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Home My WebLink About422 E Mendenhall 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: 422 East Mendenhall St Historic Address (if applicable): 424 East Mendenhall St (1950) City/Town: Bozeman Site Number: 266 Historic District Number (if applicable): County: Gallatin Historic Name: Gallatin Labor Temple Original Owner(s): Labor Temple Company Current Ownership Private Public Current Property Name: Gallatin Labor Temple Owner(s): Gallatin Labor Temple Owner Address: 810 Hialeah Ct Helena, MT 59601-0487 Phone: Legal Location PM: Montana Township: 2S Range: 6E SW ¼ SW ¼ NE ¼ of Section: 7 Lot(s): W22' Lot 21 & All Lot 20 Block(s): Block F Addition: Rouse 1st Year of Addition: 1889 USGS Quad Name: Bozeman Year: 1987 Historic Use: Labor Temple Current Use: Labor Temple Construction Date: 1950 Estimated Actual Original Location Moved Date Moved: UTM Reference www.nris.mt.gov NAD 27 or NAD 83 (preferred) Zone: 12 N Easting: 497562.36 Northing: 5058510.27 National Register of Historic Places NRHP Listing Date: Historic District: NRHP Eligible: Yes No *Property meets the City of Bozeman’s definition of an eligible property (see below). Date of this document: 04/19/2021 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: MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 2 Architectural Description Property Name: 422 East Mendenhall St Site Number: 266 ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION Architectural Style: Art Deco-Moderne If Other, specify: Property Type: Miscellaneous Specific Property Type: Labor hall Architect: Unknown Architectural Firm/City/State: Unknown Builder/Contractor: Unknown Company/City/State: Unknown Source of Information: This site consists of one historical architectural feature: a civic structure built ca. 1950. It was previously recorded in 1984 by James R. McDonald Architects, who concluded that the site qualified "as a contributing element within a potential historic district due to its association with the commercial aspect of the Nationalization Phase of Bozeman's historic/architectural development...[and that] the historic integrity of this property has been retained due to the survival of original design and materials and continuity of use, setting, and location." McDonald described the property as follows: "This two-story civic structure has a rectangular plan with a tile cap around the flat built-up roof and concrete steps in front. The one- bay façade is asymmetrical and consists of a recessed front entrance and two entrances on the west. There are glass block windows and 1/1 double-hung windows. The concrete construction is scored to look like concrete block and rests on a concrete foundation. The axis of the roof is parallel to the street." Metcalf revisited the site on October 13, 2020 and noted no major changes. One of the original windows at the north end of the west and east elevations have been replaced with a vinyl one over one lite window, and two of the basement lites on the west elevation have also been replaced with single lite windows. The window on the rear south elevation was also replaced with a modern sash. Otherwise, the condition of the structure is a little weathered, with iron staining on the walls, flaking paint, and some deterioration of the concrete used on the sills of the glass block windows. These things affect integrity of materials, to some extent. Otherwise, condition is good, and most aspects of integrity are intact. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 3 History of Property Property Name: 422 East Mendenhall St Site Number: 266 HISTORY OF PROPERTY The property currently addressed as 422 East Mendenhall Street is located on the W22’ of Lot 21 and all of Lot 20 in Rouse’s First Addition, S07, T02S, R06E, BLOCK F. Labor unions have played a large role in Montana’s history. Montana has historically had an agricultural-based economy, but in addition to agriculture there has always been a substantial mining, railroad, and timber industry. These industries often created unhealthy work conditions prompting workers to organize labor unions to protect their health and their interests. Bozeman is no exception. The Gallatin Labor Temple was incorporated in June 1949. The group incorporated as a "nonprofit membership corporation, open to union members belonging to the American Federation of Labor. The directors were T. P. Taylor, H. C. Norwood, Glenn Thompson, Don Zindler and Joseph Zinner, all of Bozeman" (Great Falls Tribune, 28 June 1949). The Gallatin Labor Temple was dedicated in September 1950. An article in the Billings Gazette newspaper relayed: A recently completed labor temple will be dedicated here Saturday, Ray Marks, president of the Gallatin Trades and Labor assembly, said Thursday. It is the first such building to be constructed by local organized labor and was paid for by union assessments and contributions from local businessmen. The Temple will provide offices and a meeting place for all local unions [The Billings Gazette, 8 September 1950]. As explained on the Historic Montana website, “while many of Montana’s labor temples have new uses today, the buildings continue to represent over a century of effort to improve working conditions for a diverse array of Montanans” (https://historicmt.org/tours/show/83). The Gallatin Labor Temple is still actively used as of December 2020 as a meeting place for nine local labor groups, and for community presentations, workshops, concerts, and lectures. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 4 Information Sources/Bibliography Property Name: 422 East Mendenhall St Site Number: 266 INFORMATION SOURCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY The Billings Gazette [Billings, Montana] 1950 "Bozeman Unions Plan Dedication of Temple." 8 September. Billings, Montana. Great Falls Tribune [Great Falls, Montana] 1949 "Mining Firm, Labor Group Incorporate." 28 June. Great Falls, Montana. James R. McDonald Architects 1984 422 E Mendenhall 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 04/15/2021. R. L. Polk & Company 1904-2012 Polk’s Bozeman (Gallatin County, Mont.) City Directories. R.L. Polk & Co., Kansas City, Missouri. Sanborn Map Company 1890-1957 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Bozeman, Gallatin County, Montana (Jul 1890, Nov 1891, Jan 1904, Sep 1912, Sep 1927, Sep 1943, Nov 1957). Sanborn Map Company, New York, New York. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 5 Statement of Significance Property Name: 422 East Mendenhall St Site Number: 266 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: STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE The property at 422 E Mendenhall St. was previously recorded in 1984 by James R. McDonald and was regarded as a "contributing element within a potential historic district due to its association with the commercial aspect of the Nationalization Phase of Bozeman's historic/architectural development." At that time the property had not reached the 50-year threshold for consideration as a historic property and was not eligible. The property is now over 50 years old, in good condition, and retains 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. This site has been evaluated against the NRHP Criteria. The site is not currently located within a historic district. However, Metcalf finds it has local significance under Criterion A for its role in the social history of Bozeman, through the mid-20th Century. For this reason, Metcalf recommends the site is individually eligible for inclusion in the NRHP. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 6 Integrity Property Name: 422 East Mendenhall St Site Number: 266 INTEGRITY (location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, association) The site is in good condition, overall. The condition of materials and replacement of several windows affects integrity of materials. All other aspects are retained. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 7 Photographs Property Name: 422 East Mendenhall St Site Number: 266 Feature # 1 Facing: S Description: Property 266. Primary façade. (Image #0369, 10/13/2020. EAS) Feature # 1 Facing: SW Description: Property 266. Oblique view. (Image #0368, 10/13/2020. EAS) MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 8 Photographs Property Name: 422 East Mendenhall St Site Number: 266 Feature # 1 Facing: SE Description: Property 266. Oblique view. (Image #0370, 10/13/2020. EAS) Feature # 1 Facing: NE Description: Property 266. Oblique view of rear. (Image #0371, 10/13/2020. EAS) MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 9 Site Map Property Name: 422 East Mendenhall St Site Number: 266 MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 10 Topographic Map Property Name: 422 East Mendenhall St Site Number: 266