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Home My WebLink About720 W Babcock 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: 720 W BABCOCK ST Historic Address (if applicable): City/Town: BOZEMAN Site Number: 037 (An historic district number may also apply.) County: GALLATIN Historic Name: Unknown Original Owner(s): Ellwood and Katherine Fisher Current Ownership Private Public Current Property Name: Unknown Owner(s): Keith Flanigan Owner Address: 720 W Babcock St , Bozeman, MT 59715- Phone: Legal Location PM: Montana Township: 02S Range: 05E NE¼ NW ¼ SE¼ of Section: 12 Lot(s): 10 Block(s): 3 Addition: Park Add Year of Addition: 1892 USGS Quad Name: Bozeman Year: 1987 Historic Use: Residential Current Use: Commercial Construction Date: 1925 Estimated Actual Original Location Moved Date Moved: UTM Reference www.nris.mt.gov NAD 27 or NAD 83(preferred) Zone: 12 Easting: 496286.9 Northing: 5058283.1 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: 4/7/2020 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: Site would contribute to a potential Historic District. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 2 Architectural Description Property Name: 720 W BABCOCK ST Site Number: 037 ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION Architectural Style: Craftsman If Other, specify: Property Type: Commerce Specific Property Type: Residential turned to office 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 single-story dwelling turned into a commercial office space for Aspen Properties, built c. 1925. The house is a wood-framed Craftsman style bungalow on a corner lot that is graded, with a concrete retaining wall along the north and west property boundaries. The house has a gable-ell shape with a gable wing addition to the south. The roof is clad in asphalt shingles, and the foundation is concrete. The exterior walls are covered in horizontal wood siding, and there are wood shingles in the gable peaks. It has a gable end brick chimney on the east elevation and an exterior, free-standing stone chimney and fireplace located at the rear of the property, adjacent to the south addition. The primary façade faces north, onto W. Babcock St. The front door is within a shed roofed porch, accessed by concrete steps with wood handrails. The front porch has a low wall with the same horizontal wood siding as the rest of the exterior of the house; three square posts support the porch roof. Also located within the front porch are two large one-over-one-lite windows. A large window with a lead glass pane is centered on the projecting gable-front which comprises the west end of the façade. The west elevation contains an exterior cellar door, and basement windows are partially visible around the exterior walls. Other original windows on this elevation have been replaced, but the openings are intact. The replaced modern windows appear to be single hung, and there is a large modern sliding glass door on the west elevation of the rear addition. The addition has two secondary entrances: a standard door on the west elevation, where the addition projects south from the main volume of the house and another at- grade door on the south gable end. The east elevation was not visible from the public ROW. An asphalt parking lot is located to the south of the house for customer parking, while a white picket fence encloses the backyard. Overall, the site is in good condition, but a broken basement window was noted. Vegetation around the property includes a manicured lawn and multiple large mature deciduous trees in the adjacent boulevard. The site was first recorded in 1984 by James R. McDonald Architects and was recommended as a neutral element within a potential historic district, and that the historic integrity of the property was retained due to the survival of the original materials and continuity of use, setting, and location. Metcalf finds it retains sufficient integrity to convey historic character. