HomeMy WebLinkAbout108 S Bozeman Ave 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: 108 S Bozeman Ave
Historic Address (if applicable):
City/Town: Bozeman
Site Number: 159
Historic District Number (if applicable):
County: Gallatin
Historic Name:
Original Owner(s): Anna Brown Osborn
Current Ownership Private Public
Current Property Name: Howellia House
Owner(s): BZN Twin 108 LLC
Owner Address: 14543 Kelly Canyon Rd
Bozeman, MT 59715-7612
Phone:
Legal Location
PM: Montana Township: 2S Range: 6E
NE ¼ NE ¼ SW ¼ of Section: 7
Lot(s): PT of Fractional Lot 2
Block(s):
Addition: Guys 1st Addition Year of Addition: 1871
USGS Quad Name: Bozeman Year: 1987
Historic Use: Residential
Current Use: Residential
Construction Date: 1904-1908 Estimated Actual
Original Location Moved Date Moved:
UTM Reference www.nris.mt.gov
NAD 27 or NAD 83 (preferred)
Zone: 12 N Easting: 497356.28 Northing: 5058271.01
National Register of Historic Places
NRHP Listing Date:
Historic District:
NRHP Eligible: Yes No
*Property does not meet the City of Bozeman’s definition of an
eligible property (see below).
Date of this document: 04/15/2021
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: 108 S Bozeman Ave Site Number: 159
ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION
Architectural Style: Queen Anne If Other, specify:
Property Type: Residential Specific Property Type: Single family dwelling
Architect: Unknown Architectural Firm/City/State: Unknown
Builder/Contractor: Unknown Company/City/State: Unknown
Source of Information:
The site consists of one historical architectural feature: a house built between 1904 and 1908. It is a wood-framed, single story, hip-
roofed, Queen Anne style residence. The house is nearly identical to 110 S Bozeman to the south, which is contemporaneous. The
house was previously recorded in 1984 by James R. McDonald Architects, and they described the house as follows:
"This detached one-story single-family residence has a square plan with a shed-roofed front porch attached to the joint of the main
square and a gable-roofed addition to the front. The two-bay façade is asymmetrical and consists of a side-facing entrance with fixed
and 1/1 double-hung windows. The frame construction is finished in stucco and rests on a concrete foundation. The hipped-gable
roof is covered with green asphalt shingles and features returning eaves. There is one central brick chimney."
Metcalf revisited the site in October 2020 and noted some changes to the primary west-facing façade, as well as an addition off the
rear east elevation. Wood shingles have been added to the peak of the front-facing gable of the façade. Below the front-facing gable,
the south portion contains three windows: two one-over-one lite hung windows and a larger one-over-one lite fixed window. The
shed-roof above the recessed porch has been replaced with a flat roof supported with a corner post. The porch is accessed by a flight
of wood steps with a wood rail on the north side. The porch is partially enclosed with a shingled balustrade. A large one over one
picture window is also within the porch. Ornament is present along the façade and includes dentil molding.
There are metal stove pipes protruding from the brick chimney. Due to the addition in the rear, the house now has a roughly
rectangular plan shape. The roof is covered in new asphalt shingles. The stucco-clad exterior walls now support a banded mural
painted along the north elevation that wraps around to the west-facing facade.
The south elevation contains three one over one lite double-hung windows and three modern egress basement windows with
corrugated metal window wells. The north elevation has six double hung windows of various sizes, some of which are paired.
The small addition at the rear is at the southeast corner. The east gable end has a secondary entry flanked by grouped double-hung
windows all beneath a shed roofed awning.
A second feature to the rear (east) was noted at the time of survey. The feature does not appear to be historic and likely serves as a
second living or office space. The feature is two stories with a clipped gable roof. The color and materials mimic the house and the
entry faces the house on the north end of the west façade.
A wood fence surrounds the yard. A sign on the outside of the fence explains the mural that spans the buildings north wall. See
photos.
Overall, the site is in excellent condition. Metcalf finds that the site does not, however, retain sufficient enough integrity.
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 3
History of Property
Property Name: 108 S Bozeman Ave Site Number: 159
HISTORY OF PROPERTY
The property currently addressed as 108 South Bozeman Avenue was platted by John C. Guy as Guy’s Addition. It was surveyed on
April 4, 1871.
