coordinates
Latitude/Longitude Coordinates (decimal degrees)
Datum if other than WGS84:__________
(enter coordinates to 6 decimal places)
1. Latitude: Longitude:
2. Latitude: Longitude:
3. Latitude: Longitude:
4. Latitude: Longitude:
United States Department of the Interior
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Name of Property County and State
Sections 9-end page 31
Or
UTM References
Datum (indicated on USGS map):
NAD 1927 or NAD 1983
1. Zone: 12 Easting: 497172 Northing: 5058270
2. Zone: Easting: Northing:
3. Zone: Easting: Northing:
4. Zone: Easting : Northing:
Verbal Boundary Description (Describe the boundaries of the property.)
Occupying Block A of Black’s addition, the boundary includes the approximately 2.15-acre
tax parcel upon which the FB&USPO is located. The property is bounded by Babcock
Street, South Tracy Avenue, South Black Avenue, and East Olive Street to the north, west,
east, and south, respectively.
Boundary Justification (Explain why the boundaries were selected.)
The boundary for the FB&USPO includes the entire parcel that is historically associated with
the property. The boundary follows the legal tax parcel line and encompasses all features that
comprise the property.
______________________________________________________________________________
11. Form Prepared By
name/title: S. Alan Higgins / Architectural Historian_______________________________
organization: Cultural Resource Analysts, Inc., on behalf of the U.S. General Services
Administration
street & number: 201 NW 4th Street, Suite 204_________________
city or town: Evansville ____________ state: IN_______ zip code: 47708_____
e-mail: sahiggins@crai-ky.com________
telephone: 812.253.3009_____________
date: October 2017______________________
X
United States Department of the Interior
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NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Federal Building and U.S. Post Office Gallatin, MT
Name of Property County and State
Sections 9-end page 32
___________________________________________________________________________
Additional Documentation
Submit the following items with the completed form:
Maps: A USGS map or equivalent (7.5 or 15 minute series) indicating the property's
location.
Sketch map for historic districts and properties having large acreage or numerous
resources. Key all photographs to this map.
Additional items: (Check with the SHPO, TPO, or FPO for any additional items.)
Photographs
Submit clear and descriptive photographs. The size of each image must be 1600x1200 pixels
(minimum), 3000x2000 preferred, at 300 ppi (pixels per inch) or larger. Key all photographs
to the sketch map. Each photograph must be numbered and that number must correspond to
the photograph number on the photo log. For simplicity, the name of the photographer,
photo date, etc. may be listed once on the photograph log and doesn’t need to be labeled on
every photograph.
Photo Log
Name of Property: Federal Building and U.S. Post Office
City or Vicinity: Bozeman
County: Gallatin State: Montana
Photographer: S. Alan Higgins and Elizabeth Heavrin
Date Photographed: August 2016 and May 2017
Description of Photograph(s) and number, include description of view indicating direction of
camera:
1 of 20. Overview of the FB&USPO, facing southwest.
2 of 20. View from the southwest corner of the property, facing northeast.
3 of 20. Overview of the rear (south) elevation, facing northwest.
4 of 20. Overview of the west elevation, facing northeast.
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Name of Property County and State
Sections 9-end page 33
5 of 20. Overview of the façade entry ensemble, facing southwest.
6 of 20. Overview of the second through fifth floors, facing east.
7 of 20. Overview of the loading platform, facing east.
8 of 20. Overview of the entry vestibule, facing southwest.
9 of 20. Overview of the federal office lobby, facing southwest.
10 of 20. Elevator bays in the federal office lobby, facing south.
11 of 20. Overview of the post office lobby, facing east-southeast.
12 of 20. Vault security door in the post office workroom, facing southeast. Note the
observation portals for the former workroom catwalk along the ceiling.
13 of 20. Overview of the post office workroom, facing west.
14 of 20. Overview of the partitioned space at the rear (south) of the building, facing
west-northwest.
15 of 20. Second-floor elevator lobby, facing east.
16 of 20. Fourth-floor elevator lobby, facing east.
17 of 20. Office space at the eastern end of the fifth floor, facing north.
18 of 20. Stair core at fifth-floor landing, facing southeast.
19 of 20. Fifth-floor restroom with original finishes, facing northeast.
20 of 20. Widened fifth-floor restroom entries, facing southwest.
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Name of Property County and State
Sections 9-end page 34
Photograph 1. Overview of the FB&USPO, facing southwest.
Photograph 2. View from the southwest corner of the property, facing northeast.
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Sections 9-end page 35
Photograph 3. Overview of the rear (south) elevation, facing northwest.
Photograph 4. Overview of the west elevation, facing northeast.
United States Department of the Interior
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Name of Property County and State
Sections 9-end page 36
Photograph 5. Overview of the façade entry ensemble, facing southwest.
Photograph 6. Overview of the second through fifth floors, facing east.
United States Department of the Interior
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Federal Building and U.S. Post Office Gallatin, MT
Name of Property County and State
Sections 9-end page 37
Photograph 7. Overview of the loading platform, facing east.