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 3 History of Property Property Name: 720 W BABCOCK ST Site Number: 037 HISTORY OF PROPERTY This site is part of an area that was platted as the Park Addition by Nelson Story, John S. Dickerson, and Water Cooper on May 19, 1883. William A. Francis purchased the property from the Montana Lumber and Commission Company on September 26, 1892. Ellwood H. Fisher purchased the property soon after, on October 10, 1892. This residence was built prior to 1904, at which time there was also a 1.5-story shed in the rear of the property, later used as a garage (Sanborn Map Company Jan 1904). Ellwood and Katherine Fisher most likely built the residence on this property. Ellwood was born in Pennsylvania in 1855. He and his wife Clara, came to Big Timber, Montana where they purchased an interest in a sheep ranch. After a few years, they sold their interest in the ranch and came to Bozeman. Ellwood was the president of Owenhouse Hardware Company for many years and a prominent businessman and citizen of Bozeman, MT (The Butte Mine 28 October 1920). Samuel H. Conrow purchased the property on March 7, 1904, owning it for a short time before selling to Martha A. McKibban on May 22, 1906. Martha A. McKibban sold the property to R. J. Cunningham on May 27, 1913. Risdon J. and Myrtie Cunningham lived at this house during ownership. Risdon Cunningham was the Superintendent of Bozeman Schools. Cunningham had his training in the normal school at the University of Missouri. He began working in Fort Benton, Montana in 1902 as principal of schools. In 1904, he was elected as Superintendent of Schools in Bozeman and took up his duties in January (Great Falls Tribune 20 November 1921). Frank S. Blair purchased the property on April 14, 1917. Blair was a grain and stock farmer (Ancestry.com 2010). The Blair family moved to Alhambra, California by 1925 (Los Angeles Directory Company 1925). Hubert D. Bath purchased the property on August 31, 1923. Hubert Dexter Bath was born in 1887 in Bloomington, Illinois to Dr. Thomas and Lula Bath (Ancestry.com 2017). Hubert served in World War I, as a medic in the United States Army. He married Shirley Platte in 1920. Upon his return from the war, he worked as an Attorney at Law in Bozeman for 16 years and served as the vice president of the Gallatin Valley Seed Company. Hubert and Shirley owned this residence a short time, from 1923 to 1925. It is unclear if they ever lived in the house. In 1927, the couple hired local architect, Fred Willson, to design a new residence that would serve as their home at 405 W. Cleveland, which has now become known as the Bath House. Not long after the couple moved into their new house on Cleveland, Hubert died of a brain tumor at the age of 41 years old in 1928 (Findagrave.com 2004). Shirley went on to live on and off at the house at 405 W. Cleveland. She never remarried and died in 1961. Hubert and Shirley Bath are buried together in Sunset Hills Cemetery in Bozeman, MT (Findagrave.com 2004). Charles Floyd Jump purchased the property on May 6, 1925. Floyd and his wife Cecile Jump lived in this house from 1922 to 1931 (R. L. Polk & Co 1922 -1931). Floyd Jump was born in 1882 in Plainfield, Illinois. He attended and graduated from the science and medical departments of the University of Michigan in 1904. Jump came to Bozeman c. 1906 with his brother to practice medicine. He married Genevieve Benepe in 1909. Dr. Jump took a post graduate course at the Chicago Eye and Ear College from 1909 to 1914. He became an eye, ear, nose, and throat specialist, practicing in Bozeman and Helena, MT. Genevieve Benepe was the daughter of Frank and Jeanetta Benepe who were prominent Bozeman citizens (The Anaconda Standard 3 July 1909). Floyd and Genevieve divorced in 1915. While serving in World War I, Floyd met and married Margarite Cecile Boilet in France. She came back to the U. S. with him after the war (The Anaconda Standard 10 August 1919). They lived at this residence in 1922 until they moved to Helena in 1931. Jump served in both World War I and World War II (The Independent-Record 1 November 1945). He was serving as the state medical officer for selective service in Helena when he died in 1945 at Fort Harrison (Great