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Home My WebLink About824 W Main 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: 824 W MAIN ST Historic Address (if applicable): City/Town: BOZEMAN Site Number: 086 (An historic district number may also apply.) County: GALLATIN Historic Name: Lewis & Clark Motel Original Owner(s): William J. (“Bill”) Sebena Sr. Current Ownership Private Public Current Property Name: Owner(s): Lisa Sebena Owner Address: 824 W Main St, Bozeman, MT 59715-3359 Phone: Legal Location PM: Montana Township: 02S Range: 05E SE¼ SW ¼ NE ¼ of Section: 12 Lot(s): LOT 12, LOT 13 & 60' X 131' W OF LOT 13 & LOT 1-5 BLK G Block(s): F / G Addition: Story Add (STO) Year of Addition: 1872 USGS Quad Name: Bozeman Year: 1987 Historic Use: Commercial Motel Current Use: Commercial Motel Construction Date: 1975-1977 Estimated Actual Original Location Moved Date Moved: UTM Reference www.nris.mt.gov NAD 27 or NAD 83(preferred) Zone: 12 Easting: 496212.3 Northing: 5058384.5 National Register of Historic Places NRHP Listing Date: Historic District: NRHP Eligible: Yes No *Property does not meet the City of Bozeman’s definition of an eligible property (see below). Date of this document: 5/13/2020 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 not contribute to a potential historic district. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 2 Architectural Description Property Name: 824 W MAIN ST Site Number: 086 ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION Architectural Style: Other (specify) If Other, specify: Post modern Property Type: Commerce Specific Property Type: Lewis and Clark motel Architect: William J. Sebena Architectural Firm/City/State: Three Forks, Montana Builder/Contractor: Company/City/State: Source of Information: This site is the Lewis & Clark Motel, a 3-story concrete commercial building built from 1975 to 1977. The building was designed in the Mid-century Modern Style by the owner and proprietor William “Bill” Sebena. Character defining elements include channel grooved concrete walls, geometric patterning on the exaggerated cornice, and floor-to-ceiling windows. It is a concrete-block structure, with an E-shaped footprint on a concrete foundation. The building has a flat roof with a deeply overhanging boxed cornice. Its long axis runs east-west, spanning an entire city block. The primary façade faces north onto W Main St and is set back, with paved parking accessible from the east and west. Centered on the north façade is a projecting two-story bay that contains the lobby on the first story and a dining room on the second story. The first story’s north elevation is slightly recessed, with a colonnade of concrete posts supporting the overhang and creating a covered entrance at the center. Secondary entries to the lobby are located at the south end of both the east and west walls of the bay. To the east and west of the lobby bay are the three-story wings containing the motel rooms. Each wing is divided into eight bays, each bay is a single motel room. Balconies line the north side of the building and are accessed by exterior stairwells at the extreme east and west ends of the building. These stairwells project slightly to the north and are partially screened by three full-height concrete pillars. The Lewis & Clark Motel is a classic example of a motor hotel in that every motel room is accessible via a separate exterior entrance. Each room has an entrance from the balcony that consists of a sliding glass door and fixed floor-to-ceiling window. A decorative metal railing spans the second and third floor balconies. The first-floor rooms are at-grade. No openings or other fenestration are present on the east and west elevations of the building. The blank walls are textured, with a channel groove finish to the concrete. The rear (south) elevation has an employee entrance located within a recessed bay near center. No ornament is present, but an external Air Conditioning unit for each of the motel rooms is affixed