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Home My WebLink About209 S Wallace 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: 209 S Wallace Ave. Historic Address (if applicable): City/Town: Bozeman Site Number: 24GA0943 Historic District Number (if applicable): County: Gallatin Historic Name: Gallatin Valley Seed Company Original Owner(s): Wm. A. Davis Seed Co. Current Ownership Private Public Current Property Name: Gallatin Valley Seed Co. Owner(s): Gallatin Valley Seed Condo Master, Greater Yellowstone Coalition, North Star Investments LLC, Norah & Leona T. Poritz, & Mary Springer Owner Address: 215 S Wallace Ave., Bozeman, MT 59715 Phone: Legal Location PM: Montana Township: 2S Range: 6E SE ¼ NW ¼ SE ¼ of Section: 7 Lot(s): Lot 11-20 Block(s): Block D Addition: Rouse's 2nd Addition Year of Addition: 1881 USGS Quad Name: Bozeman Year: 1987 Historic Use: Warehouse/Plant Current Use: Commercial office space Construction Date: ca. 1917; ca. 1945 Estimated Actual Original Location Moved Date Moved: UTM Reference www.nris.mt.gov NAD 27 or NAD 83 (preferred) Zone: 12 N Easting: 497745 Northing: 5058150 National Register of Historic Places NRHP Listing Date: 1987 Historic District: NRHP Eligible: Yes No *Property meets the City of Bozeman's definition of an eligible property. Date of this document: 05/05/2021 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 is currently listed in the NRHP. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 2 Architectural Description Property Name: 209 S Wallace Ave. Site Number: 24GA0943 ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION Architectural Style: Other (specify) If Other, specify: Utilitarian Property Type: Commerce Specific Property Type: Warehouse/commercial office spaces Architect: Unknown Architectural Firm/City/State: Unknown Builder/Contractor: Unknown Company/City/State: Unknown Source of Information: This site consists of the Gallatin Valley Seed Co. complex, which is composed of the seed plant, two warehouses, and a smaller, detached garage. Historically the processing plant was built ca. 1917 and an additional buildings added in ca. 1945. The site is currently used as offices. It was first recorded in the 1980s and was listed in the NRHP in 1987. A description of the property from the NRHP nomination form is paraphrased below: The seed plant, which is the central portion of the Seed Company complex. It is a large, rectangular, three-story, wood frame building clad in galvanized corrugated metal. As described in Bick's nomination, "the building's architectural design relates directly to the building's function. The multiple machinery housing that project above the gently sloped gable roof cover the elevator equipment used in the gravity mill seed processing that occurred in the building...Evenly spaced four-over-one double hung windows light the fanning mill operations on the third floor. Considerably more light was required on the second floor where the seeds were sorted and treated. There, a continuous bank of four-over-four double hung windows extend along the length of the south elevation. Irregularly spaced four-over-four double hung windows are found on the first floor. Large concrete loading docks are located on the west, east, and south elevations. Large wooden sliding doors close off the loading platforms from the interior of the building. The building has a full concrete basement and a reinforced concrete floor in the first level. The only remaining interior feature that pertains to the Gallatin Valley Seed Co. operation is the elevator that serves all three stories, as well as the basement." A pair of warehouses, both located only about 15' to the north and south of the seed plan are now connected to the plant by framed-in walkways. A small addition to the rear (west) of the seed plant is used as an office for a food wholesaler. In addition, there is a large, one-story, brick veneered warehouse built ca. 1917 located adjacent to the seed plant to the north. This building has a concrete basement and a reinforced concrete floor. The windows are evenly spaced, fixed, six-light units with one five-panel door on the east facade. This warehouse is considered to be a contributing element of the complex. A long, rectangular, wood-framed warehouse is to the south of the seed plant, built during the 1940s and considered to be a non-contributing part of the Gallatin Valley Seed Co. complex. It is clad in galvanized metal, has a flat roof, concrete foundation, regularly spaced four-light fixed windows and a number of loading docks with sliding wooden doors. A number of new, single sheet glass windows have been cut into the south facade. Another three-story warehouse that originally was used for see pea processing by the Everett B. Clark Seed Co. is located across South Wallace Avenue from the nominated Gallatin Valley Seed Co. complex. According to Bick's nomination, "the Clark processing plant is not included as part of this nomination due to extensive alteration. The building has been sided in galvanized metal that has been painted blue and most of the windows have been replaced with larger single sheets of glass." Metcalf revisited the site on October 16, 2020, and noted some modern modifications. The main four story gable roofed building is listed, the 1940s warehouse to the south is not included in the listing. It is now a multi commercial office complex. It has been remodeled with modern entrances and windows. The listed part of the property is in excellent condition. The only modifications noted are replacement of the historic four over one lite double hung windows with one over one lite wood hung windows (stickers still on the glass). Also the entrances have been updated. These changes have some impact on integrity of materials and design but otherwise it retains integrity sufficient to maintain listed status. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 3 History of Property Property Name: 209 S Wallace Ave. Site Number: 24GA0943 HISTORY OF PROPERTY The Gallatin Valley Seed Company was begun in 1913 after the Jerome B. Rice Seed Company of Detroit, Michigan, sent a representative, William A. Davis, to Bozeman to determine whether peas that had been blighted there could perhaps be grown more profitably in Montana. Production efforts were so successful that, two years later, farmers had harvested seventeen thousand acres of seed peas (gallatinvalleyseed.com). The success also lead a group of local businessmen to organize the Bozeman Canning Co. in 1917, which processed peas as well as potatoes and remained an important industry in the area through the 1960s (Bick 1987). During the 1930's, the pea industry was the dominant business in the Gallatin Valley. Customers regarded Gallatin Valley pea seed varieties such as Thomas Laxton, Perfection, Rocket, W.R. Surprise, Bridger, Cascade, Climax, Pride, Ranger, Hyalite, and Alaskan as top varieties. However, during the late 1930s, bacterial blight severely diminished pea production. The seed companies consolidated and ultimately the Gallatin Valley Seed Co. moved its operations to the Twin Falls, Idaho area and Colfax, Washington in the Palouse (gallatinvalleyseed.com). According to the Montana Cadastral records for the property, in 2000 new paving and asphalt was added around the property for parking and access. Currently the property has been broken up into a number of different units for commercial operation. It is owned by various entities as well, including: The Gallatin Valley Seed Company, The Greater Yellowstone Coalition, North Star Investments LLC, Noah & Leona Poritz, and Mary Springer. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 4 Information Sources/Bibliography Property Name: 209 S Wallace Ave. Site Number: 24GA0943 INFORMATION SOURCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY Gallatin Valley Seed Company 1987 National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form. National Park Service, US Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. Gallatin Valley Seed Company 2005 History. Website, http://gallatinvalleyseed.com/history.php, accessed 5 May 2021. Montana State Library. Montana Cadastral records online, http://svc.mt.gov/msl/mtcadastral, accessed 05/05/2021. Smith, Phyllis 2008 "Peas That Please." The Magazine of Western History, 1 July 2008. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 5 Statement of Significance Property Name: 209 S Wallace Ave. Site Number: 24GA0943 NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES NRHP Listing Date: 10/23/1987 NRHP Eligibility: Yes No Individually Contributing to Historic District Noncontributing to Historic District NRHP Criteria: A B C D Area of Significance: Industry and Agriculture Period of Significance: Historic More Than One Decade STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE This site consists of the Gallatin Valley Seed Co. complex, which is composed of the seed plant, two warehouses, and a smaller, detached garage. The agricultural processing plant was built ca. 1917 and an additional building was added in ca. 1945. It stopped serving as the seed processing plant in the 1949s and has been converted to use as commercial offices. It was first recorded in the 1980s and was subsequently listed in the NRHP in 1987. This site is currently listed in the NRHP and retains sufficient integrity to maintain its listed status. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 6 Integrity Property Name: 209 S Wallace Ave. Site Number: 24GA0943 INTEGRITY (location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, association) This site has been remodeled with modern entrances and windows. The portion of the property that is listed in the NRHP is in excellent condition. The only modifications noted are replacement of the historic four-over-one-lite double-hung windows with one-over-one-lite wood hung windows. Also entrances have been updated. These changes have some impact on integrity of materials and design but otherwise other aspects are retained. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 7 Photographs Property Name: 209 S Wallace Ave. Site Number: 24GA0943 Feature # 1 Facing: NW Description: Site 24GA0943 (Property 290). Oblique view. (Image #0551, 10/16/2020. EAS) Feature # 1 Facing: SW Description: Site 24GA0943 (Property 290). Oblique view. (Image #0552, 10/16/2020. EAS) MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 8 Photographs Property Name: 209 S Wallace Ave. Site Number: 24GA0943 Feature # 1 Facing: SE Description: Site 24GA0943 (Property 290). Oblique view. (Image #0553, 10/16/2020. EAS) Feature # 1 Facing: NE Description: Site 24GA0943 (Property 290). Oblique view. (Image #0554, 10/16/2020. EAS) MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 9 Photographs Property Name: 209 S Wallace Ave. Site Number: 24GA0943 Feature # 1 Facing: SE Description: Site 24GA0943 (Property 290). Oblique view of 1940s building. (Image #0555, 10/16/2020. EAS) Feature # 1 Facing: NE Description: Site 24GA0943 (Property 290). Oblique view of 1940s building. (Image #0556, 10/16/2020. EAS) MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 10 Photographs Property Name: 209 S Wallace Ave. Site Number: 24GA0943 Feature # 1 Facing: NW Description: Site 24GA0943 (Property 290). Oblique view of 1940s building. (Image #0557, 10/16/2020. EAS) MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 11 Site Map Property Name: 209 S Wallace Ave. Site Number: 24GA0943 MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 12 Topographic Map Property Name: 209 S Wallace Ave. Site Number: 24GA0943