Falls Tribune 24 October 1945). Margarite died in Seattle, Washington in 1985. S. M. Cook purchased this property on February 6, 1936. Simon and Ytje Cook were born in Holland. Simon Cook came to the United States in 1907, and married Ytje in 1909. They came to Bozeman in 1916 when Simon took a job with a local mortgage firm. He eventually opened a travel service. They moved to Billings in 1950 (The Billings Gazette 5 June 1960). George T. and Josephine B. Sime purchased the property on August 3, 1945. George and Josephine lived in this house during their ownership. George Sime was born in 1914 in Bozeman. Josephine Buzard was born in Bozeman in 1916 to Scott and Mary Lillian Herron Buzard. She attended Cottonwood School and Gallatin County High School. She married George Sime in 1937 (Findagrave.com 2004). While living in this house, George worked as the Montana Winter Fair manager, as a salesman for Valley Insurance and Realty Company, and as Chairman for the State Highway Commission (R. L. Polk & Co, 1950, 1954, 1956). Alfred M. and Vivian E. Stiff purchased the property on April 26, 1960. Alfred Mack Stiff was born in 1926 to Harland Levi and Erline Townsend Stiff. Alfred married Vivian Ellen Heiser in 1946 in Missoula. They returned to Bozeman in 1951 and Alfred began MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 4 History of Property Property Name: 720 W BABCOCK ST Site Number: 037 building an accounting practice. He became a certified public accountant in 1959. He served on the Bozeman City Commission for 16 years. From 1982-83, 1988-89, and 1998-99 he served as mayor of Bozeman, dying in office in 1999. In recognition of Alfred Stiff’s “high professional standard of conduct that Al brought to the Commission” the City of Bozeman “wishes to give its lasting recognition and express its great appreciation for these many years of exemplary service” by dedicating a building to Mr. Stiff. On July 7, 1999 the City Commission of Bozeman passed a resolution “that the City’s building at 20 East Olive Street be dedicated as and named the Alfred M. Stiff Professional Building” (Bozeman.net 2005). Michael P. and Mary E. Catlin purchased this property on August 7, 1973, years before Stiff’s service as mayor. Tom and Janelle K. Lehman purchased the property on July 28, 1977. Roger L. Craft purchased the property on May 29, 1985. Timothy W. Hasler purchased the property on September 26, 1997. Atlantic Holdings, LLC purchased the property on July 18, 2001. Keith Flanigan purchased the property on March 8, 2002 and is the current owner as of April 2020. Table 1. Chain of Title, 720 West Babcock Street, Bozeman, Montana. Grantor Grantee Date of Instrument Type of Instrument Property Description/Comments Reference W. L. McKenzie John Dickerson 28 March 1883 Deed W ½ of the SE ¼ of Sec 12 T2S R5E, except 60 ft. off the north end, deeded to Gallatin County for road purposes (80 acres) D: 3/500 John and Charlotte A. Dickerson Walter Cooper 03 January 1887 Deed W ½ of the SE ¼ of Sec 12 T2S R5E (80 acres) D: 8/231 Walter and Mariam D. Cooper Louis F. Menage 21 April 1890 Warranty Deed Lots 1 – 17, Block 3, Park Addition, and other lots D: 19/483 Louis F. and Amanda A. Menage Montana Lumber and Commission Company 02 March 1891 Warranty Deed Lots 1 – 11, Block 3, Park Addition D: 17/603 Montana Lumber and Commission Company William A. Francis 26 September 1892 Deed Lots 10 and 11, Block 3, Park Addition D: 20/72 William A. and Katharine M. Francis E. H. Fisher 10 October 1892 Warranty Deed Same D: 18/638 Ellwood H. and Clara V. Fisher Samuel H. Conrow 07 March 1904 Warranty Deed Same D: 34/377 S. H. and Anna C. Conrow Martha A. McKibban 22 May 1906 Warranty Deed Same D: 35/530 Martha A. McKibban R. J. Cunningham 27 May 1913 Warranty Deed Same D: 47/35 R. J. and Myrtie M. Cunningham Frank S. Blair 14 April 1917 Warranty Deed Same D: 55/235 Frank S. Blair Pauline A. Blair 30 October 1920 Warranty Deed Same D: 58/482 Pauline A. and Frank S. Blair Hubert D. Bath 31 August 1923 Warranty Deed Same D: 65/358 Hubert D. and Shirley P. Bath Charles Floyd Jump 06 May 1925 