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Home My WebLink About427 E Main St 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: 427 E Main St Historic Address (if applicable): City/Town: Bozeman Site Number: 24GA0928 Historic District Number (if applicable): County: Gallatin Historic Name: Hamill Apartments Original Owner(s): H. J. Hamill Current Ownership Private Public Current Property Name: Hamill Apartments Owner(s): GSC Family LLC Owner Address: 709 S Willson Ave, Bozeman, MT 59715 Phone: Legal Location PM: Montana Township: 2S Range: 6E SW ¼ SE ¼ NE ¼ of Section: 7 Lot(s): W 16' LOT 6,ALL LOT 7-9 Block(s): Block F Addition: Rouse's First Addition Year of Addition: 1889 USGS Quad Name: Bozeman Year: 1987 Historic Use: Residential Current Use: Residential Construction Date: 1931 Estimated Actual Original Location Moved Date Moved: UTM Reference www.nris.mt.gov NAD 27 or NAD 83 (preferred) Zone: 12 Easting: 497569.88 Northing: 5058458.47 National Register of Historic Places NRHP Listing Date: 1987 Historic District: NRHP Eligible: Yes No *Property meets the City of Bozeman’s definition of an eligible property (see below). Date of this document: 4/21/2021 Form Prepared by: S. Wells and R. Schields, Metcalf Archaeological Consultants Inc. 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 is listed in the NRHP (24GA0928). MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 2 Architectural Description Property Name: 427 E Main St Site Number: 24GA0928 ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION Architectural Style: Art Deco-Moderne If Other, specify: Property Type: Residential Specific Property Type: Multiple Family Dwelling Architect: Fred F. Willson Architectural Firm/City/State: Builder/Contractor: Company/City/State: Source of Information: The site is the two-and-a-half story, Art Deco style, Hamill Apartments. The buildings was designed by Fred F. Willson for H.J. Hamill in 1931. The primary facade faces south onto E Main Street and is composed of three bays with Art Deco detailing. The site was previously recorded by James R. McDonald Architects in 1984, with revisions by Matthew Cohen in 1985-1986 and was listed in the NRHP by Patricia Bick in 1987. Previously, Bick described the building as follows: “This two-and-one-half story, Art Deco style, mutli-family residence has a full daylight basement, a rectangular plan with projecting central bay two stories high marking the main entrance. Two Art Deco light fixtures are set in the concrete to either side of the main entrance. The three-bay façade is symmetrical and consists of the central bay entry with flanking side bays. Windows are six-over-six double hunt units. The central metal door has a single light and a Chevron-patterned grill that is repeated in the transom. Similar iron work is used to enclose the flanking steps to the basement units. Above the door, the word “Griffin” appears in metal lettering. The poured-in-place concrete walls have a 3” form board pattern showing, as well as diagonal patterns, pilasters, and Hamill Apartments decorative cornice. The structure rests on a concrete foundation and has a flat built-up roof that rises three stories at the rear.” Metcalf visited the site in 2020 and found the 1987 description accurate and apt with only small alterations since the time of nomination. Above the main entrance of the facade, the engraved name now reads "HAMILL" in recognition of the original owner. The original six-over-six lite windows are intact, many are now covered with exterior metal storm windows. The site is located along the north side of East Main Street and is bordered to the east by a parking lot and to the north by an alleyway. The site is in excellent condition. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 3 History of Property Property Name: 427 E Main St Site Number: 24GA0928 HISTORY OF PROPERTY The Hamill Apartments were designed for H. J. Hamill by Fred F. Willson in 1931 in the Art Deco style. Hamill was a contractor in Bozeman. He immigrated from Ireland to Montana in 1910, he intended to work at the box factory in Bonner, Montana (Billings Gazette, October 17, 1940). He went on to work as a building contractor, constructing buildings in Boulder, Dillon, Missoula, Great Falls, and Bozeman. His more well known buildings include University of Montana's Corbin Hall and Bozeman's Baxter Hotel. It is unknown whether Hamill constructed this building, but he resided in Apartment 8 after its construction along with his wife, Edith and two sons, Norman and Henry Jr. Hamill passed in 1940 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head (Billings Gazette, October 17, 1940). Burt Griffin, a clerk at the Oaks Cigar Store, purchased the building after Hamill's death. Griffin had his name inscribed above the primary entrance, which has since reverted to "HAMILL" in recognition of the original owner. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 4 Information Sources/Bibliography Property Name: 427 E Main St Site Number: 24GA0928 INFORMATION SOURCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY Billings Gazette 1940 Bozeman Architect Dies of Wound: H. J. Hamill Came to State in 1910. The Billings Gazette, October 17, 1940. https://www.newspapers.com/image/410894768/?terms=H.%20J.%20Hamill&match=1, accessed 4/21/2021. Bick, Patricia 1987 Hamill Apartments 427 E Main. 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: 427 E Main St Site Number: 24GA0928 NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES NRHP Listing Date: 1987 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: 1930-1939 STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE The Hamill Apartments were designed for H. J. Hamill by Fred F. Willson in 1931. The Hamill Apartment Building is currently individually listed on the NRHP (24GA0928) (James R. McDonald Architects, 1984). Metcalf finds the site in excellent condition. The site retains integrity sufficient 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: 427 E Main St Site Number: 24GA0928 INTEGRITY (location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, association) Overall, the site is in excellent condition. Despite some minor alterations, the site retains all aspects of integrity. Metcalf has determined that sufficient integrity remains and that the site is able to convey its historic character. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 7 Photographs Property Name: 427 E Main St Site Number: 24GA0928 Feature # 1 Facing: N Description: 24GA0928 (Property 225), façade view (Image #1724; SLW 10/31/2020). Feature # 1 Facing: NW Description: 24GA0928 (Property 225), oblique view (Image #1725; SLW 10/31/2020). MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 8 Photographs Property Name: 427 E Main St Site Number: 24GA0928 Feature # 1 Facing: SE Description: 24GA0928 (Property 225), oblique view (Image #1727; SLW 10/31/2020). Feature # 1 Facing: S Description: 24GA0928 (Property 225), rear view (Image #1726; SLW 10/31/2020). MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 9 Site Map Property Name: 427 E Main St Site Number: 24GA0928 MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 10 Topographic Map Property Name: 427 E Main St Site Number: 24GA0928