to small openings across the entire wall. To the north of the building, along the ROW edge, the property has a concrete retaining wall, with plantings along the north side, facing W Main St. On the south side of the wall, at center, are three metal flag poles. At the northeast corner of the parking lot stands a locally iconic illuminated sign, also designed by Sebena. The sign has a roughly rectangular shape with blocks of lettering along the north side and along its top. The word “MOTEL” is affixed to the north side of the sign, vertically, and is illuminated with red and yellow light. “Lewis & Clark” appears horizontally across the top of the sign, also in red and yellow lights, and with a silhouette of the figures Merriweather Lewis and William Clark, the motel’s namesakes. This site has not been previously recorded and has not yet met the 50-year threshold for consideration as a historic property. However, Metcalf recommends that the site be considered and re-evaluated at a later date as it has potential for eligibility as a prime example of a vernacular approach to Mid-century Modern commercial design in Bozeman. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 3 History of Property Property Name: 824 W MAIN ST Site Number: 086 HISTORY OF PROPERTY The United States General Land Office issued a patent to William H. Tracy for the S ½ of NE ¼ section 12, T2S R5E on June 15, 1872. Tracy, likely anticipating the issuance of that patent, had sold the land to Nelson Story on November 18, 1871. Elias Story purchased the property on November 4, 1874 and sold it almost immediately to Ellen Story on November 14, 1874. On August 20, 1903, Ellen and Nelson Story sold the property to their son, Walter Story. On September 4, 1909, Walter P. and Geraldine B. Story sold the S 7’ of Lots 3, 4, and 5 in Block G to the City of Bozeman for the purpose of opening a public alley through Blocks E, F, and part of Block G in Story’s Addition (D: 42/23). The property upon which the extant building sits is part of Blocks “F” and “G” in Story’s Addition to Bozeman, Montana. The specific lots 12 and 13 were two of the original 16 lots in Block “F” of the addition, as were lots 1-5 of Block “G.” After several land transfers and no construction, W.J. Nicholson purchased the property via two deeds: Lots 3-5, Block G from Gallatin County on June 10, 1935 (D81/67); Lots 1 and 2, Block G from W. Rau and Jean Elizabeth Deem on July 16, 1934 (D78/8); and Lots 12 and 13, Block F from Margaret J. McCartney on July 14, 1934 (D78/8). These lots were at the western edge of Bozeman and saw little development until the turn of the twentieth century, when single-family homes quickly filled in the lots south and north of West Main Street, from 4th through 11th Avenues. The blocks held by the Story family remained undeveloped until the 1930s. The current Lewis & Clark Motel on this site was constructed between 1975 and 1977, allowing it to open in spring 1977. Its construction necessitated demolition of a one-story courtyard motel that had been on the site since 1935 (R. L. Polk & Company, 1933-1936; 1947 Sanborn). This operation consisted of a U-shaped configuration open to the east (S. 8th Avenue). The motel provided a series of alternating dwellings and garages of varying sizes. The entry off S. 8th Avenue included a single-story store and dwelling unit for the owner. William J. and his wife Ella M. Nicholson owned and operated the grocery store and tourist camp there (at 5 South 8th Avenue) from 1935 through 1944 at least. They lived on site as well, just south of the pedimented archway that announced: “Nicholson’s Cottage Court” (1933 – 1944 Polk Directories; postcard DC06.PC.04196 in GHM collection). Ownership transferred to Gus and Mabel Bonander on June 12, 1945 (D91/286) and the name was changed to Bonander’s Cottage Court by 1950. By 1954 they had renamed it the Siesta Motel, the name it went by until demolition in 1975. Members of the Bolander family lived on site throughout this