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Home My WebLink About417 W Mendenhall St 2020MONTANA 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: 417 W MENDENHALL ST Historic Address (if applicable): City/Town: BOZEMAN Site Number: 100 (An historic district number may also apply.) County: GALLATIN Historic Name: Original Owner(s): Brigham Current Ownership Private Public Current Property Name: Owner(s): Mendenhall Properties LLC Owner Address: 1283 N 14th Ave Ste 101, Bozeman, MT 59715-3270 Phone: Legal Location PM: Montana Township: 02S Range: 05E NE¼ SE ¼ NE ¼ of Section: 12 Lot(s): Lot 18 & 19 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: 1940 Estimated Actual Original Location Moved Date Moved: UTM Reference www.nris.mt.gov NAD 27 or NAD 83(preferred) Zone: 12 Easting: 496619.7 Northing: 5058560.6 National Register of Historic Places NRHP Listing Date: Historic District: NRHP Eligible: Yes No Date of this document: 2/13/2020 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: X MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 2 Architectural Description Property Name: 417 W MENDENHALL ST Site Number: 100 ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION Architectural Style: Other If Other, specify: Eclectic Property Type: Commercial Specific Property Type: Single-family dwelling converted to office space Architect: Unknown Architectural Firm/City/State: Unknown Builder/Contractor: Unknown Company/City/State: Unknown Source of Information: N/A This site consists of one historical architectural feature: a house built c. 1940. The house is a single-story wood-framed structure that was extensively remodeled in recent years and has been converted from a single-family dwelling to commercial office space. The building has a roughly L-shaped plan with a concrete foundation. The main volume of the house is side-gabled, with a gable-roofed addition that extends north. The primary façade faces south onto W Mendenhall St. The exterior is clad in narrow wood clapboards, and the roof is covered in asphalt shingles. There is a shed-roofed porch across the west half of the façade, supported by four square posts and decorated with a wood rail. At the east end of the porch is a steeply-pitched gable accenting the front entrance. The front entrance is a side-hung door accessed by a flight of wood steps. To the west of the door, within the covered porch, are three six-over-six-lite modern sash windows. To the east of the porch, the façade is slightly recessed. Two additional six-over-six-lite sash windows span this half of the building. Windows on the west gable end consist of modern casement windows. On the rear (north) elevation is a secondary entry, accessed by a concrete ramp. The windows on this elevation are also modern, and consist of casement windows and four-over-four-lite modern sash windows, with fixed two-over-two-lite windows appearing in the north gable end. Views of the east elevation were obscured from the public ROW. The site is in excellent condition. The rear of the property is paved for parking, with access from an east-west alley. Mature deciduous trees are present along the east and west property boundaries and the front yard is well-manicured. The property was first recorded in 1984 by James R. McDonald Architects. At that time, it was considered an “intrusive element” within a potential historic district. Extensive alterations have been made to the property since that time. The site no longer retains integrity sufficient to convey historic character. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 3 History of Property Property Name: 417 W MENDENHALL ST Site Number: 100 HISTORY OF PROPERTY Prior to construction of the house a 417 W Mendenhall St., this property was purchased from the United States by William H. Tracy on June 15, 1872. He platted the land as Tracy’s 2nd Addition on May 16, 1883. Conflicting dates of construction are given for the house, but it can be stated that the residence was not built on this property until the early mid-Century, at which time it would have been considered urban infill as the surrounding properties pre-date it by several decades. The property had several owners in the years before the house was built. Angus P. Clark purchased the property on October 31, 1879. Angus Clark was born c. 1852 in Glengary, Canada. He left Canada for New York City when he was 8 years old and lived in the city until he was 13 years old. In fall 1877, he joined an expedition west. He eventually settled in Bozeman, MT and was almost immediately appointed city night watchman. Clark continued to protect the city through