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Home My WebLink About511 N. 5th 2020 MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD For the Montana National Register of Historic Places Program and State Antiquities Database Montana State Historic Preservation Office Montana Historical Society PO Box 201202, 1410 8th Ave Helena, MT 59620-1202 Property Address: 511 N 5TH AVE Historic Address (if applicable): City/Town: BOZEMAN Site Number: 009 (An historic district number may also apply.) County: GALLATIN Historic Name: Unknown Original Owner(s): Unknown Current Ownership Private Public Current Property Name: Whittier Elementary School Owner(s): School District 7 Owner Address: General Delivery, Bozeman, MT 59718-9999 Phone: Legal Location PM: Montana Township: 02S Range: 05E NW¼ NE ¼ NE¼ of Section: 12 Lot(s): ALL Block(s): 1 Addition: Violett Add (VIO) Year of Addition: 1941 USGS Quad Name: Bozeman Year: 1987 Historic Use: School Current Use: School Construction Date: 1951-1952 Estimated Actual Original Location Moved Date Moved: UTM Reference www.nris.mt.gov NAD 27 or NAD 83(preferred) Zone: 12 Easting: 496535 Northing: 5059047 National Register of Historic Places NRHP Listing Date: Historic District: NRHP Eligible: Yes No *Property meets the City of Bozeman’s definition of an eligible property (see below). Date of this document: Form Prepared by: E. Sakariassen, S. Wells, Metcalf Archaeological Consultants, Inc. with C. Alegria and C. Hendry, Extreme History Project Address: Metcalf Archaeological Consultants, Inc., Bozeman, MT Daytime Phone: 406-219-3535 MT SHPO USE ONLY Eligible for NRHP: □ yes □ no Criteria: □ A □ B □ C □ D Date: Evaluator: Comments: MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 2 Architectural Description Property Name: 511 N 5TH AVE Site Number: 009 ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION Architectural Style: Other (specify) If Other, specify: Mid-century modern Property Type: Education Specific Property Type: School Architect: Oswald Berg, Jr. Architectural Firm/City/State: Bozeman, MT Builder/Contractor: Haggerty and Messmer Company/City/State: Bozeman, MT Source of Information: McDonald survey This site consists of the Whittier Elementary School—a mid-century school building with associated structures including three modern pre-fabricated outbuildings, a temporary greenhouse, a playground, and an athletic field. The school, completed in 1952, is a single- story metal-framed building that has been added onto several times, culminating in a complex plan shape. The north end of the building is a single-story, brick-faced volume with a U-shape, open at the north. The parallel wings run north- south and both have a butterfly roof shape. The space between these wings is a narrow courtyard that allows natural light to penetrate the classroom spaces inside. Banks of windows span the east and west sides of both wings, and consist of large, fixed lites. The north end of both wings contains a standard door, at-grade. The courtyard is enclosed at the north end, with a chain-link fence stretching between the two classroom wings. To the south, the school has been added onto with a 1.5-story red-brick-faced, gable-roofed, T-shaped addition. The upper half-story of the addition is clad in vertical board siding and the roof of the addition is covered in standing-seam metal sheets. Fewer windows are located on the addition, suggesting it contains the school gymnasium. At the southeast corner of the addition is a low-pitched, side- gabled volume, containing classrooms or administrative offices. This portion of the addition contains paired operable metal windows. The primary entrance to the school is located near the center of the building, where the original school and the addition meet. The entry is on the east façade, within the gable end of the T-shaped addition and consists of a pair of side-hung doors accessed by a flight of concrete steps and/or a concrete ADA-accessible ramp. Two windows are to the south of the entry and consist of one-over-one-lite hopper windows. The athletic field and playground comprise the south end of the property, enclosed by a chain-link fence on three sides. There are three pre-fabricated buildings located immediately south of the school building; two storage buildings at the west end of the schoolyard, and one side-gabled portable classroom building at the east. A small wood-framed greenhouse has also been erected in the schoolyard, and is clad in a clear plastic sheath. The property was first recorded in 1984 by James R. McDonald Architects. At that time, the property had not yet reached the fifty- year threshold for consideration as a historic property and was considered an “intrusive element within a potential historic district.” Since then, the property has come of age. The Whittier School is in excellent condition. However, extensive alterations have been made to the original building, including the large addition to the south. The addition detracts from the historic character of the mid- century school, affecting integrity of materials, design, feeling, and workmanship. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 3 History of Property Property Name: 511 N 5TH AVE Site Number: 009 HISTORY OF PROPERTY Prior to construction of the Whittier School, the property was originally owned by William Beall (Phillips 2016). It was platted as the Violett Addition by Lena E. Border, Harvey E. Murdock, and Ina I. Murdock on May 12, 1941 (Table 1). Bozeman experienced a period of growth following World War II, and the increasing number of families with school-aged children settling in the area necessitated construction of school expansions and several new school buildings, including Whittier School. The Bozeman community was interested in placing a school on the north side of town so elementary students would not have to cross two heavily-trafficked streets. This additional school would provide Bozeman with an elementary school in each corner of the city (The Billings Gazette 1 July 1951). Whittier School was designed by architect Oswald Berg, Jr. Oswald “Ozzie” Berg, Jr. was born in Lewistown, MT on October 8, 1918 to Oswald Sr. and Ingartha Thormodsgaard Berg. His mother died in 1931, after which Ozzie and his siblings were sent to Bozeman to live with their aunt and uncle, Martha and A.K. Carlson. Oswald graduated from Gallatin High School in 1935 and graduated from Washington State College with a degree in architecture in 1940. Oswald Berg moved back to Bozeman in 1949 where he opened his own architectural office. Over his 60-year career he designed about 200 buildings, including Whittier School in Bozeman. He semi- retired in Billings, MT in 1995 and died there in 2008 (The Billings Gazette 28 Sept 2008). In June 1951, the Haggerty-Messmer company was awarded the construction contract to build Whittier School. Haggerty-Messmer bid $267,560. Bidding with Haggerty-Messmer was Bozeman Electric and C.E. Anderson, of Livingston Plumbing and Heating contractors (The Billings Gazette 1 July 1951). Construction of Whittier School began in the fall of 1951, and it was completed in time for the opening of school in the fall of 1952 (Kramer 2014). It bears hallmarks of Mid-Century school design, which supported changing philosophies in childhood education aimed at a creating a more rounded experience for the students. These elements often include designed greenspace and flexible works spaces for classes like music, art, science lab, and physical education (Caraher 2019). Whittier School has a sprawling single-story plan with an interior courtyard, recessed entrances and wide eaves to blur the indoors and outdoors, and large banked windows that allow for natural light to penetrate all classrooms. Table 1. Chain of Title, 511 N. 5th Ave, Bozeman, Montana. Grantor Grantee Date of Instrument Type of Instrument Property Description/Comments Reference United States of America William J. Beall 1 May 1871 Patent N ½ of NE ¼ Section 12, T2S R5E D: 2/373 William J. and Rosa V. Beall Benjamin P. Barker 14 July 1880 Warranty Deed Part of NE ¼ NE ¼ Section 12, T2S R5E (20 acres) D: 1/370 Benjamin P. Barker Rosa V. Beall 14 July 1880 Warranty Deed Same D: 1/374 William J. and Rosa Beall Henry I. Border 3 March 1898 Deed Part of NE ¼ NE ¼ Section 12, T2S R5E D: 24/410 Sam I. and Bertina C. Border, Mary Cloninger, Thirza Bair, Leila B. Fishleigh Lena E. Border 24 August 1931 Deed Part of NE ¼ NE ¼ of Section 12, T2S R5E D: 76/76 Lena E. Border Ray E. and Nell Blanchard 1 November 1941 Warranty Deed Blocks 1 & 2, Violett Addition D: 85/464 Ray E. and Nell Blanchard Floyd F. and Belinda Sumner 29 June 1945 Warranty Deed Same D: 91/327 Floyd F. and Belinda Sumner School District 7 17 July 1947 Warranty Deed Block 1, Violett Addition D: 96/27 MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 4 Information Sources/Bibliography Property Name: 511 N 5TH AVE Site Number: 009 INFORMATION SOURCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY The Billings Gazette [Billings, Montana] 1951 “Bozeman Concern Gets School Job.” The Billings Gazette 01 July. Billings, Montana. Electronic document, https://www.newspapers.com/image/412080907/?terms=Bozeman%2Belementary%2Bschool, accessed November 13, 2019. 1951 “PTA to Push Bond Issue for School.” 14 January. Billings, Montana. Electronic document, https://www.newspapers.com/image/239041406/?terms=Bozeman%2Belementary%2Bschool, accessed November 13, 2019. 1956 “Rites Set Today for Ex-Instructor." The Billings Gazette 18 July. Billings, Montana. Electronic document, https://www.newspapers.com/image/409515644/?terms=Harvey%2BMurdock, accessed November 11, 2019. 