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Home My WebLink About101 E 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: 101 E MAIN Historic Address (if applicable): City/Town: Bozeman Site Number: 202 Historic District Number (if applicable): 24GA0952 County: Gallatin Historic Name: Willson Company Building Original Owner(s): General Lester S. Willson Current Ownership Private Public Current Property Name: Copper / Whiskey Bar & Grill, & Willson Building Condos Owner(s): Copper 101 LLC, & General WillsonBuilding LLC Owner Address: General Willson Building Condo Master, General Delivery, Bozeman, MT 59718-9999 Phone: Legal Location PM: Montana Township: 2S Range: 6E SW¼ SE¼ NW¼ of Section: 7 Lot(s): Lot 1 & W 24.5' Lot 2 Block(s): Block E Addition: General Willson BLDG Condo Year of Addition: USGS Quad Name: Bozeman Year: 1987 Historic Use: Commercial Current Use: Commercial & Residential Construction Date: 1903 Estimated Actual Original Location Moved Date Moved: UTM Reference www.nris.mt.gov NAD 27 or NAD 83 (preferred) Zone: 12 Easting: 497232.04 Northing: 5058454.73 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 (see below) Date of this document: 11/6/2020 Form Prepared by: S. Wells, 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 the Main Street Historic District (24GA0952). MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 2 Architectural Description Property Name: 101 E MAIN Site Number: 202 ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION Architectural Style: Romanesque If Other, specify: Property Type: Commerce Specific Property Type: Multiple businesses, retail and restaurant, & residential on second floor Architect: C.S. Haire Architectural Firm/City/State: Unknown Builder/Contractor: Unknown Company/City/State: Unknown Source of Information: James R. McDonald Architects This site consists of one historical feature: a two-story commercial building, built c. 1902. The building is the historic Willson Co. building, listed in the NRHP as contributing to the Bozeman Main Street Historic District (24GA0952). It was first recorded in 1984 by James R. McDonald Architects. McDonald’s 1984 description is as follows: "This attached two-story commercial structure has a square plan with an oval-ended metal overhang across the street level. The facade is symmetrical and consists of a central entrance with storefront windows. The second story has no windows but features a brick corbeled band of arches just below the cornice and a diamond pattern of white brick below the corbelling. The brick construction has been covered with epoxy stone panels obscuring the original facade. The roof is flat with built-up materials." Due to extensive facade remodeling, McDonald had initially considered the site an "intrusive element within a potential (at the time) historic district" (now Main Street Historic District). Regardless, the 1986 district nomination listed 101 E Main St as “contributing.” Since the 1984 survey the billboard facade, which covered the second story windows of the primary south facade, has since been removed and the original windows re-exposed. The brick corbeled arches and white brick diamond design are still present around the entire building trim and have been restored. The windows have been replaced but the openings are intact. The new windows are the exact same style of one-over-one hung sash on the west elevation. The primary south facade windows (and the farthest two southern windows on the west elevation) have also kept their original style of windows, but the top lites are smaller and possibly casement style while the bottom lites are large fixed picture windows. Sashes are modern black metal. On a band above the second story windows, in gold metal lettering, is the name "Delaney & Company." The primary storefront facade is now a modern black metal frame around the display windows and entrances. This is also in similar style to the original 1902 storefront style. There are now 3 entrances on the primary facade for the multiple businesses housed within the first story, when there might have been only two entrances on the original construction. The entrances are slightly recessed, and there is a strip of fixed square windows running across the top of the display windows and entrances. The site is in excellent condition. The modern storefront affects integrity of materials and design to a degree, but has not strayed greatly from the original design. The restoration of the original facade on the second story has also returned overall integrity of design, materials, and feeling. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 3 History of Property Property Name: 101 E MAIN Site Number: 202 HISTORY OF PROPERTY The 1985 revision to the James R. McDonald Architects survey (by surveyor Matt Cohen), reviews the history of the Willson Company building and General Lester S. Willson, a "Bozeman pioneer and father of the prolific local architect Fred F. Willson" (McDonald Architects). Excerpts from Cohen's history are as follows: "The Willson Co. Building, one of three large, decorative commercial blocks at this intersection, all of which were built within three years of each other, has high historic significance due to its direct association with General Lester S. Willson - Bozeman pioneer and father of the prolific local architect Fred F. Willson. The building is also of regional significance due to the extensive trade throughout the county managed by this Bozeman business... The history of the Willson Co. - original owner and occupant of this building - is deeply rooted in the history of the west, and consequently in Bozeman's important role in the development of this region. In the early spring of 1866, General Lester S. Willson and two friends, Charles Rich and L.W. Tuller attended a lecture by Schuyler Colfax in New York City, at which they heard the famous line: "Go west young man, and grow up with the country" (Bozeman Daily Chronicle, Sept. 3, 1916 p. 5). Willson afterward challenged his companions to take Colfax up on his words. Rich and Tuller left at once for the west, while General Willson sent his brother Davis Willson in his place, until he could settle up his affairs in the east and join them the following year. The three met Oscar Penwell, another Gallatin County pioneer, on the boat to Omaha, who invited them to open a store on his ranch on the Gallatin River. This they did, in a tent for two to three weeks, until opening later the same year in the log Masonic Temple then being built on the northwest corner of Main St. and Bozeman Ave. General Willson arrived from the east in April, 1867, and in