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Home My WebLink About303 W Mendenhall St 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: 303 W MENDENHALL ST Historic Address (if applicable): City/Town: BOZEMAN Site Number: 090 (An historic district number may also apply.) County: GALLATIN Historic Name: Unknown Original Owner(s): Enoch D. Ferguson Current Ownership Private Public Current Property Name: Western Justice Law Owner(s): West Mendenhall Properties LLC Owner Address: 303 W Mendenhall St, Bozeman, MT 59715- 3446 Phone: Legal Location PM: Montana Township: 02S Range: 05E NE¼ SE ¼ NE ¼ of Section: 12 Lot(s): Lot 1 - 3 Block(s): D Addition: Tracy’s 2nd Add (TR2) Year of Addition: 1883 USGS Quad Name: Bozeman Year: 1987 Historic Use: Residential Current Use: Commercial Construction Date: 1890 Estimated Actual Original Location Moved Date Moved: UTM Reference www.nris.mt.gov NAD 27 or NAD 83(preferred) Zone: 12 Easting: 496461 Northing: 5058560.9 National Register of Historic Places NRHP Listing Date: Historic District: NRHP Eligible: Yes No Date of this document: 2/12/2020 Form Prepared by: 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: 303 W MENDENHALL ST Site Number: 090 ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION Architectural Style: Queen Anne If Other, specify: Property Type: Commercial/Residential Specific Property Type: Law office and apartments Architect: Unknown Architectural Firm/City/State: Unknown Builder/Contractor: Unknown Company/City/State: Unknown Source of Information: N/A This property consists of one historical architectural feature: a house built in 1890. The house is a three-story, brick masonry structure, built in the Queen Anne style. It has been extensively remodeled, most recently in 2007 (see photos). It has a roughly rectangular plan with two turrets on the east elevation. It stands on a concrete-block foundation. The roof over the primary south facing façade is Jerkinhead shaped, however, the rest of the roof shape is irregular and complex with two different sized turrets and other slightly hipped and gabled sections. The roof is clad in asphalt shingles. The exterior walls are clad in horizontal steel siding. The open portion of the front porch consists of cut stone, and cylindrical wood pillars supporting the flat roof hanging over it. Metal railing goes around the top of the southern turret, as well as around the 3rd story balcony of the more northern turret on the east elevation. The southern turret also has a metal weather vane at its peak. The back or north elevation has an added wood staircase with a deck at the top, leading up to the 3rd story. The primary façade faces south, onto W Mendenhall St. The primary entrance is recessed under the small open porch, but opens into an enclosed front porch, or mudroom, that then has a second primary entrance into the first floor. A small section on the back northern portion of the house starting from the east elevation entrance may be an addition due to the existence of smaller window openings compared to larger window openings found on the rest of the house. Most of the original windows have been replaced with metal-framed single hung, but the original openings are intact. Basement windows are visible on the east and west elevations. The windows on the enclosed front porches on the first and second stories are the original windows and openings. No additional features are found on the property, although there was a detached garage that was removed sometime after a survey conducted in 1984. The site is well maintained. Vegetation around the property consists of a manicured lawn and large mature coniferous trees found on all sides of the house. This property has seen extensive alterations over the years. Those affecting the exterior of the house include the application of modern siding over what was historically brick masonry, enclosure of the first and second story porch and balcony, replacement of the original decorative wood roof shingles with asphalt, replacement of original windows, modification to the original roofline, including removal of a gabled wall dormer on the south façade, alteration of the primary front-facing gable, addition of shed-roofed dormers in the attic, modifications to the central turret on the east elevation, and a rear addition where there was originally a recessed gable-roofed rear entry. In addition, a small, hip-roofed brick structure was located immediately north of the house. This structure appears in historic photographs of the property and was likely a privy. That structure is no longer extant. The property was first recorded in August 1984 by James R. McDonald Architects. At that time, the property was considered “potentially eligible for the National Register because of its historical associations and because of its architectural significance,” based on the original owner Enoch D. Ferguson “a long-time Gallatin Valley rancher and Bozeman resident.” By the time of the McDonald survey, the house had already been altered on the interior for use as a multi-family residence with three different units. Since then, it has also been used for commercial retail. Currently, the first and second floors consist of office space and the third floor and basement are apartments. The rear stairway on the north elevation had been built sometime before the McDonald survey and provides access to the living spaces in the upper story. The site is in good condition, overall, but in consideration of the cumulative effect of alterations over time, Metcalf finds that the site does not retain sufficient integrity to convey historic character. