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Home My WebLink About23-39 S Tracy Ave_19-21 E Babcock 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: 23, 25, 37, 39 S Tracy Ave/19-21 E Babcock Historic Address (if applicable): City/Town: Bozeman Site Number: 288 Historic District Number (if applicable): 24GA0952 County: Gallatin Historic Name: Original Owner(s): Tracy-Babcock Improvement Co. Current Ownership Private Public Current Property Name: Owner(s): Allegra of Bozeman; Himsworth Rentals LLC Owner Address: 39 S Tracy Ave. Bozeman, MT 59715 Phone: Legal Location PM: Montana Township: 2S Range: 6E NE ¼ NW ¼ SW ¼ of Section: 7 Lot(s): Block(s): Addition: Year of Addition: USGS Quad Name: Bozeman Year: 1987 Historic Use: Commercial Current Use: Commercial Construction Date: 1926 Estimated Actual Original Location Moved Date Moved: UTM Reference www.nris.mt.gov NAD 27 or NAD 83 (preferred) Zone: 12 N Easting: 497067 Northing: 5058333 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: 06/15/2021 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: 23, 25, 37, 39 S Tracy Ave/19-21 E Babcock Site Number: 288 ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION Architectural Style: Mission-Spanish Revival If Other, specify: And Commercial Style Property Type: Commerce Specific Property Type: Multiple commercial units Architect: Fred F. Willson & William E. Grabow Architectural Firm/City/State: Bozeman, MT Builder/Contractor: Unknown Company/City/State: Unknown Source of Information: McDonald 1984 This site consists of a large, single-story commercial block built ca. 1926. The building is on a corner lot, with multiple store fronts with street addresses 23-25 and 37-39 S. Tracy Ave and 19-21 E Babcock St. Historically, it was the Tracy-Babcock Implements Co. The site was originally recorded in 1984 by James R. McDonald Architects, and subsequently included in the 1986 NRHP-listed Main Street Historic District (24GA0952) as a contributing site. McDonald described the structure as follows: "This one-story commercial structure has a rectangular plan with several storefront and facades. The brick construction is finished in stucco over several of the facades except the last one which is the original brick with corbeled design in the cornice. The remaining part of the structure has a metal coping above the stucco and a series of small vent-openings along the upper portion of the building. The entrances are glass doors and windows are storefront. The roof is flat of built-up materials and lies parallel to the street." Metcalf visited the site on October 15, 2020, and noted some modifications, mainly to the south elevation facing Babcock St. The three arches on the west end of the south elevation now have multi-paned windows above the two display windows and the entrance under the central arch. The center of the south elevation hasn't been modified, but appears to have fallen into disrepair and has been partially boarded up. Other modifications include the removal of old shop signs over the arches at the east end of the south elevation and the south end of the east façade . Shops along the center of the east façade now have fabric awnings hanging over their storefronts. No major modifications were noted. Aerial photos show that the plan of the building is semi-reverse L shape. The site is in good condition. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 3 History of Property Property Name: 23, 25, 37, 39 S Tracy Ave/19-21 E Babcock Site Number: 288 HISTORY OF PROPERTY This site is the historic Tracy-Babcock Imp. Co. building at the northwest corner of S. Tracy Ave and W. Babcock St. In 1985 Matt Cohen revised McDonald's 1984 report to provide a detailed history of the property. According to Cohen, "this building, as well as 23 S. Tracy and 24 S. Willson, was built by the Tracy-Babcock Co., a small, closely held local corporation that formed for the purpose of developing the half block bounded by S. Tracy, W. Willson, Babcock and the alley south of Main St." He described the single-story commercial block as "indicative of a demand for expansion of the downtown commercial district of Main St., even after all lots on that street were full." The building was built in four sections, between 1926 and 1927 and is therefore somewhat "incongruous"--as Cohen described it. The first two sections to be built were the storefront facing S. Tracy (25-39 S. Tracy), and the other facing Babcock (15-19 W. Babcock). Each contained 3 retail units. According to Cohen's history, the Dokken-Getchell Funeral Home, run by Herman H. Dokken was located in the westernmost section of the Babcock block (19 W. Babcock). The northern section of this block was occupied by L.W. Watson and Son, Painters and Decorators and, "businesses in the block facing S. Tracy were, in 1927, the Gallatin Valley Creamery (by 1933, the Ideal Creamery), a grocery store, and a furniture store" (Cohen 1985). There was also