Warranty Deed Same D: 71/118 MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 5 History of Property Property Name: 720 W BABCOCK ST Site Number: 037 Table 1. Chain of Title, 720 West Babcock Street, Bozeman, Montana. Grantor Grantee Date of Instrument Type of Instrument Property Description/Comments Reference Charles Floyd and Marguerite Cecile Jump S. M. Cook 06 February 1936 Warranty Deed Same D: 79/231 S. M. and Ida Cook George T. and Josephine B. Sime 03 August 1945 Warranty Deed Lots 10 and 11, Block 3, Park Addition, and part of vacated S 8th Ave. D: 111/383 George T. and Josephine B. Sime Alfred M. and Vivian E. Stiff 25 April 1960 Warranty Deed Same D: 133/141 Alfred M. and Vivian E. Stiff Vivian E. Stiff 15 December 1970 Warranty Deed Same D: Film 9/303 Vivian E. and Alfred M. Stiff Michael P. and Mary E. Catlin 07 August 1973 Warranty Deed Lots 10 and 11, Block 3, Park Addition D: Film 38/1795 Michael P. and Mary E. Catlin Tom and Janelle K. Lehman 28 July 1977 Warranty Deed Lots 10 and 11, Block 3, Park Addition, and part of vacated S 8th Ave. D: Film 38/1796 Tom and Janelle K. Lehman Hershel and Mary Carpenter 22 December 1977 Warranty Deed ½ interest in same D: Film 41/791 Janelle Lehman Tom Lehman 14 August 1978 Warranty Deed Lots 10 and 11, Block 3, Park Addition, and part of vacated S 8th Ave. Hershel and Mary Carpenter Tom Lehman 29 May 1985 Warranty Deed Same D: Film 87/4619 Tom Lehman Roger L. Craft 29 May 1985 Warranty Deed Same D: Film 87/4620 Gallatin County Sheriff Timothy W. Hasler 26 September 1997 Sherriff’s Deed Same D: Film 177/2054 Gallatin County Sheriff Atlantic Holdings, LLC 18 July 2001 Sheriff’s Deed Same D: #2043736 Atlantic Holdings Inc Keith Flanigan 08 March 2002 Warranty Deed Same D: #2063027 MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 6 Information Sources/Bibliography Property Name: 720 W BABCOCK ST Site Number: 037 INFORMATION SOURCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY The Anaconda Standard [Anaconda, Montana] 1909 “Jump-Benepe Wedding is Social Event at Bozeman.” 3 July. Anaconda, Montana. Electronic document, https://www.newspapers.com/image/354267179/?terms=Floyd%2Bjump, accessed April 11, 2020. 1919 “In Bozeman.” 10 August. Anaconda Montana. Electronic document, https://www.newspapers.com/image/350733901/?terms=Floyd%2BJump, accessed April 11, 2020. Ancestry.com 2010 1920 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Ancestry.com Operations Inc., Provo, Utah. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. Electronic document, https://search.ancestry.com/cgi- bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=6061&h=54007086&tid=&pid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=mrb2632&_phstart=successSource, accessed April 14, 2020. 2017 Montana, County Births and Deaths, 1830-2011 [database on-line]. Ancestry.com Operations Inc., Lehi, Utah. Electronic document, https://search.ancestry.com/cgi- bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=61255&h=36872&tid=&pid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=mrb2633&_phstart=successSource, accessed April 14, 2020. The Billings Gazette [Billings, Montana] 1960 “Agency Owner Dies in Hospital.” 5 June. Billings, Montana. Electronic document, https://www.newspapers.com/image/410203838/?terms=Simon%20Cook&match=1, accessed April 11, 2020. Bozeman.net 2005 “Commission Resolution No. 3303.” Electronic document, http://weblink.bozeman.net/WebLink8/0/doc/2540/Page1.aspx, accessed April 11, 2020. The Butte Miner [Butte, Montana] 1920 “E. H. Fisher Dies of Heart Disease.” 28 October. Butte, Montana. Electronic document, https://www.newspapers.com/image/348435781/?terms=E.H.%2BFisher, accessed April 8, 2020. Find A Grave 2004 Hubert Dexter Bath (1887 – 1928). Electronic document, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/51223385, accessed April 14, 2020. 2004 Shirley E Platte Bath (Jun 1892 – 19 Dec 1961). Electronic document, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/72715118/shirley-e-bath, accessed April 17, 2020. 