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 3 History of Property Property Name: 303 W MENDENHALL ST Site Number: 090 HISTORY OF PROPERTY Prior to construction of this house, the property was part of the lands purchased by William H. Tracy from the United States on June 15, 1872. He platted the land as Tracy’s 2nd Addition on May 16, 1883. William and Sarah Tracy sold these lots to Charles W. Logan on April 28, 1887. Enoch Ferguson, a well-known Bozeman pioneer, purchased the property on October 24, 1887 and is considered to be its first occupant. Enoch Douglas Ferguson was born March 1, 1844 in Spring City, TN to Samuel B. and Sarah Ferguson. In 1861, at the beginning of the Civil War, Enoch enlisted in Company D of the 1st Tennessee Confederate Cavalry Regiment. He became ill and was captured, but paroled (GHM Vertical Files). In 1869, Enoch traveled west to Montana Territory from Johnson County, Indiana. His travels took him from Indianapolis, IN to St. Louis, Missouri on train. In St. Louis he boarded the steamship Ida, paying $100 for the fare to Fort Benton, Montana Territory. His trip lasted nearly three months. Enoch Ferguson eventually purchased a 640-acre ranch west of Bozeman and on July 7, 1880 Enoch Ferguson married Miss Mary E. Ferguson. Mary E. Ferguson died on September 4, 1888 at the young age of 27 years old. She is buried in Bozeman’s Sunset Hills Cemetery (Findagrave.com 2004). On September 17, 1890 at Ferris Hot Springs near Bozeman, MT, he married his second wife, Bernette “Nettie” Jane Lewis. Ms. Lewis was born in Somerset, Kentucky on May 24, 1868. Between 1891 and 1900, Enoch and Nettie built a large brick house on the corner of Mendenhall and Third Street. The house became known as The Ferguson House. Enoch was a member of the Yellowstone Expedition out of Bozeman, MT in 1874. He served as master of the Bozeman Masonic Lodge #18 and was a charter member of the local chapter of the Eastern Star. He was one of the first primary teachers in Bozeman and served as a member of the City School Board for 17 years. In 1922, Enoch died. At his funeral, his honorary pallbearers were Nelson Story and Walter Cooper of the Pioneer’s Society, along with S.N. Cowan and J.L. Patterson of the Confederate Veterans. Regular pallbearers were W.E. Harmon, W. R. C. Stewart, E.H. Schumacher, S.C. Kenyon, E. Ketterer, and F.L. Benepe. Nettie died on November 7, 1943. Nettie and Enoch are buried together in Sunset Hills Cemetery in Bozeman, MT (The Butte Miner 28 August 1922). Enoch and Nettie’s children, Vena Ferguson Purdy and Enoch D. Ferguson Jr., sold the property to Clyde M. and Dora M. Rushing on October 22, 1945. Clyde Rushing was born September 12, 1885 in Carbondale, Illinois to Mr. And Mrs. James Rushing. Clyde came to Bozeman in March, 1921. Clyde was an inventor and had a patent on a Liquid-Fuel Burner. He filed the patent on May 2, 1922. It is listed in the Official Gazette of the United States Patent Office, Volume 12 on page 534. He also served as custodian in the Bozeman Public Schools for twenty years. Clyde married Dora May Anderson on January 08, 1908 in Charleston, MO. Dora was born on June 9, 1889 in Charleston, MO to Mr. And Mrs. Douglas Anderson. She received her education in Charleston, MO. Dora moved to Bozeman, MT in 1921 with her family and operated a boarding house on South Grand Avenue until 1948. She then moved to 303 W. Mendenhall where Clyde and Dora lived, and continued the boarding house business for another ten years (Bozeman Daily Chronicle 13 June 1988). Clyde died on July 1, 1964 and Dora died on June 9, 1988. They are buried together in Sunset Hills Cemetery in Bozeman, MT. Following World War II, the house was converted from a single-family residence to a multi-unit apartment building. In more recent years, the property has been converted to use as a law office. The guardians of Dora Rushing sold the property to Marshall M. and Norma Jean Anderson on October 1, 1982. The Andersons sold it to the 303 West Mendenhall Limited Partnership on January 1, 1996. Jory Ruggiero purchased the property on August 14, 2008 and sold it to West Mendenhall Properties LLC on December 17, 2008. West Mendenhall Properties still own the property as of 2019. Table 1. Chain of Title, 303 W. Mendenhall St, Bozeman, Montana. Grantor Grantee Date of Instrument Type of Instrument Property Description/Comments Reference USA William H. Tracy 15 June 1872 Patent S ½ of NE ¼ section 12, T2S R5E and SW ¼ of NW ¼ of section 7, T2S, R6E (113.40 acres) D: I/56 William H. and Sarah J. Tracy Charles W. Logan 28 April 1887 Warranty Deed Lots 1 – 3, Block D, Tracy’s 2nd Addition D: 6/637 MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 4 History of Property Property Name: 303 W MENDENHALL ST Site