The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About7 W 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: 7 W Main St. Historic Address (if applicable): City/Town: Bozeman Site Number: 242 Historic District Number (if applicable): 24GA0952 County: Gallatin Historic Name: Golden Rule Store Original Owner(s): W. Fisher & Sons Current Ownership Private Public Current Property Name: Montana Trails Gallery, Main Street Fitness, Heyday Owner(s): Summit Properties, LLC Owner Address: Bozeman, MT 59719-0250 Phone: Legal Location PM: Montana Township: 2S Range: 6E SE ¼ SW ¼ NW ¼ of Section: 7 Lot(s): Lots 4 and 5, 12.8' W S Lot 3, and 3.2'E S Lot 6 Block(s): Block A Addition: Tracy's 1st Year of Addition: 1872 USGS Quad Name: Bozeman Year: 1987 Historic Use: Commercial Current Use: Commercial Construction Date: 1906 Estimated Actual Original Location Moved Date Moved: UTM Reference www.nris.mt.gov NAD 27 or NAD 83 (preferred) Zone: Easting: 497068.16 Northing: 5058451.5 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: 3/17/2021 Form Prepared by: E. Sakariassen, 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. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 2 Architectural Description Property Name: 7 W Main St. Site Number: 242 ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION Architectural Style: Romanesque If Other, specify: Property Type: Commerce Specific Property Type: Commercial retail store Architect: Unknown Architectural Firm/City/State: Unknown Builder/Contractor: Unknown Company/City/State: Unknown Source of Information: N/A This site is the 1906 Fisher Mercantile Co., a 2-story commercial building built by O.W. Fisher and his sons Burr and O.W., Jr. The site was previously recorded by James R. McDonald Architects in 1985 who recommended it as a non-contributing element in the Main Street Historic District (24GA0952). At the time, the building appeared quite different. McDonald described it as follows: "This two-story commercial structure has a rectangular plan with a flat-roof extension over each of the two store entrances. The facade is asymmetrical and consists of two entrances with aluminum fixed windows and three fixed windows on the second level over one store. The frame construction is finished in brick-designed concrete black screen wall and a limestone-granite decorative wall on the street level. It rests on a concrete foundation and has a flat built-up roof, which is parallel to the street." He continued, "The historic integrity of this property has not been retained due to change in original design and materials." Metcalf visited the site and finds that it has since been restored to its historic appearance. The facade primary facade, which faces south onto Main St., has been modified and partially restored. The concrete screen that had once spanned the facade has been removed to reveal the original facade in the second story. The first story is divided into three storefronts, each with a recessed entry and fixed display windows. Windows and doors are all modern metal. The bulkheads are clad in a modern synthetic paneling. Transoms span each of the buildings five bays. The first story is clad in a polished black granite veneer and above, the second story is cream colored brick with darker brick details. The second story has five modern metal windows with operable one over one lite side lites. Between Each bay is decorative brickwork. The cornice has four lancet arched recesses corresponding to the buildings five bays. At center is a sandstone or concrete cartouche which reads "THE GOLDEN RULE " and the year 1906. At the north end of the east elevation is a painted sign reading "first west, customer parking only." The rear of the building has a shed roofed addition clad in corrugated metal and an older flat roof bump out to the west. Modern windows on the west end. The window on the second story fits an original opening . Other windows are complex multi lite fixed windows. Blinded windows are visible on the east end of the upper story. Two employee entrances at grade. While the site was originally non-contributing, the partial restoration of the brick facade has returned character defining elements of its style and period of construction such that the site now merits reconsideration within the historic district. Metcalf recommends it be considered a contributing site within the Main Street Historic District (24GA0952). MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 3 History of Property Property Name: 7 W Main St. Site Number: 242 HISTORY OF PROPERTY This site is associated with O.W. Fisher and sons, notable Bozeman merchants. Oliver W. Fisher was born in Ohio in 1842. He trained as a miller and eventually entered the lumber business. He was a entrepreneur and became affluent through varied business interests in lumber, flour milling, banking, and the mercantile trade throughout the country (. Two of his sons, Burr and O.W., Jr. joined the mercantile business, starting Golden Rule Stores in Colorado and Montana. O.W. Fisher and his sons purchased the Gallatin Milling Company, a flour mill in Belgrade in 1903, and changed the name to the Gallatin Valley Milling Co. As owner, president, and principal stockholder, O.W. Fisher made his home in Bozeman. Soon after, Burr and O.W., Jr. erected a new building to house their Golden Rule Store in 1906 (American Lumberman Magazine 1906). As McDonald asserted in 1985, "In 1910 the business was sold to J.R. Chambers who operated the store until 1938. The Fisher family established the Fisher Mercantile Company, the Fisher Flouring Mills among their business ventures. O.W. Fisher and his two sons all lived in Bozeman for several years but by 1914 they had moved their business headquarters to Seattle. Burr Fisher first built at 209 S Grand in 1900 before building in 1909 at S. Willson designed by Fred F. Willson. O.W. Fisher built at 722 S Willson (now demolished) in 1904." MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 4 Information Sources/Bibliography Property Name: 7 W Main St. Site Number: 242 INFORMATION SOURCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY American Lumberman Magazine 1906 "Oliver W. Fisher" in The Personal History and Public and Business Achievements of One Hundred Eminent Lumbermen of the United Sates, American Lumberman, Chicago, IL. Electronic document, https://www.ttarchive.com/Library/Biographies/Fisher- Oliver-W_1905_American-Lumberman-Biographies-Vol-1.html, accessed 3/17/2021. DeHaas, John N. Jr. 1984 Fisher, Burr House. National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form. National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. James R. McDonald Architects 1985 7 W Main St. Montana Historical and Architectural Inventory FOrm. Document on-file with the City of Bozeman, Bozeman, MT. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 5 Statement of Significance Property Name: 7 W Main St. Site Number: 242 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: Historic More Than One Decade STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE This site, known as the Golden Rule Store and Fisher and Sons Mercantile, has been recorded and is located within the Main Street Historic District (24GA0952). At the time of the listing, the building was determined "not contributing" because of extensive exterior remodeling. However, Metcalf has found that major restoration and renovation to the building's facade, particularly the second story, has brought the site back to near original appearance such that it has regained sufficient integrity to convey historic character. Sect. 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 to an existing or potential historic district. The site has been re-evaluated against the NRHP Criteria. Metcalf recommends that the site's status be elevated as it is eligible/contributing within the Main Street Historic District (24GA0952) and should be listed as such in the NRHP. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 6 Integrity Property Name: 7 W Main St. Site Number: 242 INTEGRITY (location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, association) Partial restoration by removal of previous concrete screen veneer has improved the sites integrity of materials, design, workmanship, association and feeling. The first story black stone veneer still affects integrity of materials and feeling, however, overall the site retains sufficient integrity to convey historic character. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 7 Photographs Property Name: 7 W Main St. Site Number: 242 Feature # 1 Facing: N Description: Property 242, façade view (Image #0276, 11/07/2020, EAS). Feature # 1 Facing: S Description: Property 242, rear view (Image #0278, 11/07/2020, EAS). MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 8 Site Map Property Name: 7 W Main St. Site Number: 242 MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 9 Topographic Map Property Name: 7 W Main St. Site Number: 242