law enforcement duties and eventually became City Marshal and head of the Fire Department. Clark died on August 31, 1889 at the young age of 39 years old. Upon hearing of his death, the Mayor at the time, J. V. Bogert, issued invitations to the City Council and Officers and to the Fire Department asking them to appear at his funeral wearing white gloves. The day of Clark’s funeral, the Rocky Mountain Cornet band, the Hose Company, Hook and Ladder Company, and the Engine Company, followed by the Odd Fellows and the Masons, marched from City Hall to Clark’s residence and escorted his body to the Episcopal church where a service was held. After the service they marched to the cemetery and were followed by the citizens of Bozeman in carriages. A service was held at the grave with the “impressive services” of the Masonic Order preformed (The Weekly Avant Courier 5 September 1889). Mary M. Clark received the property on December 6, 1890 after the death of her husband, Angus P. Clark. Mary (Brown) Clark was born in Ohio (Ancestry.com 2017) and came to Montana Territory in 1879 (J. D. Radford & Co. 1892). She owned the property until 1896 when she sold it to F. K. Armstrong. Francis K. and Lora Armstrong purchased the property on March 5, 1896. Lora Lamme had been born in March of 1859 to Achilles and Elizabeth (Oliver) Lamme in Saint Joseph, Buchanan County, Missouri. Lora came to Montana with her parents in 1865, traveling up the Missouri River on the steamer, O.E. Standard (The Independent-Record 15 September 1936). They brought a load of merchandise with them that her father, Achilles Lamme, intended to sell in Montana Territory. The steamer wrecked and the entire stock of goods was lost. Lora and her family were transferred to another boat and delivered to safety. They traveled overland to the Gallatin Valley and settled on a farm about 12 miles north of Bozeman. Lora’s father went into business with L. M. Howell and they set up store on the farm from which they sold merchandise. They continued this store until 1869 when Lamme bought out Howell and he moved the building and store to Bozeman where he then went into business with John S. Mendenhall. Mendenhall and Lamme continued in business together until Lamme died on December 22, 1888 (A. W. Bowen & Co 1903). Lamme Street in Bozeman is named after Lora’s father, Achilles Lamme. Lora’s husband, Judge Francis K. Armstrong, was born in Rockford, North Carolina on March 6, 1849 to Francis K. Armstrong Sr. and Jerusha (Belt) Armstrong. Francis attended Highland University in Highland, Kansas for his master's degree, and then went to law school at the University of Missouri in Columbia, MO where he graduated with honors in 1875. He was admitted to the bar in St Joseph, MO in 1875. Armstrong came to Bozeman, MT in 1879. He opened a law office and partnered with Charles S. Hartman. In 1880 he was elected district attorney for the first district which encompassed all of southern Montana from Dillon to Glendive. Francis and Lora Lamme were married on December 27, 1881 in Bozeman, MT (A. W. Bowen & Co 1903). In 1884, Francis was elected to represent Gallatin County in the territorial council. Two years later he was elected to the legislature and became Speaker of the House. Armstrong became the first judge of the Ninth Judicial Circuit, appointed by Governor Joseph K. Toole in 1901 (The Great Falls Tribune 3 December 1924). In 1904, Armstrong helped organize the National Bank of Gallatin Valley, of which he was a director for several years. Francis Armstrong died on December 2, 1924 and Lora Armstrong died on September 14, 1936. They are buried in a family plot in Sunset Hills Cemetery in Bozeman, MT (Findagrave.com 2004). In 1936, Dorr D. Brigham purchased the property from the County, though he and his wife, Margaret Brigham, appear to have remained living in a house at 31 W Main St (R.L. Polk 1935). It is, therefore, believed the residence at 417 W Mendenhall was constructed or at least first occupied by the subsequent owners, who purchased the property in 1940. Conflicting dates of construction, including the first appearance of a house with this address on the 1943 Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, and James R. McDonald’s survey which states it was built in 1957, both fall within the period of time the property was owned by Roscoe R. and Viola F. Hull (see table). Roscoe R. and Viola F. Hull purchased the property on August 12, 1940. Roscoe Ray Hull was born March 18, 1894 in New Albany, Wilson County, KS to Mr. And Mrs. Charles Hull. He came with his family to Bozeman, MT. He fought in WWI and served in England