Number: 090 Table 1. Chain of Title, 303 W. Mendenhall St, Bozeman, Montana. Grantor Grantee Date of Instrument Type of Instrument Property Description/Comments Reference Chas W. and [S. V.] Logan E. D. Ferguson 24 October 1887 Warranty Deed Same D: 16/68 E. D. Ferguson Nettie Ferguson 23 January 1920 Warranty Deed Same D: 58/259 Nettie Ferguson Vena Ferguson Purdy and Enoch D. Ferguson Jr. 04 June 1927 Warranty Deed Same D: 74/542 Veda Ferguson and Ray A. Purdy, Enoch D. Jr. and Agnes B. Ferguson Clyde M. and Dora M. Rushing 22 October 1945 Warranty Deed Same D: 92/288 Clyde M. Rushing, Guardian & Conservator of the estate of Dora Mae Rushing Marshall M. and Norma Jean Anderson 01 October 1982 Warranty Deed Same D: Film 125/2161 Marshall M. Anderson (aka Michael M Anderson) and Norma Jean Anderson 303 West Mendenhall Limited Partnership 01 January 1996 Warranty Deed Same D: Film 170/4032 303 West Mendenhall Limited Liability Co (aka 303 West Mendenhall Limited Partnership) Jory Ruggiero 14 August 2008 Warranty Deed Same D: #2308132 Jory Ruggiero West Mendenhall Properties LLC 17 December 2008 Quit Claim Deed Same D: #2317752 MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 5 Information Sources/Bibliography Property Name: 303 W MENDENHALL ST Site Number: 090 INFORMATION SOURCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY Ancestry.com 2001 Montana, State Deaths, 1907-2016 [database on-line]. Ancestry.com Operations Inc., Provo, Utah. Electronic document, https://search.ancestry.com/cgi- bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=5437&h=888181&tid=&pid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=mrb1153&_phstart=successSource, accessed December 15, 2019. 2007 Missouri, Marriage Records, 1805-2002 [database on-line]. Ancestry.com Operations Inc., Provo, Utah. Electronic document, https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?dbid=1171&h=65644&indiv=try&o_vc=Record:OtherRecord&rhSource=6482, accessed December 16, 2019. 2017 Montana, County Marriages, 1865-1987 [database on-line]. Ancestry.com Operations Inc., Lehi, Utah. Electronic document, https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?dbid=61578&h=90519301&indiv=try&o_vc=Record:OtherRecord&rhSource=9751, accessed December 16, 2019. 2017 Montana, County Marriages, 1865-1987 [database on-line]. Ancestry.com Operations Inc., Lehi, Utah. Electronic document, https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/61578/48279_555396-00216?pid=90531814&backurl=https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?dbid%3D61578%26h%3D90531814%26indiv%3Dtry%26o_vc%3DRecord:OtherRecord%26rhSource%3D6061&treei d=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&usePUBJs=true&_ga=2.10561586.746255612.1574698128-51480127.1566255182, accessed November 25, 2019. Bozeman Daily Chronicle [Bozeman, Montana] 1988 “Dora Mae Rushing.” 13 June. Bozeman, Montana. The Bozeman Weekly Chronicle [Bozeman, Montana] 1888 “Mrs. Mary E. Ferguson.” 12 September. Bozeman, Montana. Electronic document, https://www.newspapers.com/image/366614519/?terms=Ferguson, accessed December 16, 2019. The Butte Miner [Butte, Montana] 1922 “E.D. Ferguson Laid at Rest in Bozeman with Masonic Honors.” 28 August. Butte, Montana. Electronic document, https://www.newspapers.com/image/349585488/?terms=enoch%2Bferguson, accessed December 16, 2019. 1922 “Pioneer of Gallatin is Called at Bozeman.” 25 August. Butte, Montana. Electronic document, https://www.newspapers.com/image/349583991/?terms=enoch%2Bferguson, accessed December 16, 2019. Find A Grave 2004 Burnette Jane Ferguson (24 May 1868-7 Nov 1943, Electronic document, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/52757025/burnette-jane-ferguson, accessed November 25, 2019. 2004 Enoch Douglas Ferguson (1844-1922), Electronic document, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/51229809/enoch- douglas-ferguson, accessed November 25, 2019. 2004 Mary E. Ferguson (unknown-4 Sept 1888), Electronic document, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/45220963/mary-e_-ferguson, accessed November 25, 2019. 2004 Clyde M. Rushing (12 Sept 1885 – 01 Jul 1964) Electronic document, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/51232531/clyde-m_-rushing, accessed December 16, 2019. 2004 Dora Anderson Rushing (27 Oct 1889 – 09 June 1988), Electronic document, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/51232532/dora-rushing, accessed December 16, 2019. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 6 Information Sources/Bibliography Property Name: 303 W MENDENHALL ST Site Number: 090 Gallatin County Clerk & Recorder 1864-2019 Gallatin County Deeds. Gallatin County Clerk & Recorder, Bozeman, Montana. Gallatin History Museum (GHM) No Date Vertical File “Ferguson.” Bozeman, Montana. James R. McDonald Architects 1984 303 W Mendenhall St. Montana Historical and Architectural Inventory Form. Document on-file with the City of Bozeman. Bozeman, MT. R. L. Polk & Co. 1902-2010 Polk’s Bozeman (Gallatin County, Mont.) City Directories. R.L. Polk & Co., Kansas City, Missouri. