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Home My WebLink About32 S Tracy Ave 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: 32 S Tracy Ave Historic Address (if applicable): City/Town: Bozeman Site Number: 283 Historic District Number (if applicable): 24GA0952 County: Gallatin Historic Name: U.S. Federal Building Original Owner(s): U.S. Government Current Ownership Private Public Current Property Name: The HRDC Building Owner(s): Human Resources Development Council District IX Owner Address: 32 S Tracy Ave., Bozeman, MT 59715-4659 Phone: Legal Location PM: Montana Township: 2S Range: 6E NE ¼ NW ¼ SW ¼ of Section: 7 Lot(s): Lot 18-22 Block(s): Block A Addition: Bozeman Original Plat Year of Addition: 1870 USGS Quad Name: Bozeman Year: 1987 Historic Use: Government Current Use: Non-profit Construction Date: 1915 Estimated Actual Original Location Moved Date Moved: UTM Reference www.nris.mt.gov NAD 27 or NAD 83 (preferred) Zone: 12 N Easting: 497131 Northing: 5058335 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: 6/11/2021 Form Prepared by: S. Wells and E. Sakariassen, Metcalf Archaeological Consultants Inc. 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: 32 S Tracy Ave Site Number: 283 ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION Architectural Style: Other If Other, specify: Neoclassical Property Type: Miscellaneous Specific Property Type: Non-profit Architect: Unknown Architectural Firm/City/State: Unknown Builder/Contractor: Unknown Company/City/State: Unknown Source of Information: This site consists of one historical architectural feature: a civic structure built ca. 1915. It was previously recorded in 1984 by James R. McDonald Architects, and subsequently listed in the NRHP as a contributing site within the Main Street Historic District (24GA0952) in 1986. McDonald described the structure as follows: "This detached two-story civic structure has a rectangular plan with a one-story back addition. The symmetrical façade consists of a central arched transomed entrance with matching arched windows on either side. The rest of the windows in the structure are 6/6 double-hung. The brick construction rests on a stone foundation and has a flat roof with distinctive dentiled cornice moulding around the top. The brick façade has corbeled sections emphasizing the window friezes. The axis of the roof is parallel to the street." Metcalf visited the site on October 16, 2020, and noted no major modifications or alterations since McDonald's survey. The only noted change is the addition of a memorial statue depicting Jeanette Ranking, Montana Congresswoman and first woman to hold high government office in the U.S., seated on a crescent moon. The sculpture was created by Jim Dolan and stands on a concrete base in the grass off the west end of the south elevation of the building. The site is in excellent condition. Vegetation on the property includes deciduous bushes all around the base of the structure on the west façade, and north and south elevations. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 3 History of Property Property Name: 32 S Tracy Ave Site Number: 283 HISTORY OF PROPERTY This property was first platted in 1870 by prominent Bozeman pioneer, entrepreneur and developer, Nelson Story who purchased it for $154 (Historic Montana 2021). In 1911 the United States Secretary of the Treasury took over the property and in 1912 began construction of Bozeman's first federal building, completing it by 1915. And as stated by McDonald, it served as a post office until 1964 when the new post office and Federal Building was built on Babcock. When McDonald surveyed the property in 1984 the structure was owned by the Department of the Army-Support Detachment. In the early 1990's the site was used as a backdrop for the movie A River Runs Through It, and in 1999, the Human Resource Development Council (HRDC) renovated the building as a Community Services Center (Historic Montana 2021). The HRDC is a not-for-profit corporation currently based in Bozeman, and provides volunteer and community development organization in Gallatin, Park, and Meagher Counties (HRDC 2021). MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 4 Information Sources/Bibliography Property Name: 32 S Tracy Ave Site Number: 283 INFORMATION SOURCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY Historic Montana 2021 The Montana National Register Sign Program, "Federal Building and Post Office, Bozeman," Historic Montana. Website, https://historicmt.org/items/show/563, accessed 11 June 2021. HRDC 2021 Human Resource Development Council. Website, https://thehrdc.org/, accessed 11 June 2021. James R. McDonald Architects 1984 32 S Tracy Ave. Montana Historical and Architectural Inventory Form. Document on-file with the City of Bozeman. Bozeman, MT. Montana State Library. Montana Cadastral records online, http://svc.mt.gov/msl/mtcadastral, accessed 11 June 2021. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 5 Statement of Significance Property Name: 32 S Tracy Ave Site Number: 283 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: Events, Architecture Period of Significance: 1910-1919 STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE This site is a historic civic structure built ca. 1915 as the Bozeman Post Office and Federal Building. It was previously recorded in 1984 by James R. McDonald Architects and later listed in the NRHP as a contributing site within the Main Street Historic District (24GA0952). McDonald determined that the historic integrity of the structure had been "retained due to the survival of original design and materials and continuity of use, setting and location." Metcalf concurs with this assessment and finds that all aspects of integrity have been sufficiently retained to convey historic character. This site is currently listed in the NRHP as contributing within the Main Street Historic District and retains sufficient integrity to maintain its listed status. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 6 Integrity Property Name: 32 S Tracy Ave Site Number: 283 INTEGRITY (location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, association) The site is in excellent condition and retains all aspects of integrity. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 7 Photographs Property Name: 32 S Tracy Ave Site Number: 283 Feature # 1 Facing: E Description: Property 283. Primary façade. (Image #1601, 10/16/2020. SLW) Feature # 1 Facing: NE Description: Property 283. Oblique view. (Image #1602, 10/16/2020. SLW) MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 8 Photographs Property Name: 32 S Tracy Ave Site Number: 283 Feature # 1 Facing: SW Description: Property 283. Oblique view of rear of building. (Image #1599, 10/16/2020. SLW) Feature # 2 Facing: E Description: Property 283. Close-up of memorial statue, east of building. (Image #1603, 10/16/2020. SLW) MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 9 Site Map Property Name: 32 S Tracy Ave Site Number: 283 MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 10 Topographic Map Property Name: 32 S Tracy Ave Site Number: 283