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Home My WebLink About404 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: 300 W Main St & 404 W Main St Historic Address (if applicable): 404 W Main St City/Town: Bozeman Site Number: 24GA0949 Historic District Number (if applicable): County: Gallatin Historic Name: Gallatin County High School Original Owner(s): Gallatin County Current Ownership Private Public Current Property Name: Willson Auditorium Owner(s): Bozeman School District #7 Owner Address: 404 W Main St., Bozeman, MT 59715-4579 Phone: Legal Location PM: Montana Township: 2S Range: 5E SE ¼ SE ¼ NE ¼ of Section: 12 Lot(s): Lots 6A, 7-32, 33A Block(s): Block D Addition: Story Addition Year of Addition: 1872 USGS Quad Name: Bozeman Year: 1987 Historic Use: Education Current Use: Education, Residential Construction Date: 1901-1902, 1936-1937 Estimated Actual Original Location Moved Date Moved: UTM Reference www.nris.mt.gov NAD 27 or NAD 83 (preferred) Zone: 12 N Easting: 496652.07 Northing: 5058361.78 National Register of Historic Places NRHP Listing Date: 01/22/1988 Historic District: NRHP Eligible: Yes No *Property meets the City of Bozeman’s definition of an eligible property (see below). Date of this document: 04/12/2021 Form Prepared by: S. Wells and 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: MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 2 Architectural Description Property Name: 300 W Main St & 404 W Main St Site Number: 24GA0949 ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION Architectural Style: Other If Other, specify: Romanesque style, Classical Revival, and Art Deco style Property Type: Education Specific Property Type: Architect: George Hancock; Fred F. Willson Architectural Firm/City/State: Bozeman, MT Builder/Contractor: Unknown Company/City/State: Unknown Source of Information: Montana Historical/Architectural Inventory form (McDonald, Cohen, Bick) The site consists of a large school building encompassing an entire block on the south side of W Main St. The site was originally recorded by James R. McDonald Architects in 1984, who described the Gallatin County High School building as “composed of four main sections: the 1902 Romanesque/Classical Revival, original high school building with its large ca. 1914 addition, and the attached 1937 Art Deco High School with its large gymnasium.” All of these buildings and additions are connected by open hallways and were therefore documented as one historical architectural feature with “a number of significant, component parts” (McDonald 1984). The oldest portion of the school is the historic brick high school at the east end of the lot. This building was completed in 1902 and has been recently converted to luxury townhomes (The Willson Residences). The primary façade of the 1902 school faces West Main Street. As described by in previous documentation, “this brick building is set on a high, cut sandstone foundation. The central entrance, with its sandstone surround, has been infilled and the steps have been removed. The overall organization of the façade is symmetrical. The central projecting bay is two-and-one half stories high with a pedimented dormer with a fan light in the tympanium set in the center of the hipped roof. Window openings are rectangular on the first floor, arched on the second, and square in the half-story. Flanking wings with brick corner pilasters and pedimented roofs are set back slightly from the central bay. The window openings of this building have been infilled with modern materials and tiny hopper units installed.” In 1914, a Classical Revival style addition was made to the south. It is a symmetrical brick building with a central arched entrance on the south elevation. Modern paired windows have replaced the original across the south façade of the addition but are not out-of-character with a multiple-over-one-lite configuration. The original openings appear to be unaltered. However, the east elevation of the addition has been extensively remodeled in recent years, with the addition of two-story balconies set within projecting arched surrounds across the elevation’s three bays. The balconies contain banked full-height fixed windows and interrupt the historic character of the building’s Classical Revival style. The school was added onto again in 1937, with a nearly separate Art Deco style building facing north onto Main St. The façade of the 1937 school has a projecting three-story center bay with curved two-story wings, flanked by three two-story bays. The main entrance is inset and marked by a large bank of windows on the second level and a smaller, curved top bank of windows on the third. The windows of the curved wings are paired sets of six-lite windows with horizontal metal sash. This part of the site is now used for school district administration and community events. A concrete gymnasium was completed shortly after the Art Deco school building at the southwest corner of the lot and is considered a contributing element of the site as a whole. This site as a whole was individually listed in the NRHP in 1988. Metcalf revisited the site in November 2020 and noted a number of modifications to both historic school buildings. Low brick walls and black metal railings were built in front of the 1902 school building as part of concrete walkways leading up to the primary entrance. A Romanesque portico with a flat roof and black metal