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Home My WebLink About23 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: 23-25 W Main St. Historic Address (if applicable): City/Town: Bozeman Site Number: 246 Historic District Number (if applicable): 24GA0952 County: Gallatin Historic Name: Original Owner(s): Nelson Story Current Ownership Private Public Current Property Name: Jam!, The Bent Lens, and Zsa Zsa's boutique Owner(s): Fives the Most, LLC Owner Address: PO Box 6429, Bozeman, MT 59771-6429 Phone: Legal Location PM: Montana Township: 2S Range: 6E SE¼ SW¼ NW ¼ of Section: 7 Lot(s): Lot 9 and 27' W S Lot 8 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: 1903 Estimated Actual Original Location Moved Date Moved: UTM Reference www.nris.mt.gov NAD 27 or NAD 83 (preferred) Zone:12 Easting: 497033.13 Northing: 5058451.43 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: 3/18/2021 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: 23-25 W Main St. Site Number: 246 ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION Architectural Style: Other (specify) If Other, specify: Early 20th Century Commercial Property Type: Commerce Specific Property Type: Retail store Architect: Unknown Architectural Firm/City/State: Unknown Builder/Contractor: Unknown Company/City/State: Unknown Source of Information: N/A This site is a two-story brick commercial completed in 1903 and originally owned by Nelson Story. James R. McDonald Architects recorded the site in 1984 and it was subsequently listed in the NRHP as contributing to the Main Street Historic District (24GA0952). McDonald described the building as follows: "This attached two-story commercial structure has a square plan with three store entrances protected by rounded metal awnings. The one-bay facade is asymmetrical and consists of the entrances with large fixed windows. The second story features two sets of three double-hung 1/1/ windows with brick keystone arches over each and concrete sills. The bearing wall construction is finished in brick running bond and has a flat built-up roof. Storefront remodeling has removed original detailing at street level." Metcalf visited the site and recorded several changes have occurred. The awnings described by McDonald are no longer in place. The Westmost storefront has an expanded entry with four tall glass bifolding doors framed by steel beam opening. To the east, the Bent Lens store entry remains unchanged and the east entry has been faced with painted brick. Upper story windows remain intact. North elevation, not previously documented, is accessed by an east-west trending alley. There is a corrugated metal shed-roofed porch across first story, sheltering rear employee and service entrances. Windows across upper stories are mostly original wood one-over-one-lite double-hung windows with concrete sills and lintels. Overall the site is in excellent condition and has experienced only minor alterations to the facade's storefronts. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 3 History of Property Property Name: 23-25 W Main St. Site Number: 246 HISTORY OF PROPERTY This site is a 2-story commercial block built in 1903 by one of Bozeman's most prominent early merchants and developers Nelson Story. Matt Cohen provided a brief history of the property in his 1985 revision of McDonald's Montana Historical and Architectural Inventory form. His history is as follows: "An important architectural element on the north side of Main Street between Willson and Tracy Avenues. This simple 2-story commercial block may have been built by Nelson Story, a major figure in Bozeman history. The building is one of only three of the eight buildings in this segment of the streetscape to escape major non-contributing alteration within the past 43 years. Architecturally, the building coincides with the date of 1903 that appears on the sewer permit for it. Nelson Story is listed as the owner on that permit, and was probably the original owner. The original historical inventory notes that an architect named Galbraith designed this building for Story, but lists no documentation for this. Galbraith is known to have designed the Story Block (2-12 E Main) for Story." Metcalf searched city directories to provide further historical information. The 1904-05 Polk Directory identifies 23 W Main as the "Dodson Building." At the time, the only Dodson listed in the directory is Philip Dodson, public administrator and insurance agent working at 202 W Main and residing at 116 W Babcock. Philip Dodson had arrived in Bozeman in 1866 with the firm of Tuller and Rich (Montana Historical Society 1917). According to Tom Stout's 1921 history of Montana, Philip Dodson was born in England. He came to the United States in 1862 and made his way west. "He had varied experiences and followed different occupations in the territory...he was a Bozeman merchant, and since then has conducted a business in fire insurance and still handles a prosperous agency for some of the best old line insurance companies." He served four years as City Treasurer and two years as a member of the council and two years as administrator of Gallatin County (Stout 2017). Subsequent city directories through the 19-teens continue to identify the building as the "Dodson Building." MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 4 Information Sources/Bibliography Property Name: 23-25 W Main St. Site Number: 246 INFORMATION SOURCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY James R. McDonald Architects 1985 23-25 W Main St. Montana Historical and Architectural Inventory Form. Document on-file with the City of Bozeman. Bozeman, MT. Montana Historical Society 1917 Contributions ot the Historical Society of Montana, Vol. 8. Rocky Mountain Publishing Company, Helena, Montana. Stout, Tom 2017 Montana, its Story and Biography. Original work published 1921. Andesite Press, New York. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 5 Statement of Significance Property Name: 23-25 W Main St. Site Number: 246 NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES NRHP Listing Date: 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 The Dodson Building is currently listed in the NRHP as a contributing site within the Main Street Historic District (24GA0952). Metcalf finds that the site is in excellent condition. The site retains sufficient integrity to convey historic character in reference to its historic associations. The site is currently listed in the NRHP and retains integrity sufficient to maintain its listed status. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 6 Integrity Property Name: 23-25 W Main St. Site Number: 246 INTEGRITY (location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, association) This site is in excellent condition. Few changes have occurred over the years. Since previous record, the storefront windows and doors have been replaced and modified affecting the integrity of materials and design. Other aspects remain intact, sufficient to maintain listed status. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 7 Photographs Property Name: 23-25 W Main St. Site Number: 246 Feature # 1 Facing: NE Description: Property 246, oblique view (Image #0273, 10/12/2020, EAS). Feature # 1 Facing: SW Description: Property 246, oblique view (Image #0279, 10/12/2020, EAS). MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 8 Site Map Property Name: 23-25 W Main St. Site Number: 246 MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 9 Topographic Map Property Name: 23-25 W Main St. Site Number: 246