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 7 Statement of Significance Property Name: 303 W MENDENHALL ST Site Number: 090 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 August 1984 by James R. McDonald Architects. At that time, the property was considered “potentially eligible for the National Register because of its historical associations and because of its architectural significance.” The integrity of this property has been compromised by cumulative changes to its exterior. The site is in good condition, overall. However, Metcalf finds the house no longer retains sufficient integrity to convey historic character. This site has been evaluated for eligibility against the NRHP Criteria. It is found to lack integrity sufficient to convey historic character in reference to associations with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history under Criterion A. Under Criterion B, research revealed that the site has associations with persons important to Bozeman history, namely Enoch D. Ferguson, “a long-time Gallatin Valley rancher and Bozeman resident” but that issues of integrity outweigh the significance of this association (McDonald 1984). Under Criterion C, the site has experienced extensive alterations and is no longer a strong representative example of a type, period, or method of construction. Under Criterion D, the site is not likely to yield information that would contribute significantly to our understanding of the past. Metcalf recommends this site not eligible for inclusion in the NRHP. If structures in the vicinity constitute a potential district, this site should be considered non-contributing. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 8 Architectural Description Property Name: 303 W MENDENHALL ST Site Number: 090 INTEGRITY (location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, association) The site is in good condition, overall. Some gutters are chipped and peeling. The foundation paint is also peeling and the steel siding shows signs of general weathering. The integrity of this property has been compromised by cumulative changes to its exterior. This property has seen extensive alterations over the years. They include: application of modern siding over what was historically brick masonry, enclosure of the first and second story porch and balcony, replacement of the original decorative wood roof shingles with asphalt, replacement of original windows, modification to the original roofline, including removal of a gabled wall dormer on the south façade, alteration of the primary front-facing gable, addition of shed-roofed dormers in the attic, modifications to the central turret on the east elevation, and a rear addition where there was originally a recessed gable-roofed rear entry. In addition, a small, hip-roofed brick structure was located immediately north of the house. This structure appears in historic photographs of the property and was likely a privy. That structure is no longer extant. The property was first recorded in August 1984 by James R. McDonald Architects. At that time, the property was considered “potentially eligible for the National Register because of its historical associations and because of its architectural significance,” based on the original owner Enoch D. Ferguson “a long-time Gallatin Valley rancher and Bozeman resident.” By the time of the McDonald survey, the house had already been altered on the interior for use as a multi-family residence with three different units. Since then, it has also been used for commercial retail. Currently, the first and second floors consist of office space and the third floor and basement are apartments. The rear stairway on the north elevation had been built sometime before the McDonald survey and provides access to the living spaces in the upper story. The site is in good condition, overall, but Metcalf finds that the house lacks sufficient integrity to convey historic character. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 9 Photographs Property Name: 303 W MENDENHALL ST Site Number: 090 Feature # 1 Facing: NW Description: Property 090. Oblique view northwest, c. 1900. Photograph courtesy of property owner. Feature # 1 Facing: N Description: Property 090. View of south façade (Image # 1788, 10/19/2019. SLW). MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 10 Photographs Property Name: 303 W MENDENHALL ST Site Number: 090 Feature # 1 Facing: NW Description: Property 090. Oblique view northwest (Image # 1789, 10/19/2019. SLW). Feature # 1 Facing: W Description: Property 090. View of east elevation (Image # 1790, 10/19/2019. SLW). MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 11 Photographs Property Name: 303 W MENDENHALL ST Site Number: 090 Feature # 1 Facing: W Description: Property 090. View of rear of east elevation, addition (Image # 1791, 10/19/2019. SLW). MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 12 Photographs Property Name: 303 W MENDENHALL ST Site Number: 090 Feature # 1 Facing: NW Description: Property 090. Oblique view southeast (Image # 1793, 10/19/2019. SLW). MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 13 Site Map Property Name: 303 W MENDENHALL ST Site Number: 090 MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 14 Topographic Map Property Name: 303 W MENDENHALL ST Site Number: 090