2008 “Oswald Berg Jr.” The Billings Gazette 28 September. Billings, Montana. Electronic document, https://www.newspapers.com/image/411468291/?terms=Oswald%2BBerg, accessed November 13, 2019. Bozeman Daily Chronicle [Bozeman, Montana] 1941 “Mrs. Border Passes Away from Stroke.” The Bozeman Daily Chronicle. Bozeman, Montana. Print. Caraher, Susan 2019 Six Mid-Century Schools in Grand Forks, North Dakota, Draft Multiple Property Submission. National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. On-file with the State Historical Society of North Dakota, Bismarck, North Dakota. Find A Grave 2004 Harvey Murdock. (Unknown – 1956). Electronic document, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/51340066/harvey-e_- murdock, accessed October 13, 2019. Gallatin County Clerk & Recorder 1864-2019 Gallatin County Deeds. Gallatin County Clerk & Recorder, Bozeman, Montana. James R. McDonald Architects 1984 511 N 5th Ave. Montana Historical and Architectural Inventory Form. Document on-file with the City of Bozeman. Bozeman, MT. Kramer, Courtney 2014 “Historic Whittier School.” Bozeman Magazine. 31 Aug. 2014. Electronic document, http://bozemanmagazine.com/articles/2014/08/31/23840_historic_whittier_school, accessed November 13, 2019. Montana State Library. Montana Cadastral records online, http://svc.mt.gov/msl/mtcadastral, accessed 1/04/2020. Phillips, Rachel 2016 Legendary Locals of Bozeman. Archadia Publishing, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. R. L. Polk & Co. 1941-2010 Polk’s Bozeman (Gallatin County, Mont.) City Directories. R.L. Polk & Co., Kansas City, Missouri. Renewable Technologies, Inc. [RTI] 2008 Bozeman Historic Resources Survey, revised ed. Prepared for Planning Department, City of Bozeman, Bozeman, Montana. Electronic document, https://www.bozeman.net/home/showdocument?id=5645, accessed 3/31/2020. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 5 Statement of Significance Property Name: 511 N 5TH AVE Site Number: 009 NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES NRHP Listing Date: NRHP Eligibility: Yes No Individually Contributing to Historic District Noncontributing to Historic District NRHP Criteria: A B C D Area of Significance: Period of Significance: STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE The property was first recorded in 1984 by James R. McDonald Architects. At that time, the property had not yet reached the fifty- year threshold for consideration as a historic property and was considered an “intrusive element within a potential historic district.” Since then, the property has come of age. However, it has also experienced extensive alterations, including the large addition to the south. The addition detracts from the historic character of the mid-century school, affecting integrity of materials, design, feeling, and workmanship. Sec. 38.700 of the Bozeman Municipal Code defines an eligible property as one that meets the criteria for inclusion in the NRHP or State Register either 1) individually or 2) as a contributing building to an existing or potential historic district. This site has been evaluated against the NRHP Criteria and has been determined to lack individual significance under Criterion A, B, C, and D. The site is not located within an existing historic district; however, it should be considered eligible/contributing to a potential district composed of similar structures observed in the vicinity. Despite some loss of integrity, the site retains sufficient integrity to convey its association with the Postwar Expansion Phase of Bozeman’s development (RTI 2008). It is representative of the Mid-Century principles of design as applied to educational facilities, particularly elementary schools. Metcalf recommends further research be conducted regarding Bozeman’s 1941 Violett Addition in order to evaluate district potential. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 6 Integrity Property Name: 511 N 5TH AVE Site Number: 009 INTEGRITY (location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, association) The Whittier School is in excellent condition. Some character-defining elements of the original mid-century design, such as the north courtyard, banked windows, and butterfly roof, remain. However, extensive alterations have been made to the original building, including the large addition to the south. The addition detracts from the historic character of the mid-century school, affecting integrity of materials, design, feeling, and workmanship. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 7 Photographs Property Name: 511 N 5TH AVE Site Number: 009 Feature # 1 Facing: SW Description: Property 009. Oblique overview (Image #1662, 10/16/2019. SLW). Feature # 1 Facing: E Description: Property 009. Middle of front façade (Image #1655, 10/16/2019). MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 8 Site Map Property Name: 511 N 5TH AVE Site Number: 009 Feature # 1 Facing: S Description: Property 009. West end of north façade showing roof line (Image #1658, 10/16/2019. SLW). Feature # 1 Facing: NW Description: Property 009. Oblique overview (Image #1651, 10/16/2019. SLW). MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 9 Site Map Property Name: 511 N 5TH AVE Site Number: 009 MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 10 Topographic Map Property Name: 511 N 5TH AVE Site Number: 009