2004 Josephine Helen Buzard Sime (7 May 1916 – 7 Nov 2017). Electronic document, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/187604529/josephine-helen-sime, accessed April 11, 2020. Gallatin County Clerk & Recorder 1864-2019 Gallatin County Deeds. Gallatin County Clerk & Recorder, Bozeman, Montana. Great Falls Tribune [Great Falls, Montana] 1921 “Ideal in Modern Education Virtually Realized in Bozeman City Schools Under Cunningham.” 20 November. Great Falls, Montana. Electronic document, https://www.newspapers.com/image/239630035/?terms=Risdon%20Cunningham&match=1, accessed April 9, 2020. 1945 “Medical Officer Dies.” 24 October. Great Falls, Montana. Electronic document, https://www.newspapers.com/image/238273177/?article=b314f3e3-2827-4198-9b7f-dafbbd593a20, accessed April 9, 2020. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 7 Information Sources/Bibliography Property Name: 720 W BABCOCK ST Site Number: 037 The Independent Record [Helena, Montana] 1945 “Dr. C. F. Jump Taken by Death Here.” 1 November. Helena, Montana. Electronic document, https://www.newspapers.com/image/392372628/?clipping_id=43257248, accessed April 11, 2020. Los Angeles Directory Company 1925 Alhambra City Directory. Los Angeles Directory Company, Los Angeles, California. Renewable Technologies, Inc. [RTI] 2008 Boseman Historic Resources Survey, revised ed. Prepared for Planning Department, City of Bozeman, Bozeman, Montana. Electronic document, http://www.bozeman.net/home/showdocument?id=5645, accessed 3/31/2020. R. L. Polk & Co. 1902-2012 Polk’s Bozeman (Gallatin County, Mont.) City Directories. R.L. Polk & Co., Kansas City, Missouri. Sanborn Map Company 1890-1943 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Bozeman, Gallatin County, Montana (Jul 1890, Nov 1891, Jan 1904, Sep 1912, Sep. 1927, Sep 1943). Sanborn Map Company, New York, New York. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 8 Statement of Significance Property Name: 720 W BABCOCK ST Site Number: 037 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 site was first recorded in 1984 by James R. McDonald Architects and was recommended as a neutral element within a potential historic district, and that the historic integrity of the property was retained due to the survival of the original materials and continuity of use, setting, and location. Metcalf finds it retains sufficient integrity to convey historic character. 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 of potential historic district. The 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. The site retains sufficient integrity to convey its historic association with the Progressive Phase of Bozeman’s development, representative of a transitional period in residential design influenced by Progressive ideology (RTI 2008). Metcalf recommends that further research be conducted regarding Bozeman’s 1892 Park Addition in order to evaluate district potential. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 9 Integrity Property Name: 720 W BABCOCK ST Site Number: 037 INTEGRITY (location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, association) The site is in good condition, overall. The replaced windows as well as the rear addition affect integrity of materials and design, but the other aspects have been retained. Overall, however, Metcalf finds the site retains sufficient integrity to convey historic character. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 10 Photographs Property Name: 720 W BABCOCK ST Site Number: 037 Feature # 1 Facing: SE Description: Property 037. Oblique view (Image #02-0279, 10/19/2019. EAS). Feature # 1 Facing: N Description: Property 037. Front façade (Image #02-0280, 10/19/2019. EAS). MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 11 Photographs Property Name: 720 W BABCOCK ST Site Number: 037 Feature # 1 Facing: NE Description: Property 037. Oblique view (Image #02-0282, 10/19/2019. EAS). MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 12 Site Map Property Name: 720 W BABCOCK ST Site Number: 037 MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 13 Topographic Map Property Name: 720 W BABCOCK ST Site Number: 037