S. H. Osborne purchased this property on September 18, 1880. Dr. Stephen H. Osborn or Osborne was born in Warren County, OH in
1822. He graduated from the Cincinnati Medical College and then traveled west to Pike’s Peak in 1860. He continued west, arriving in
Bannack on June 13, 1862. He moved to Virginia City, Montana Territory three years later and to Bozeman in 1871, opening the
Osborn Drug Store (The Butte Daily Post, 24 November 1902). Osborn operated his drug store out of a log building on the corner of
Main Street and Bozeman Avenue until 1882 when he built a brick building on Main Street. In his new building he sold drugs, patent
medicines, toilet and fancy goods, perfume, pencils and stationery, brushes, toilet soaps, and much more (The Bozeman Weekly
Chronicle, 06 June 1883). Osborn ran the drug store until his death. When Stephen H. Osborn died on November 23, 1902, ownership
of this property passed to his widow, Anna Brown Osborn. Anna Brown Osborn later married David Chestnutwood, who was a
traveling salesman. They ran the store until about 1908 (The Bozeman Daily Chronicle, 06 December 2009). A residence was
constructed on this property between 1904 and 1908, possibly by Anna Osborn. Anna Brown Osborn Chestnutwood sold the property
to Edward H. Spieth on March 21, 1907.
Edward H. Spieth was born in Bozeman, MT to Jacob and Barbara Spieth on August 6, 1883. Jacob and Barbara Spieth had come to
America from Germany. Jacob started the Speith and Krug Brewery in Bozeman with partner, Charles Krug. This brewery was
located on Bozeman’s Main Street for many years. Edward Spieth made his home in Bozeman most of his life. Shortly after
purchasing this residence, Edward married Bertha Wohlegenant on June 8, 1907 (Ancestry.com, 2016). They lived in this residence
together until they were divorced on March 29, 1910 (Ancestry.com, 2016). While living in this residence in 1908, Edward Spieth
worked as a notions and news agent on Main Street where he sold cigars, tobacco, confectionery, and stationery (R. L. Polk & Co.,
1908). By 1910, Spieth was boarding within the City Hall block and no longer living in this residence (R. L. Polk & Co., 1910). His
later professions include printing and a journeyman electrician. He learned the printing trade through an apprenticeship at the
Bozeman Weekly Chronicle newspaper. He was a printer for the weekly and the daily Chronicle, the Bozeman Courier, the Livingston
Enterprise, and the Gallatin Tribune newspapers (The Billings Gazette, 30 September 1955). Speith died on September 27, 1955 and
was buried in Bozeman’s Sunset Hills Cemetery (Findagrave.com, 2021).
Edward H. Spieth sold this property to Lee Cosens on September 14, 1938. The Cosens family lived in this residence from 1933 to
1990. In 1940, Lee Cosens was living in this residence with his wife, Anna, and daughters, (Anna) Lee and Shirley, and son, Lucullis.
Lee Cosens worked at Cosens Transfer and Storage Incorporated (R. L. Polk & Co., 1933-1959).
Anna Cosens sold the property to her daughter, Anna Lee Purdy on February 18, 1988. Anna Lee Purdy had grown up in this house.
On July 10, 1941 Anna Lee Cosens married Bud Purdy. On April 30, 1993, Anna Purdy sold this property to the Bozeman Parking
Commission. On April 6, 2001 the Bozeman Parking Commission sold the property to Kent Madin and Linda Svendsen. On May 23,
2018 Madin and Svensen sold the property to BZN Twin 108 LLC, the owners as of December 2020.
A sign posted on the outer fence surrounding the property states that in 2020 the house "became part of the Craighead Institute's urban
mural project depicting threatened Montana species." This clarifies that the flowers in the mural are Water Howellias, and the source
of the new house name, "Howellia House."
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 4
History of Property
Property Name: 108 S Bozeman Ave Site Number: 159
Table 1. Chain of Title, 108 South Bozeman Avenue, Bozeman, Montana.
Grantor Grantee
Date of
Instrument
Type of
Instrument
Property
Description/Comments Reference
USA William H.
Babcock
10 March 1875 Patent E ½ SW ¼ Sec 7 T2S R6E GLO Records
William H.
Babcock
Thomas B.
Gray and John
C. Guy
04 April 1870 Deed E ½ E ½ SW ¼ Sec 7 T2S R6E
(40 acres)
D: H/34
Thomas B. and
Cordelia B. Gray
John C. Guy 01 April 1871 Deed E ½ E ½ SW ¼ Sec 7 T2S R6E
(40 acres)
D: H/247
John C. and
Amanda M. Guy
Thomas
Tweedy
18 April 1871 Deed 264’ x 165’ lot, part of the E ½
E ½ SW ¼ Sec 7 T2S R6E
D: H/258
Thomas Tweedy Jeremiah
Mathews
19 October 1872 Deed Part of the E ½ E ½ SW ¼ Sec
7 T2S R6E
D: I/126
Jeremiah and Mary
E. Mathews
S. H. Osborne 18 September
1880
Warranty Deed 197’ x 165’ except 50’ x 156’
strip used as a street
D: 1/448
When Stephen H. Osborn died on November 23, 1902, ownership of a 165’ x 170’ Lot on S. Bozeman Avenue passed to his widow,
Anna Brown Osborn.