a small drug store on the north end of the S. Tracy Building in the early years. The southeast corner of the lot was an automobile showroom, which retains the distinctive, large display windows topped by semi-elliptical transoms which Cohen claims are "typical of auto showrooms of this period." The building has elements of the Spanish Colonial Revival/Mission Style in the south portion. Designed by prolific Bozeman architect Fred Willson, it has been postulated that this stylistic choice was employed to unify an otherwise expansive building with structural divisions between retail spaces. However, it is not unlike three other Willson-designed buildings nearby with elements of this style, all three built in the following year: the Baxter Hotel, the remodeled Bon Ton Bakery Building (34-42 W. Main), and the neighboring Alexander-Dixon Building (15 S. Tracy) (Cohen 1985). The building has had a variety of tenants, including Fred Willson's architectural office for a time. At the time of McDonald's survey a Singer sewing shop occupied the furthest north unit (brick exterior) on the east façade. The site is currently occupied by Allegra Printing, the Human Resource Development Council (HRDC; who also occupy the building directly across the street to the east), a boutique (furthest northern unit with brick exterior), and a ceramic studio/shop, all of which are units all on the east façade. Units on the south elevation appear to be currently unoccupied. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 4 Information Sources/Bibliography Property Name: 23, 25, 37, 39 S Tracy Ave/19-21 E Babcock Site Number: 288 INFORMATION SOURCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY Cohen, Matthew 1985 23 S Tracy Ave. Montana Historical and Architectural Inventory Form (revision). Document on-file with the City of Bozeman. Bozeman, MT. James R. McDonald Architects 1984 23 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 06/19/2021. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 5 Statement of Significance Property Name: 23, 25, 37, 39 S Tracy Ave/19-21 E Babcock Site Number: 288 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: Commerce Period of Significance: Historic More Than One Decade STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE The commercial structure at 23, 25, 37, 39 S Tracy Ave and 19-21 E Babcock St. was previously recorded in 1984 by James R. McDonald Architects, and subsequently included in the 1986 NRHP-listed Main Street Historic District (24GA0952) as a contributing site. The site is in good condition; the minor modifications to some of the exterior elevations that Metcalf noted may have restored some of the integrity to the structure in recent years and Metcalf finds that the structure retains sufficient integrity to convey historic character. This site is currently listed in the NRHP as a contributing site within the Main Street Historic District. It retains sufficient integrity to maintain its listed status. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 6 Integrity Property Name: 23, 25, 37, 39 S Tracy Ave/19-21 E Babcock Site Number: 288 INTEGRITY (location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, association) The site is in good condition. Broken and boarded up window panes as well as chipped and flaking plaster are present on portions of the south elevation. The small modifications to some of the exterior elevations may have restored some of the integrity to the structure. The addition of the fabric awnings to the storefronts on the east façade affect integrity of feeling, workmanship, materials, and design. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 7 Photographs Property Name: 23, 25, 37, 39 S Tracy Ave/19-21 E Babcock Site Number: 288 Feature # 1 Facing: W-NW Description: Property 134. Slightly oblique view of primary façade. (Image #1586, 10/15/2020. SLW) Feature # 1 Facing: NE Description: Property 134. Oblique view. (Image #1584, 10/15/2020. SLW) MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 8 Photographs Property Name: 23, 25, 37, 39 S Tracy Ave/19-21 E Babcock Site Number: 288 Feature # 1 Facing: NW Description: Property 134. Oblique view. (Image #1585, 10/15/2020. SLW) Feature # 1 Facing: W Description: Property 288. Primary façade. (Image #0534, 10/16/2020. EAS) MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 9 Photographs Property Name: 23, 25, 37, 39 S Tracy Ave/19-21 E Babcock Site Number: 288 Feature # 1 Facing: SW Description: Property 288. Oblique view. (Image #0532, 10/16/2020. SLW) Feature # 1 Facing: SE Description: Property 288. Oblique view of rear of building. (Image #0533, 10/16/2020. EAS) MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 10 Site Map Property Name: 23, 25, 37, 39 S Tracy Ave/19-21 E Babcock Site Number: 288 MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 11 Topographic Map Property Name: 23, 25, 37, 39 S Tracy Ave/19-21 E Babcock Site Number: 288