and France with the Army Air Corps. He was in Paris, France on November 11, 1918 when the armistice was signed. Upon MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 4 History of Property Property Name: 417 W MENDENHALL ST Site Number: 100 his return to Bozeman, he purchased the Auto Electric Station which was located on Bozeman’s Main Street. He was a charter member of the American Legion Gallatin Post 14 in Bozeman, MT. He was a member of the Eagles Lodge 326. Roscoe and Viola Fowler were married on October 20, 1920 in Butte, MT (The Billings Gazette 11 March 1969). Viola (Fowler) Hull was born in October 1892. Viola was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Fowler, who came to Montana Territory in 1877. Thomas Fowler was a rancher in Gallatin Valley and served as Gallatin County Sheriff from 1901 to 1904 (Independent-Record 28 June 1942) Viola grew up in Bozeman, and attended Montana State College. She worked at Story Motors, the Gallatin Lumber Company, and the Gallatin County Assessor’s office (The Billings Gazette 12 April 1979). Viola died in 1979. Roscoe had died in 1969; they are buried together in Sunset Hills Cemetery in Bozeman, MT (Findagrave.com 2004). From 1979 through the 1980s, the property belonged to James P. Fitzmorris. The house was converted to commercial office space and was subject to extensive remodeling in recent years. The current owner of the property in 2020 is Mendenhall Properties LLC. Table 1. Chain of Title, 417 West Mendenhall Street, 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 Angus P. Clark 31 October 1879 Warranty Deed Lots 18 – 21, Block D, Tracy’s 2nd Addition D: 1/177 Estate of Angus P. Clark Mary M. Clark 06 December 1890 Executor’s Deed Same D: 17/506 Mary M. Clark F. K. Armstrong 05 March 1896 Deed Same D: 22/508 F. K. and Lora Armstrong Mary E. Stevens 31 March 1902 Warranty Deed Same D: 28/547 Mary E. and W. H. Stevens Edmond F. Sawyer 09 December 1902 Warranty Deed Same D: 29/248 E. F. and Hester A. Sawyer D. C. Stevens 19 May 1903 Warranty Deed Same D: 34/68 D. C. Stevens Rose V. McAdams Stevens 11 January 1905 Warranty Deed Same D: 32/414 Rose V. McAdams Barelle (fka Rose V. McAdams Stevens) and Norman Barrelle Charles Pietsch 19 December 1906 Warranty Deed Same D: 37/137 Charles and Isabella H. Pietsch E. M. Reynolds 19 October 1907 Warranty Deed Same D: 37/458 E. M. and Martha W. Reynolds W. B. Bessey 18 May 1909 Warranty Deed Lots 18 and 19, Block D, Tracy’s 2nd Addition D: 39/490 W. B. and Rebecca L. Bessey T. L. Kelly 20 July 1909 Warranty Deed Same D: 39/550 T. L. and Maggie E. Kelly Maggie Blake 08 May 1913 Warranty Deed Same D: 49/317 Gallatin County D. D. Brigham 04 November 1936 Deed Same D: 80/14 MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 5 History of Property Property Name: 417 W MENDENHALL ST Site Number: 100 Table 1. Chain of Title, 417 West Mendenhall Street, Bozeman, Montana. Grantor Grantee Date of Instrument Type of Instrument Property Description/Comments Reference Maggie Blake D. D. Brigham 07 November 1936 Quit Claim Deed Same D: 80/17 D. D. and Margaret T. Brigham Roscoe R. and Viola F. Hull 12 August 1940 Warranty Deed Same D: 84/202 Estate of Roscoe R. Hull Viola F. Hull 17 November 1969 Decree of Settlement of Final Account and Final Distribution Same D: Film 5/1362 Estate of Viola F. Hull James P. Fitzmorris 06 December 1979 Deed of Conveyance Same D: Film, 54/822, Film 94/1866 James P. Fitzmorris Estate of Lillie M. Warwood 24 October 1986 Warranty Deed Same D: Film 94/1859 Estate of Lillie M. Warwood William L. Warwood 14 December 1988 Deed of Distribution Same D: Film 104/2036 William L. Warwood On Site Management Inc. 25 February 1994 Warranty Deed Same D: Film 141/1309 On Site Management LLC Mendenhall Properties LLC 18 May 2011 Warranty Deed Same MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 6 Information Sources/Bibliography Property Name: 417 W MENDENHALL ST Site Number: 100 INFORMATION SOURCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY Ancestry.com 2017 Montana, County Births and Deaths, 1830-2011 [database on-line]. Ancestry.com Operations Inc., Lehi, UT. Montana State Historical Society; Helena, Montana. Electronic document, https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?viewrecord=1&r=an&db=MTCountyBirthsAndDeaths&indiv=try&h=300090280, accessed January 13, 2020. A.W. Bowen & Co. 1903 Progressive Men of the State of Montana. A. W. Bowen & Co. Chicago, Illinois. The Billings Gazette [Billings, Montana] 1969 “Roscoe R. Hull” 11 March. Billings, Montana. Electronic document, https://www.newspapers.com/image/408693562/?terms=roscoe%2Bhull, accessed January 14, 2020. 