time, although Bill Sebena bought the property on July 7, 1969 (D27/1183; R.L. Polk & Company, 1947-1975). The Lewis & Clark Motel was designed and built by its owner Bill Sebena Sr. Bill had been born in Butte on October 29, 1919, of Czechoslovakian and Yugoslavian heritage. He married Eileen Walsh, a Butte girl who had been born on December 17, 1922, to Irish-born parents (Bozeman Daily Chronicle, 25 August 2007; Ancestry 2017). Together, they built up a thriving drive-in restaurant business, starting in the 1930s with Wimpy's Palace, which they renamed Bill’s Drive-In in the early 1940s. He opened similar restaurants in Manhattan and Three Forks, where he also built a hotel out of the old Milwaukee Depot Building. Bill and Eileen divorced and Bill later married Anne Marie Stotts (Ancestry 2001; Montana Standard, 6 July 2008). According to his obituary, he then: “...made the decision to ‘Go East’ a bit further and to give Bozeman a try. He purchased the old Siesta Motel at 824 W. Main St. He leveled the Siesta after operating it for about a year and built the Lewis & Clark Motel in its place. He built it without an official architect and fought every step of the way to be allowed to build it on his terms and ultimately managed to brilliantly do so.” (The Montana Standard, 6 July 2008). The Lewis & Clark Motel was built with 51 rooms, an Olympic-sized swimming pool (the concrete of which was hand-poured by Bill Sebena Sr.), a large lobby, and a second-floor restaurant with ample full-height glazing for views. Bill died on June 30, 2008 and was interred at Holy Cross Cemetery in Butte (The Montana Standard, 6 July 2008). Bill and Eileen had two sons, William Joseph Jr. (Joe) and Daniel, and one daughter Susan. Bill and Anne Marie had two sons, Mark and Michael, and one daughter, Lisa, who has been the owner and manager of the Lewis & Clark Motel since August 9, 2013 (D2462024; Belgrade News, 4 July 2008). MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 4 History of Property Property Name: 824 W MAIN ST Site Number: 086 Table 1. Chain of Title, 5 South Eighth Avenue, 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 D: I/56 William H. and Sarah J. Tracy Nelson Story 18 November 1871 Deed Same D: H/402 Nelson and Ellen Story Elias Story 04 November 1874 Deed Lots 13 – 32 in Block E, and all of blocks B, C, D, F, G, H, Story’s Addition D: I/538 Elias Story Ellen Story 14 November 1874 Deed Lots 13 – 32 in Block E, and all of blocks B, C, D, F, G, H, Story’s Addition D: I/542 Ellen and Nelson Story Elias Story Jr. 29 July 1889 Deed 2/3s interest Lots 13 – 32 in Block E, and all of blocks B, C, D, F, G, H, Story’s Addition D: 17/122 Elias Story Jr. Nelson Story 01 August 1889 Deed 2/3s interest Lots 13 – 32 in Block E, and all of blocks B, C, D, F, G, H, Story’s Addition D: 17/125 Lots 3 – 5, Block G, Story’s Addition Nelson and Ellen Story Walter P. Story 20 August 1903 Deed Lots 1 – 26 in Block G, Lots 1 – 6, 21 – 26, Block H, Story’s Addition D: 30/502 Walter P. Story failed to pay $1028.35 in taxes assessed in 1921 (D: 63/418). J. S. Taylor, Gallatin County Treasurer Gallatin County 11 February 1926 County Treasurer’s Tax Deed Lots 4, 5, 8, 9, 18, 19, 22 – 24, Block G, and 60’ x 160’ lot between Blocks G and H, Story’s Addition D: 63/418 Gallatin County W. J. Nicholson 10 June 1935 Lots 3 – 5, Block G, and 60’ x 130’ lot between Blocks F and G, Story’s Addition D: 81/67 Lots 1 and 2, Block G, Story’s Addition Nelson and Ellen Story Walter P. Story 20 August 1903 Deed Lots 1 – 26 in Block G, Lots 1 – 6, 21 – 26, Block H, Story’s Addition D: 30/502 Walter P. and Geraldine B. Story W. H. Stevens 21 November 1904 Warranty Deed Lots 1, 2, 25, and 26, Block G, Story’s Addition D: 29/515 W. H. and Mary Ellen Stevens W. D. Brock 30 November 1904 Warranty Deed Lots 1, 2, 25, and 26, Block G, Story’s Addition, and 60’ x 300’ lot between Blocks F and G D: 29/541 W. D. and Josie Brock H. Gysbert Klenze 28 September 1908 Warranty Deed Lots 1 and 2, Block G, and 60’ x 