railing rim the edges, all supported by white columns, was added around the central primary entrance. A statue of Malcolm C. Story was placed on the lawn directly in front of the primary entrance and pathways. Balconies were added to both of the primary façade's east and west wings on the first and second story levels, four in total. A fifth balcony was added to the third story of the façade directly centered above the portico and below the central dormer. The windows on the primary façade have all been replaced, but the majority of the openings are intact. All of the openings that have been altered are those that are now encompassed by these balconies. The eastern façade has been completely remodeled with modern stylistic elements. The northern half, consisting of the original 1902 school, has replaced four-over-one-lite windows and a section of wood paneling encompassing the central bay of windows on both the first and second stories. It projects about a foot or so out of the brick exterior and runs from the eave of the roof down to the concrete foundation. The southern half of the eastern elevation, consisting of the 1914 addition to the school, contains the most significant modifications. In addition to the projecting balcony additions, a driveway accessed from S 3rd Ave.,has been created and leads down to an underground parking garage. The southern elevation of the Willson Residences appears to still match the description by McDonald, with the exception of the replaced windows. Like the northern primary façade, the rectangular windows are four-over-one-lite, single-hung window. Low brick walls were added in front during the remodel, and border concrete walkways and stairs that MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 3 Architectural Description Property Name: 300 W Main St & 404 W Main St Site Number: 24GA0949 lead up to the still arched rear entrance. An ADA-compliant ramp leads up to the back entrance from the west side. A flat metal and wood awning rests over the entrance, and is supported by two chains connected to the wall on either end. Light markings on the brick walls on either side of the entrance, suggest that some kind of wall decor was removed. In regards to the 1937 school building, or the Willson Auditorium, modifications of the north primary façade are restricted to the replacement of all of the windows and the clean up of the concrete exterior walls. The openings of the windows are intact just with modern glass and metal sashes and frames. The gymnasium was also updated in the same manner. There is a parking lot in the front northwest corner of the property, and a smaller second one behind the building in the southeast corner, also bordering the Willson Residences to the east. The site is in excellent condition, overall. Vegetation in the landscaping includes a number of large mature deciduous and coniferous trees and small shrubbery. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 4 History of Property Property Name: 300 W Main St & 404 W Main St Site Number: 24GA0949 HISTORY OF PROPERTY This site is the Gallatin County High School building which has several component parts built from 1902 through the 1930s. It was listed in the NRHP in 1988 under Criterion A and C. The building was erected in 1902 following passage of the "County Free High School" measure, which provided for free high school level education throughout Gallatin County. According to the NRHP Nomination Form, Nelson Story donated the limestone foundation of the building. The architect is unknown, but speculated to have been George Hancock, an architect from Fargo, North Dakota who had a branch office in Bozeman in 1890. In 1914, prolific area architect Fred Willson designed the first remodeling of the building, and a Classical Revival style addition on the south (Bick 1987). In 1937, a major addition was built to the west that doubled the size of the Gallatin County High School building . The addition was built under the auspices of the Works Progress Administration and is one of the four federally-financed public school building projects undertaken in Bozeman during the Great Depression. Bick explains in the NRHP nomination that Zales Ecton, a U.S. Senator from Bozeman, “may have influenced the considerable flow of money to the city” or that there “may have been a powerful group of Bozeman businessmen which had formed to promote the city's interests,” among them were Graff, Kenyon, and Chambers (Bick 1987). Willson’s addition to the west of the original 1902 school is considered “one of the most impressive structures in Bozeman, and is one of three outstanding examples of the Art Deco style in the city.” Upon the architect’s death in 1956, the building was renamed the Willson School. In March 2014 the Bozeman School board approved a $3.3 million budget in public and private funding to renovate the Willson Auditorium. While funding for the campaign had been going publicly for several months before the School Board approval, the effort to renovate the 77-year-old auditorium had started years before. Swank Enterprises of Valier, which won the bid, was hired as the contractor (Bozeman Daily Chronicle 2014). By April 2015 the Willson Auditorium was set to reopen, and has been in use by the community since then (Bozeman Daily Chronicle 2015). The Willson Residences underwent remodeling, after being abandoned for some time, in order to transform the interior from a school into elaborate condo units in 2015 (MT Cadastral). They are currently occupied by tenants. The architectural firm for the remodel was Hennebery Eddy Architects, who were hired by the client and contractor Bridger Builders (Hennebery Eddy Architects). MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 5 Information Sources/Bibliography Property Name: 300 W Main St & 404 W Main St Site Number: 24GA0949 INFORMATION SOURCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY Bick, Patricia 1987 404 W Main St. Montana Historical/Architectural Inventory Form (revision). Document on-file with the City of Bozeman, MT. Bozeman Daily Chronicle 2014 "Bozeman School Board approves Willson Auditorium renovation." 