1979 “Viola F. Hull.” 12 April. Billings, Montana. Electronic document, https://www.newspapers.com/image/410439796/?terms=roscoe%2Bhull, accessed January 14, 2020. Find A Grave 2004 Lora Lamme Armstrong (Mar 1859 – 14 Sep 1936). Electronic document, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/51336990/lora-armstrong, accessed January 13, 2020. 2004 Roscoe Ray Hull (1894 – 1969). Electronic documents, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/75077232/roscoe-ray-hull, accessed January 14, 2020. Gallatin County Clerk & Recorder 1864-2019 Gallatin County Deeds. Gallatin County Clerk & Recorder, Bozeman, Montana. Great Falls Tribune [Great Falls, Montana] 1924 “Pioneer Jurist Dies in Bozeman.” 3 December. Great Falls, Montana. Electronic document, https://www.newspapers.com/image/238118032/?terms=Francis%2BArmstrong, accessed January 14, 2020. The Independent-Record [Helena, Montana] 1936 “Pioneer Passes.” 15 September. Helena, Montana. Electronic document. https://www.newspapers.com/image/527991293/?terms=Lora%2BArmstrong, accessed January 13, 2020. The Independent-Record [Helena, Montana] 1942 “Pioneer Passes.” 28 June. Helena, Montana. Electronic document, https://www.newspapers.com/image/11200666/?terms=Thomas%2BFowler, accessed January 14, 2020. J. D. Radford & Co. 1892 Gallatin Valley Gazetteer. Bozeman City Directory 1892-1893. J. D. Radford & Co., New Issue Publishing Company, Bozeman, Montana. James R. McDonald Architects 1984 417 W Mendenhall St. Montana Historical and Architectural Inventory Form. Document on-file with the City of Bozeman. Bozeman, MT. R. L. Polk & Co. 1904-2010 Polk’s Bozeman (Gallatin County, Mont.) City Directories. R.L. Polk & Co., Kansas City, Missouri. The Weekly Avant Courier [Bozeman, Montana] 1889 “A.P. Clark.” 5 September. Bozeman, Montana. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 7 Statement of Significance Property Name: 417 W MENDENHALL ST Site Number: 100 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 This property was first recorded in 1984 by James R. McDonald Architects. At that time, the property was considered an “intrusive element within a potential historic district” due to alterations that affected historic integrity. Since that time, the property has been remodeled extensively, further compromising its integrity. The site has been evaluated against the NRHP Criteria. It is found to lack individual significance for association with events that have made a contribution to the broad patterns of our history under Criterion A. The site lacks direct association with persons of historical significance under Criterion B. Under Criterion C, the site has lost integrity sufficient to convey historic character in reference to potential associations with a type, period, or method of construction. Furthermore, the site is unlikely to yield information that would contribute significantly to our understanding of the past under Criterion D. Metcalf recommends this site not eligible for inclusion in the NRHP on the basis of lost integrity. If sites in the vicinity constitute a potential historic district, this site should be considered non- contributing. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 8 Integrity Property Name: 417 W MENDENHALL ST Site Number: 100 INTEGRITY (location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, association) This site is in excellent condition but has been subject to numerous alterations, including recent remodeling which has affected integrity of materials, design, workmanship, feeling, and association. Modern materials are not in-keeping with the building’s mid- century construction, and the replacement of original windows and changes to original fenestration pattern have altered the aesthetic entirely. The site retains integrity of location and setting only. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 9 Photographs Property Name: 417 W MENDENHALL ST Site Number: 100 Feature # 1 Facing: N Description: Property 100. View of south façade (Image # 2-0228, 10/19/2019. EAS). Feature # 1 Facing: NE Description: Oblique view northeast (Image # 2-0228, 10/19/2019. EAS). MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 10 Photographs Property Name: 417 W MENDENHALL ST Site Number: 100 Feature # 1 Facing: SE Description: Oblique view southeast (Image # 2-0235, 10/19/2019. EAS). MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 11 Site Map Property Name: 417 W MENDENHALL ST Site Number: 100 MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 12 Topographic Map Property Name: 417 W MENDENHALL ST Site Number: 100