Photograph 8. Overview of the entry vestibule, facing southwest.
United States Department of the Interior
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NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Federal Building and U.S. Post Office Gallatin, MT
Name of Property County and State
Sections 9-end page 38
Photograph 9. Overview of the federal office lobby, facing southwest.
Photograph 10. Elevator bays in the federal office lobby, facing south.
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Sections 9-end page 39
Photograph 11. Overview of the post office lobby, facing east-southeast.
Photograph 12. Vault security door in the post office workroom, facing southeast.
Note the observation portals for the former workroom catwalk along the ceiling.
United States Department of the Interior
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NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Federal Building and U.S. Post Office Gallatin, MT
Name of Property County and State
Sections 9-end page 40
Photograph 13. Overview of the post office workroom, facing west.
Photograph 14. Overview of the partitioned space at the rear (south) of the building,
facing west-northwest.
United States Department of the Interior
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NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Federal Building and U.S. Post Office Gallatin, MT
Name of Property County and State
Sections 9-end page 41
Photograph 15. Second-floor elevator lobby, facing east.
Photograph 16. Fourth-floor elevator lobby, facing east.
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Federal Building and U.S. Post Office Gallatin, MT
Name of Property County and State
Sections 9-end page 42
Photograph 17. Office space at the eastern end of the fifth floor, facing north.
Photograph 18. Stair core at fifth-floor landing, facing southeast.
United States Department of the Interior
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NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Federal Building and U.S. Post Office Gallatin, MT
Name of Property County and State
Sections 9-end page 43
Photograph 19. Fifth-floor restroom with original finishes, facing northeast.
Photograph 20. Widened fifth-floor restroom entries, facing southwest.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Federal Building and U.S. Post Office Gallatin, MT
Name of Property County and State
Sections 9-end page 44
Historic Figure Log
H1. April 1970 view of the façade (north elevation) and east elevation, facing
southwest. Located in the files of the General Services Administration, Public
Buildings Service, Rocky Mountain Region.
H2. April 1970 view of the façade (north elevation) and west elevation, facing
southeast. Located in the files of the General Services Administration, Public
Buildings Service, Rocky Mountain Region.
H3. April 1970 view of the rear (south elevation) and west elevation, facing northeast.
Located in the files of the General Services Administration, Public Buildings
Service, Rocky Mountain Region.
H4. April 1970 view of the rear (south elevation) and east elevation, facing northwest.
Located in the files of the General Services Administration, Public Buildings
Service, Rocky Mountain Region.
H5. June 26, 1972 view of the elevator bays in the federal office lobby, facing
southwest. Located in the files of the General Services Administration, Public
Buildings Service, Rocky Mountain Region.
H6. June 26, 1972 view of the post office lobby, facing east-northeast. Located in the
files of the General Services Administration, Public Buildings Service, Rocky
Mountain Region.
H7. June 26, 1972 view of the upper-floor office space, facing northeast. Located in
the files of the General Services Administration, Public Buildings Service, Rocky
Mountain Region.
H8. June 26, 1972 view of the first-floor office space, facing northeast. Located in the
files of the General Services Administration, Public Buildings Service, Rocky
Mountain Region.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Federal Building and U.S. Post Office Gallatin, MT
Name of Property County and State
Sections 9-end page 45
H1. April 1970 view of the façade (north elevation) and east elevation, facing southwest.
H2. April 1970 view of the façade (north elevation) and west elevation, facing southeast.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Federal Building and U.S. Post Office Gallatin, MT
Name of Property County and State
Sections 9-end page 46
H3. April 1970 view of the rear (south elevation) and west elevation, facing northeast.
H4. April 1970 view of the rear (south elevation) and east elevation, facing northwest.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Federal Building and U.S. Post Office Gallatin, MT
Name of Property County and State
Sections 9-end page 47
H5. June 26, 1972 view of the elevator bays in the federal office lobby, facing southwest.
H6. June 26, 1972 view of the post office lobby, facing east-northeast.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Federal Building and U.S. Post Office Gallatin, MT
Name of Property County and State
Sections 9-end page 48
H7. June 26, 1972 view of the upper-floor office space, facing northeast.
H8. June 26, 1972 view of the first-floor office space, facing northeast.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Federal Building and U.S. Post Office Gallatin, MT
Name of Property County and State
Sections 9-end page 49
USGS Topographic Map
Bozeman, Montana 7.5-minute series quadrangles
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Federal Building and U.S. Post Office Gallatin, MT
Name of Property County and State
Sections 9-end page 50
Location Map
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Federal Building and U.S. Post Office Gallatin, MT
Name of Property County and State
Sections 9-end page 51
Site Plan
10 East Babcock Street, Bozeman, Montana (not to scale)
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Federal Building and U.S. Post Office Gallatin, MT
Name of Property County and State
Sections 9-end page 52
Exterior Photograph Key
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