25 March. Electronic document, https://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/education/bozeman-school-board-approves-willson-auditorium-renovation/article_add50060-b3ce-11e3-8755-001a4bcf887a.html, accessed April 13, 2021. 2015 "Showtime! Willson Auditorium Set to Reopen." 20 February. Electronic document, https://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/education/showtime-willson-auditorium-set-to-reopen/article_a35ba981-b6c4-5f47- 872f-4b12d7bb33b3.html, accessed 12 April, 2021. Cohen, Matthew 1985 404 W Main St. Montana Historical/Architectural Inventory Form (revision). Document on-file with the City of Bozeman, MT. Hennebery Eddy Architects Electronic document, https://commaq.com/project/the-willson-residences/, accessed 14 April, 2021. McDonald, James R. 1984 404 W Main St. Montana Historical and Architectural Inventory Form. Document on-file with the City of Bozeman, MT. Montana State Library. Montana Cadastral records online, http://svc.mt.gov/msl/mtcadastral, accessed 12/04/2020. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 6 Statement of Significance Property Name: 300 W Main St & 404 W Main St Site Number: 24GA0949 NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES NRHP Listing Date: 01/22/1988 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 properties at 300 W Main Street and 404 W Main Street were previously recorded in 1984 by James R. McDonald Architects, and were later nominated and listed for the NRHP in 1988. Despite numerous recent alterations, especially to the east end of the site, that affect integrity of materials, design, and feeling, from the public ROW, the site retains just enough integrity at each of the historic 1902, 1914, and 1937 facades to convey the historic character of the site. The site is currently listed in the NRHP and retains sufficient integrity to maintain its listed status. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 7 Integrity Property Name: 300 W Main St & 404 W Main St Site Number: 24GA0949 INTEGRITY (location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, association) This site is in excellent condition, overall. Remodeling and alterations, especially to the east elevation, have affected integrity of design, materials, and feeling. Enough of the site’s character-defining elements have been retained, however, and other aspects of integrity remain intact. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 8 Photographs Property Name: 300 W Main St & 404 W Main St Site Number: 24GA0949 Feature # Facing: SW Description: 24GA0949 (Property 257). Oblique view, close-up of primary entrance on primary façade. (Image #1750, 11/05/2020. SLW) Feature # Facing: S-SE Description: 24GA0949 (Property 257). Oblique view. (Image #1751, 11/05/2020. SLW) MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 9 Photographs Property Name: 300 W Main St & 404 W Main St Site Number: 24GA0949 Feature # Facing: NE Description: 24GA0949 (Property 257). Oblique view of west elevation and side entrance into the gymnasium. (Image #1754, 11/05/2020. SLW) Feature # Facing: N-NW Description: 24GA0949 (Property 257). Semi-oblique view of center of south elevation. (Image #1755, 11/05/2020. SLW) MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 10 Photographs Property Name: 300 W Main St & 404 W Main St Site Number: 24GA0949 Feature # Facing: NW Description: 24GA0949 (Property 257). Oblique view of rear of building. (Image #1756, 11/05/2020. SLW) Feature # Facing: SW Description: 24GA0949 (Property 257). Oblique view with 1902 portion of building in foreground. (Image #1813, 11/21/2020. SLW) MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 11 Photographs Property Name: 300 W Main St & 404 W Main St Site Number: 24GA0949 Feature # Facing: SE Description: 24GA0949 (Property 257). Oblique view. (Image #1814, 11/21/2020. SLW) Feature # Facing: NW Description: 24GA0949 (Property 257). Oblique view from rear of building (Image #1816, 11/21/2020. SLW) MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 12 Photographs Property Name: 300 W Main St & 404 W Main St Site Number: 24GA0949 Feature # Facing: N Description: 24GA0949 (Property 257). South elevation, and rear entrance. (Image #1817, 11/21/2020. SLW) Feature # Facing: S Description: 24GA0949 (Property 257). Close-up of Malcolm C. Story statue, located to the north of the primary entrance of the 1902 building (Image #1815, 11/21/2020. SLW) MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 13 Photographs Property Name: 300 W Main St & 404 W Main St Site Number: 24GA0949 MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 14 Site Map Property Name: 300 W Main St & 404 W Main St Site Number: 24GA0949