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Home My WebLink About34-42 W Main 2021 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: 34-42 W Main St Historic Address (if applicable): City/Town: Bozeman Site Number: 238 Historic District Number (if applicable): 24GA0952 County: Gallatin Historic Name: Ferris Building, Bon Ton Bakery Building Original Owner(s): Col. E. F. Ferris Current Ownership Private Public Current Property Name: Bon Ton Bakery Owner(s): 42 W Main: Joseph J. Jr. and Janet E. Colombo, Trustees. 34-40 W Main: Lone Star Commercial Condo Master Owner Address: 74 Hitching Post Road, Bozeman, MT 59715 and General Delivery, Bozeman, MT 59718 Phone: Legal Location PM: Montana Township: 2S Range: 6E SE ¼ SW ¼ NW ¼ of Section: 7 Lot(s): Lone Star: PT OF LOTS 9, 10, 13, 14 Joseph J. Jr. and Janet E. Colombo, Trustees: Lot 11, & W22 1/2' OF 10, N4' OF W22 1/2' OF 13, N4' OF 12 PLUS A STRIP 142 X 1.6' LYING W & ADJ TO 11, & N4' OF 12 Block(s): Block A Addition: Story Addition Year of Addition: 1872 USGS Quad Name: Bozeman Year: 1987 Historic Use: Commercial Current Use: Commercial Construction Date: 1886-1890 Estimated Actual Original Location Moved Date Moved: UTM Reference www.nris.mt.gov NAD 27 or NAD 83 (preferred) Zone: 12 N Easting: 497005 Northing: 5058380 National Register of Historic Places NRHP Listing Date: 1986 Historic District: Main Street Historic District NRHP Eligible: Yes No *Property meets the City of Bozeman's definition of an eligible property. Date of this document: 6/3/2021 Form Prepared by: S. Wells and R. Schields, Metcalf Archaeological Consultants, Inc., with C. Alegria and C. Hendry, Extreme History Project Address: PO Box 1526, Bozeman, MT 59771 Daytime Phone: (406) 219-3535 MT SHPO USE ONLY Eligible for NRHP: □ yes □ no Criteria: □ A □ B □ C □ D Date: Evaluator: Comments: Site contributes to existing historic district. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 2 Architectural Description Property Name: 34-42 W Main St Site Number: 238 ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION Architectural Style: Mission-Spanish Revival If Other, specify: Property Type: Commerce Specific Property Type: Retail Architect: 1928 remodel by Fred F. Willson Architectural Firm/City/State: Bozeman, MT Builder/Contractor: Company/City/State: Source of Information: This property is the two-story Mission Revival-style Bon-Ton Bakery Building that was constructed between 1886-1890 for Col. E. F. Ferris. The building was originally recorded by James R. McDonald Architects in 1984, with revision by Matt Cohen in 1985. The site was subsequently listed on the NRHP as a primary contributing property to the Main Street Historic District in 1986 (24GA0952). McDonald described the site as follows: “This attached two-story commercial structure in the Mission Style has a square plan with a glazed ceramic tile base and columns of different colors supporting the inset entrances to four stores. The facade is symmetrical and consists of four glass entrances, each flanked by a large, angled fixed window. The upper level has four brick-arched windows. with varying pane arrangements. The bearing wall construction is finished in brick with stucco finishing and has a flat roof with two clay tile mansards across the front. The transom glass above the storefronts appears to be in place behind the signs." Metcalf visited the site in 2020 and found minimal changes since the time of previous survey. Business signs on the first story have been moved up slightly, revealing an original multi-lite transom across the entire facade. Not mentioned in McDonald's description are five plaster, coat of arms medallions fixed to the second story exterior. The center medallion is larger than the other four and contains a coat of arms depicting eagles and snakes; the other four have a rearing griffin. Survey photos from 1984 suggest the south end of the west elevation has been modified slightly. While the three at-grade storefronts with angled fixed windows remain, the blade signs above have been removed and the second story glass block windows replaced with groups of a center fixed single-lite flanked by one-over-one-lite sliding sash windows. The north portion of the west elevation also features five plaster coats of arms, those on the west elevation show significant wear. Overall, the site is in good condition. Some ceramic tiles are chipped and staining is visible on the stucco cladding. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 3 History of Property Property Name: 34-42 W Main St Site Number: 238 HISTORY OF PROPERTY Originally known as the Ferris Block for owners Sebree, Ferris and White, the Bon-Ton Bakery building was constructed between 1886 and 1890. Col. Edward F. Ferris had been born in New York in 1835; he relocated to Salt Lake City, Utah in 1871. Ferris worked for Sebree, Ferris and White, a company which Cohen notes as, "a general forwarding and transportation business." Ferris made his way to Bozeman and in 1882 established an office of Sebree, Ferris, and White in anticipation of the arrival of the Northern Pacific Railroad Line (Cohen, 1985). By 1886, the company had expanded enough to warrant construction of the two-story commercial block at 34-42 W Main. Sebree, Ferris, and White also erected several storage sheds and warehouses on their property, likely near their store which sold hardware and implements (McDonald, 1984). Soon after construction finished, a portion of the building served a classroom space for Bozeman's new Agricultural College. In 1925, Great Falls entrepreneur Eugene Graff acquired the building. Graf also owned the Bon-Ton Flour Mill on N. Wallace and lead Bozeman Community Hotel Incorporated, a local corporation that constructed the nearby Baxter Hotel. In 1928, Graf hired local architect Fred F. Willson to remodel the exterior of his newly acquired building. Willson covered the corbeled cornice and original brick cladding with Mission detailing including exterior stucco, polychromatic glazed tiles, coats of arms, and segmented arch windows in the upper story. In 1945, Graf added a brick wing to the south elevation. The ground floor has served as retail space for a variety of businesses while the upstairs houses four apartments. In 1935, the building housed Toner's Music Shop at 34 W Main, Severson Style and Farrell's Hat Shop at 36 W Main, Modern Cleaners at 40 W Main, and the Bon Ton Bakery at 42 W Main. The Bon Ton Bakery operated the retail portion of their business from this space until 1954 when Eddys Bakeries purchased controlling interest of Bon Ton Bakeries (Billings Gazette, May 2, 1954). The sale included bakeries in Bozeman and Billings and twenty bread routes between Butte and Sidney, the Bon Ton Flour Mill at Bozeman was retained by the Graf family. The space previously occupied by the Bon Ton Bakery was taken over by Uhlrich's Bakery from 1954- at least 1960 (Polk, 1954, 1955, 1959 and Billings Gazette, April 1, 1960). MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 4 Information Sources/Bibliography Property Name: 34-42 W Main St Site Number: 238 INFORMATION SOURCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY Billings Gazette 1954 "Eddy Purchases Bon Ton Bakery." May 2, 1954. https://www.newspapers.com/image/411766838/?terms=Bon%20Ton%20Bakery&match=1, accessed 6/3/2021. 1960 "S and H Green Stamps" April 1, 1960. https://www.newspapers.com/image/410199018/?terms=Uhlrich%27s%20Bakery&match=1, accessed 6/3/2021. James R. McDonald 1984 34-42 W Main Montana Historical and Architectural Inventory Form. Revision by Matt Cohen in 1985. Document on-file with City of Bozeman, Bozeman, MT MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 5 Statement of Significance Property Name: 34-42 W Main St Site Number: 238 NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES NRHP Listing Date: 1986 NRHP Eligibility: Yes No Individually Contributing to Historic District Noncontributing to Historic District NRHP Criteria: A B C D Area of Significance: Architecture / Commercial History Period of Significance: Historic More Than One Decade STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE The Bon Ton Bakery building is a two-story commercial block currently listed in the NRHP as a primary contributing site within the Main Street Historic District (24GA0952). Metcalf finds the site in good condition and retains integrity sufficient to convey historic character in reference to its historic associations. The site is currently listed in the NRHP as contributing to the Main Street Historic District and it retains integrity sufficient to maintain its listed status. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 6 Integrity Property Name: 34-42 W Main St Site Number: 238 INTEGRITY (location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, association) The site is in good condition. The replacement of original glass block windows on the south wing affects the integrity of materials. All other aspects of integrity remain intact. Metcalf finds the property retains sufficient integrity to convey historic character. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 7 Photographs Property Name: 34-42 W Main St Site Number: 238 Feature # 1 Facing: S Description: Property 238. Primary façade. (Image #1544, 10/12/2020. SLW) Feature # 1 Facing: SE Description: Property 238. Oblique view. (Image #1543, 10/12/2020. SLW) MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 8 Site Map Property Name: 34-42 W Main St Site Number: 238 MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 9 Topographic Map Property Name: 34-42 W Main St Site Number: 238