the fall of 1868, the business moved into a frame, 2-story gable front, Greek Revival style building, on the southeast corner of Main and Bozeman. Willson soon bought out Tuller, and the name became "Rich and Willson." The following year, Willson returned east to marry Emma D. Weeks, and brought her, along with the city's first piano, to Bozeman, settling in a cabin behind the present site of the Baltimore Hotel. J.V. Bogert, first mayor of Bozeman, joied the company briefly in the early 1870's, which became "Rich, Willson & Bogert," until his departure, when it was renamed "Willson & Rich." In 1876, Willson took full control of the company, and ran it under his name until 1884, when Fred A. Fielding (namesake of Willson's son, Fred Fielding Willson) became a partner of "L.S. Willson & Co." In that year, the new partnership moved into a 2- story, 7-bay, brick, Italianate style commercial block, which probably stood on the present site of the Hotel Baltimore (222-224 E. Main), close to the Willsons' original Bozeman residence. That L.S. Willson Co. Building was very similar to the Osborne Block (229-231 E. Main), both having been built by Dr. Osborne and Frank Harper (Avant Courier, May 21, 1882, p. 3). Ellsworth noted in 1898 that the store was divided into departments, and that "special attention" was given to the mail order department, thus emphasizing the company's extensive regional business (Ellsworth, p. 18). Two years later, General Willson built a fine clapboard house, still standing on S. Willson Ave. (1886, 504 S. Willson). Formerly Central Ave., the street was re-named in Willson's honor upon his death in 1919. Willson again became the sole proprietor of the company in 1893, when the company was incorporated as "The Willson Co." In 1903 the present building was constructed to house the expanded business, and remained as the Willson Co. until 1949. It was bought by the J.P. Croft Co. in 1949, and seven years later was bought by J.M. McDonald. McDonald opened a department store under his name, remodeled the storefront and interior, and added the present marquee, upon which stood red letters bearing the name "McDonald's" (the letters were similar to those of the present McCracken's store, 131-133 E. Main and Vaughn's, 201 E Main). In 1900, an annex was added on the east side of the building (not visible from Main St.), which added about 4000 square feet of retail space to the store. Conrad's, the present occupant, took over the building in 1982, and while keeping the McDonald's marquee, remodeled both it and the storefront with black trim, and erected the billboard faÃ§ade which presently obscures about 30% of the building exterior." Currently the building is owned and operated by Copper (whiskey bar and grill) and Willson Building Condos. Sometime before 2013 MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 4 History of Property Property Name: 101 E MAIN Site Number: 202 managing partners Jay Thane and Jon Slye bought and began remodeling the Willson Co. Building for a whiskey bar to be named Copper. By March 2013 the bar had opened and a grand opening was held on April 12, 2013 (https://www.explorebigsky.com). Historic photos from The Willson Company website (https://thewillsoncompany.com/our-story/) MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 5 Information Sources/Bibliography Property Name: 101 E MAIN Site Number: 202 INFORMATION SOURCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY Avant Courier 1882 May 21, 1882, p. 3. 1900 September 1, 1900, p. 1. Bozeman Daily Chronicle [Bozeman, Montana] 1916 September 3, 1916, p. 5. 1963 October 23, 1963. Explore Big Sky 2013 "Copper: Whiskey and Montana meet in Bozeman," Joseph T. O’Connor, April 10, 2013, website. https://www.explorebigsky.com/, accessed 01/24/2021. Gallatin County Tribune 1971 Progress Edition, 1971 (cites Ellsworth for most information up to 1898) James R. McDonald Architects 1984-85 101 E Main St. 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 12/04/2020. The Willson Company 2018 "Our Story." Electronic Document. www.thewillsoncompany.com/our-story/, accessed December 3, 2020. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 6 Statement of Significance Property Name: 101 E MAIN Site Number: 202 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, Exploration/Settlement, Commerce Period of Significance: More than One Decade STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE The property at 101 E. Main Street has been previously recorded and listed as a contributing property within the Bozeman Main Street Historic District (24GA0952). The site is in excellent condition and consists of a two-story brick commercial building built in 1902-03 as the Willson Co. Building. It underwent storefront restoration in recent years, returning to a more accurate historic appearance. The site retains sufficient integrity to convey its historic character. Sec. 38.700 of the Bozeman Municipal Code defines an eligible property as one that meets the criteria for inclusion in the NRHP or State Register either 1) individually or 2) as a contributing building in an existing or potential historic district. The site is currently listed in the NRHP within the Main Street Historic District and retains integrity sufficient to maintain its listed status. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 7 Integrity Property Name: 101 E MAIN Site Number: 202 INTEGRITY (location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, association) The site is in excellent condition. The modern storefront affects integrity of feeling, materials, and design to a degree, but has not strayed greatly from the original design. The restoration of the original facade on the second story has also returned overall integrity of design, materials, and feeling. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 8 Photographs Property Name: 101 E MAIN Site Number: 202 Feature # 1 Facing: NE Description: Property 202. Oblique view. (Image #1658, 10/27/2020. SLW) Feature # 1 Facing: N Description: Property 202. Primary façade. (Image #1659, 10/27/2020. SLW) MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 9 Photographs Property Name: 101 E MAIN Site Number: 202 Feature # 1 Facing: SW Description: Property 202. Oblique view of rear. (Image #1672, 10/27/2020. SLW) Feature # 1 Facing: SE Description: Property 202. Oblique view of rear. (Image #1673, 10/27/2020. SLW) MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 10 Site Map Property Name: 101 E MAIN Site Number: 202 MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 11 Topographic Map Property Name: 101 E MAIN Site Number: 202