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Home My WebLink About24 S Willson 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: 24 S Willson Ave Historic Address (if applicable): City/Town: Bozeman Site Number: 291 Historic District Number (if applicable): 24GA0952 County: Gallatin Historic Name: Gallatin Chick Hatchery Original Owner(s): Current Ownership Private Public Current Property Name: 24 S. Willson Building Owner(s): First Presbyterian Church of Bozeman Owner Address: PO Box 1150, Bozeman, MT 59771 Phone: Legal Location PM: Montana Township: 2S Range: 6E NE ¼ NW ¼ SW ¼ of Section: 7 Lot(s): PARCEL 1A PLAT C-22-D Block(s): Addition: Story Addition Year of Addition: 1872 USGS Quad Name: Bozeman Year: 1987 Historic Use: Commercial Current Use: Commercial Construction Date: 1929 Estimated Actual Original Location Moved Date Moved: UTM Reference www.nris.mt.gov NAD 27 or NAD 83 (preferred) Zone: 12 N Easting: 497009 Northing: 5058342 National Register of Historic Places NRHP Listing Date: 1986 Historic District: Main Street Historic District NRHP Eligible: Yes No *Property does not meet the City of Bozeman’s definition of an eligible property. Date of this document: 5/18/2021 Form Prepared by: E. Sakariassen and R. Schields, 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: MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 2 Architectural Description Property Name: 24 S Willson Ave Site Number: 291 ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION Architectural Style: Commercial Style (Western) If Other, specify: Property Type: Commerce Specific Property Type: Montana Ironworks Architect: Unknown Architectural Firm/City/State: Unknown Builder/Contractor: Unknown Company/City/State: Unknown Source of Information: N/A This site is the 24 S Willson Building; the building was constructed in 1929 and has been previously known as the "Gallatin Chick Hatchery". The site was previously recorded by James R. McDonald Architects in 1984 and recommended as a neutral element within a potential historic district. Despite this recommendation, the site was subsequently listed in the NRHP as a contributing property to the Main Street Historic District (24GA0955) (Bick, 1986). McDonald described the building as follows: "This one-and-one-half story brick structure has a rectangular plan with a flush glass-paned front entry adjoining a stuccoed panel that dominates the front facade. The upper level of the front facade is a corbeled brick design and windows in the rest of the structure are casement and glass block. The axis of the flat roof is perpendicular to the street.' Metcalf visited the site in 2020 and has updated the architectural description below. The site is a single-story, irregular-plan, commercial building constructed in 1929. The main historic portion of the building is rectangular with two rectangular additions to the south elevation. The at-grade storefront faces west onto S Willson Ave. The exterior is clad in brick with stucco infill. The roof of the main portion is flat with a parapet and coping. The roofs of the additions are clad in raised seam metal panels. A square brick chimney extends from the roof of the main portion near the north elevation. The facade faces west onto S Willson. Centered within the elevation is an at-grade store front flanked by tinted fixed windows with steel surrounds and a raised-seam metal panel awning. To the north, in the historic main building portion, the storefront is filled in with stucco. Above the entrance is a soldier-course of brick and a corbeled brick panel. To the south of the entrance, the addition is clad in stucco with a sign reading "24 S Willson Building". The south elevation supports a bank of full-height, square, fixed windows on the addition to the west end. The east elevation of the addition has no fenestration and is clad in stucco. A smaller, rectangular addition is in the center of the south elevation. It has four, large, fixed-lite windows and an additional at-grade entry which is accessed via the paved parking area to the south and east of the building. The north elevation faces into the alleyway and supports an additional at-grade service entrance and a series of older, metal-framed windows. Overall, the site is in good condition. Multiple additions, infill of historic storefronts, and replacement of original windows affects the integrity of materials, design, workmanship, feeling, and association. Integrity of location and setting remain intact. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 3 History of Property Property Name: 24 S Willson Ave Site Number: 291 HISTORY OF PROPERTY 24 S Willson was constructed in 1929 and has housed a variety of industrial and commercial enterprises. From 1931-1950, the building housed the Gallatin Chick Hatchery (McDonald, 1984; Polk, 1931, 1950). The hatchery provided chicks and hatching eggs bred in Montana by certified breeders to farmers and ranchers across the state (Augusta News, March 3, 1938). In Fairfield, Montana, locals could submit orders for chicks to the county agent who would pool the orders to save on shipping costs (Fairfield Times, January 31, 1935). Walter Mecklenburg was the first manager of the chick hatchery, followed by James Veltkamp, who managed the hatchery from 1942-1944. In the 1930s, the rear portion of 24 S Willson served as a service area for D. Harvey Budd's electronic and plumbing shop. The shop offered offered plumbing, heating, and radio repair as well as electricians and sheet metal works from their storefront at 30 W Main. The Gallatin Chick Hatchery continued to operate at 24 S Willson through 1950, but by that year portions of the buildings were being rented to the H. L. Casey Agency and Easy Way Laundry. The Casey Agency, run by Herman Casey, offered mortgages, insurance, real estate, and management services (Polk, 1950). Laura Casey, Herman's daughter, was the proprietor of Easy Way Laundry. (Polk, 1950). By 1954, the building was home to a real estate office run by Gerald Collett and Easy Way Laundry, which continued to be run by Laura Casey. Two years later, the building added another tenant, Clark Stiff and Kirchoff, an accounting service run by Clifford Clark, Alfred Stiff, and Herbert Kirchhoff (Polk, 1956). By 1959, Collett's real estate office was no longer associated with the property, but the building added a new tenant - Vollmer and Sons Wholesales Meats (Polk, 1959). Laura Casey attempted to sell her Easy Way Laundry business in 1961, listing the business and all equipment for $2,500. More recently, the building has housed Bozeman's Sweet Pea Office and Cabinet Express (Montana Standard, February 14, 1993; September 29, 1990). The current tenants are Joyce Miller Montana Realty and Montana Ironworks. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 4 Information Sources/Bibliography Property Name: 24 S Willson Ave Site Number: 291 INFORMATION SOURCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY Augusta News, "Baby Chicks." The Augusta News, March 3, 1938. https://www.newspapers.com/image/678262652/?terms=Gallatin%20Chick%20Hatchery&match=1, accessed 5/18/2021. Fairfield Times. "Now is the Time to Order Your Baby Chicks for Spring Delivery." Fairfield Times, January 31, 1935. https://www.newspapers.com/image/678109371/?terms=Gallatin%20Chick%20Hatchery&match=1, accessed 5/18/2021. Independent Record "Real Estate" Novebmer 26, 2016. https://www.newspapers.com/image/473131797/?terms=%2224%20S%20Willson%22&match=1, accessed 5/18/2021. Montana Standard "Sweet Pea '93 Invites Artists." February 13, 1993. https://www.newspapers.com/image/350518993/?terms=%2224%20S%20Willson%22&match=1, accessed 5/18/2021. "New Homes? Remodeling?" September 29, 1990. https://www.newspapers.com/image/349696535/?terms=%2224%20S%20Willson%22&match=1, accessed 5/18/2021. R. L. Polk & Company 1904-2012 Polk’s Bozeman (Gallatin County, Mont.) City Directories. R.L. Polk & Co., Kansas City, Missouri. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 5 Statement of Significance Property Name: 24 S Willson Ave Site Number: 291 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: Period of Significance: STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE The property at 24 S Willson consists of a single, historical architectural feature: a single story commercial and industrial building constructed in 1929 in the 20th century commercial style. The building is currently listed on the NRHP as a contributing site within the Main Street Historic District (24GA0952). Overall, the site is in good condition, but due to additions and alterations over the years including the infill of historic storefronts, the site lacks integrity to convey its historic character. Metcalf recommend the site is no longer eligible for inclusion in the NRHP and that it be considered not eligible/non-contributing within the Main Street Historic District. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 6 Integrity Property Name: 24 S Willson Ave Site Number: 291 INTEGRITY (location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, association) Overall, the site is in good condition. Multiple additions, infill of historic storefronts, and replacement of original windows affects the integrity of materials, design, workmanship, feeling, and association. Only the integrity of location and setting remain intact. The site no longer retains integrity sufficient to convey historic character to the public Right of Way. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 7 Photographs Property Name: 24 S Willson Ave Site Number: 291 Feature # 1 Facing: SE Description: Property 291. Oblique view (Image #0530, 10/16/2020, EAS). eature # 1 Facing: NE Description: Property 291. Oblique view (Image #0529, 10/16/2020, EAS). MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 8 Photographs Property Name: 24 S Willson Ave Site Number: 291 Feature # 1 Facing: NW Description: Property 291. Oblique view (Image #0531, 10/16/2020, EAS). MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 9 Site Map Property Name: 24 S Willson Ave Site Number: 291 MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 10 Topographic Map Property Name: 24 S Willson Ave Site Number: 291