138’ lot between Blocks F and G D: 40/46 H. Gysbert and Margaret Klenze Mamie McCune 09 January 1909 Quit Claim Deed Lots 1 and 2, Block G, Story’s Addition D: 40/168 Mamie L. McCune (widow) Alice M. McCune and Lillie A. McCune 25 January 1910 Warranty Deed Same D: 47/114 Lillie A. Armstrong (fka Lillie A. McCune) and Victor T. Armstrong, Alice M. Tretsven (fka Alice M. McCune) and Oscar Tretsven Rudolph F. Pecina 17 May 1917 Warranty Deed Same D: 57/48 Rudolph F. and Hazel May Pecina W. Ray Deed 31 October 1928 Warranty Deed Same D: 78/7 W. Ray and Jean Elizabeth Deem W. J. Nicholson 16 July 1934 Warranty deed Same D: 78/8 MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 5 History of Property Property Name: 824 W MAIN ST Site Number: 086 60’ x 131’ lot between Blocks G and F, Story’s Addition Nelson and Ellen Story W. H. Stevens 30 June 1904 Warranty Deed 60’ x 300’ lot between Blocks F and G, Story’s Addition D: 29/540 W. H. and Mary Ellen Stevens W. D. Brock 30 November 1904 Warranty Deed 60’ x 300’ lot between Blocks F and G and lots 1, 2, 25, and 26, Block G, Story’s Addition, D: 29/541 W. D. and Josie Brock H. Gysbert Klenze 28 September 1908 Warranty Deed Lots 1 and 2, Block G, and 60’ x 138’ lot between Blocks F and G, Story’s Addition D: 40/46 H. Gysbert and Margaret Klenze Walter E. Collins 29 January 1909 Deed 60’ x 138’ lot between Blocks F and G, Story’s Addition D: 40/190 W. D. Bell, County Treasurer Gallatin County 19 September 1922 County Treasurer’s Tax Deed Same D: 63/89 Gallatin County W. J. Nicholson 10 June 1935 Lots 3 – 5, Block G, and 60’ x 130’ lot between Blocks F and G, Story’s Addition D: 81/67 W 20’ Lot 12 and Lot 13, Block F, Story’s Addition Nelson and Ellen Story Thomas Byron Story 01 January 1903 Warranty Deed Block F, Story’s Addition D: 29/314 T. B. and Kate Story H. M. Stewart 14 May 1909 Warranty Deed W 20’ Lot 12 and all of Lots 13 and 14, 20’ off the west side of lot 15 Block F D: 39/491 H. M. Stewart Daniel P. McElwell 15 September 1910 Warranty Deed W 20’ Lot 12 and all of Lot 13, except S 7’, Block F, Story’s Addition D: 41/428 Daniel P. and Matilda McElwell H. M. Stewart 15 September 1910 Warranty Deed Same D: 44/132 H. M. Stewart Margaret J. McCartney 31 July 1920 Warranty Deed Same D: 62/154 Margaret J. McCartney W. J. Nicholson 14 July 1934 Warranty Deed Same D: 78/8 Current Lot Alignment W. J. and Ella M. Nicholson Arthur L. and Anna Viergets 01 December 1944 Warranty Deed Lots 1 – 5 in Block G, 60’ x 131’ between Lots F and G, W 20’ of Lot 12 and all of Lot 13 in Block F, except S 7’, Story’s Addition D: 90/355 W. J. and Ella M. Nicholson Arthur L. and Anna Viergets 23 December 1944 Quit Claim Deed 6’ x 131’ strip adj. W 20’ Lot 12, Block F, Story’s Addition D: 90/532 Arthur L. and Anna Viergets Gust A. and Mabel Helen Bonander 12 June 1945 Warranty Deed Lots 1 – 5 in Block G, 60’ x 131’ between Lots F and G, W 20’ of Lot 12 and all of Lot 13 in Block F, except S 7’; and a strip of land 6’ x 131’ adj. to W 20’ of lot 12, Block F (formerly part of 8th Avenue), Story’s Addition D: 91/286 Mabel Helen Bonander (widow) Oscar A. Bonander 02 September 1958 Warranty Deed Same D: Film 2/891 Oscar A. Bondander Oscar A. and Mary F. Bonander 28 August 1968 Warranty Deed Same D: Film 2/893 Oscar A. and Mary F. Bonander William J. Sebena 07 July 1969 Warranty Deed Same D: Film 27/1183 Estate of William J. Sebena Lisa Sebena 19 August 2013 Deed of Distribution Same D: #2462024 MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 6 Information Sources/Bibliography Property Name: 824 W MAIN ST Site Number: 086 INFORMATION SOURCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY Ancestry.com 2001 Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services; Helena, Montana; Montana Death Records; 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=643565&tid=&pid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=zNB1873&_phstart=successSource, access June 17, 2020. Ancestry.com 2017 Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services; Helena, Montana; Montana State Marriage Records, 1943-1986; Montana, Marriage Records, 1943-1988 [database on-line]. Ancestry.com Operations Inc., Lehi, Utah. Electronic document, https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?dbid=61478&h=900193747&indiv=try&o_vc=Record:OtherRecord&rhSource=61478, accessed June 17, 2020. Ancestry.com 2017 Montana State Historical Society; Helena, Montana; FHL Roll: 47-67; 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=400168&tid=&pid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=zNB1871&_phstart=successSource, accessed June 17, 2020. Belgrade News [Belgrade, Montana] 2008 William J. Sebena Sr. Obituary. 4 July. Belgrade, Montana. The Bozeman Daily Chronicle (Bozeman, Montana] 2007 Eileen T. Walsh Obituary. 25 August. Bozeman, Montana. The Montana Standard [Butte, Montana] 2008 William J. Sebena Sr. Obituary. 6 July: A5. Butte, Montana. R. L. Polk & Co. 1927-2012 Polk’s Bozeman (Gallatin County, Mont.) City Directories. R.L. Polk & Co., Kansas City, Missouri. Sanborn Map Company 1889-1947 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Bozeman, Gallatin County, Montana (1889, 1890, 1891, 1904, 1912, 1927, 1943). Sanborn Map Company, [New York, New York] MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 7 Statement of Significance Property Name: 824 W MAIN ST Site Number: 086 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 site is the Lewis & Clark Motel, a 3-story concrete commercial building built from 1975 to 1977. The building was designed in the Mid-century Modern Style by the owner and proprietor William “Bill” Sebena. Character defining elements include channel grooved concrete walls, geometric patterning on the exaggerated cornice, and floor-to-ceiling windows. It is a concrete-block structure, with an E-shaped footprint on a concrete foundation. The building has a flat roof with a deeply overhanging boxed cornice. Its long axis runs east-west, spanning an entire city block. The property has not been previously recorded. 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 does not meet the fifty year minimum threshold for consideration as a historic property and lacks individual significance to satisfy Criterion Consideration G. Metcalf recommends that the site be considered not eligible/non-contributing. However, because of its unique and memorable design aesthetic, Metcalf recommends the site be considered and re-evaluated at a later date as it could prove a prime example of a vernacular approach to Mid-Century commercial design in Bozeman once it has reached the requisite age. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 8 Integrity Property Name: 824 W MAIN ST Site Number: 086 INTEGRITY (location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, association) This site is in good condition and has experienced very few changes since it was originally constructed. A photograph suggests the top of the two-story lobby bay was once used as a patio. The metal railing that surrounded it has since been removed. This affects integrity of materials, but only slightly. Overall, the site retains all aspects of integrity. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 9 Photographs Property Name: 824 W MAIN ST Site Number: 086 Feature # 1 Facing: SW Description: Property 086. Oblique view. (Image #03-0046, 10/20/2019. EAS) Feature # 1 Facing: NW Description: Property 086. Oblique view. (Image #03-0047, 10/20/2019. EAS) MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 10 Photographs Property Name: 824 W MAIN ST Site Number: 086 Feature # 1 Facing: NE Description: Property 086. Oblique view. (Image #03-0050, 10/20/2019. EAS) Feature #: 1 Facing: SE Description: Property 086, the Lewis & Clark Motel, c. 1980. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 11 Site Map Property Name: 824 W MAIN ST Site Number: 086 MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 12 Topographic Map Property Name: 824 W MAIN ST Site Number: 086