Anna Browne
Chestnutwood (fka
Anna Browne
Osborne)
Edward H.
Spieth
21 March 1907 Warranty Deed 197’ x 40.5’ Lot, part of
Fractional Lot No. 2, Guy’s
Addition, except 50’ x 45’ strip
now used for street purposes
D: 35/623
Edward H. Spieth Lee Cosens 14 September
1938
Warranty Deed Same D: 81/629
Lee S. and Anna A.
Cosens
Phyllis Matz 09 March 1964 Warranty Deed
(given to correct
title)
Same D: 145/93
Phyllis Matz Lee S. and
Anna A. Cosens
10 March 1964 Warranty Deed
(given to correct
title)
Same D: 145/94
Leeland S. Cosens
(dec’d)
Anna A. Cosens 29 September
1982
Application for
Determination of
Inheritance Tax
Same D: Film
72/1761
Anna A. Cosens Anna Lee Purdy 18 February
1988
Warranty Deed Same D: Film
100/2626
Anna Lee Purdy Bozeman
Parking
Commission
30 April 1993 Deed Same D: Film
131/3566
Bozeman Parking
Commission
Kent Madin and
Linda Svendsen
06 April 2001 Warranty Deed Same D: #2034088
Kent Madin and
Linda Svendsen
BZN Twin 108
LLC
23 May 2018 Grant Deed Same D: #2617998
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 5
Information Sources/Bibliography
Property Name: 108 S Bozeman Ave Site Number: 159
INFORMATION SOURCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY
Ancestry.com
2016 Montana, U.S., County Divorce Records, 1865-1950 [database on-line]. Ancestry.com Operations Inc., Lehi, Utah. Electronic
document, accessed March 29, 2021.
Ancestry.com
2016 Montana, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1865-1993 [database on-line]. Ancestry.com Operations Inc., Lehi, Utah. Electronic
document, accessed March 29, 2021.
The Billings Gazette [Billings, Montana]
1955 "Bozeman Man’s Rites are Today." 30 September. Billings, Montana
The Bozeman Daily Chronicle [Bozeman, Montana]
2009 "Uncovering Osborne Building’s 127-year Story." 06 December. Bozeman, Montana
The Bozeman Weekly Chronicle [Bozeman, Montana]
1883 "Osborn’s Drug Store." 06 June. Bozeman, Montana.
The Butte Daily Post [Butte, Montana]
1902 "Oldest Bozeman Drug Man is Dead in Denver." 24 November. Butte, Montana.
Findagrave.com
2021 Memorial page for Edward Harry Spieth (6 Aug 1883–27 Sep 1955), Find a Grave Memorial no. 26710744, citing Sunset Hills
Cemetery, Bozeman, Gallatin County, Montana, USA. Electronic document, accessed March 29, 2021.
Gallatin County Clerk & Recorder
1864-2021 Gallatin County Deeds. Gallatin County Clerk & Recorder, Bozeman, Montana.
James R. McDonald Architects
1984-85 108 S Bozeman Ave. 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
1902-2012 Polk’s Bozeman (Gallatin County, Mont.) City Directories. R.L. Polk & Co., Kansas City, Missouri.
Sanborn Map Company
1884-1957 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 6
Statement of Significance
Property Name: 108 S Bozeman Ave Site Number: 159
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 site consists of one historical architectural feature: a wood-framed, single story, hip-roofed, Queen Anne style residence
constructed between 1904 and 1908. Metcalf finds the site in good condition. While previous survey by James R. McDonald
Architects (James R. McDonald Architects, 1984) found the property, "a neutral element within a potential historic district", Metcalf
finds the site has experienced alterations that affect integrity such that is insufficient 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 and has been determined to lack individual significance under Criterion A, B, C, and D. The site
is not located within an existing historic district and does not retain sufficient integrity to convey historic character in comparison to
contemporaneous structures noted in the vicinity. Metcalf recommends the site not eligible for inclusion in the National Register of
Historic Places.
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 7
Integrity
Property Name: 108 S Bozeman Ave Site Number: 159
INTEGRITY (location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, association)
The site is in excellent condition, overall. The modern construction to the rear of the lot is not readily apparent from the public Right
of Way. The modern structure and parking lot to the north, however, affect the integrity of setting. The stucco siding, added mural,
wood shingles, and addition to the rear affect the integrity of materials, design, and feeling. Aspects of location, association, and
workmanship are retained. Metcalf finds the property lacks sufficient integrity to convey historic character.
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 8
Photographs
Property Name: 108 S Bozeman Ave Site Number: 159
Feature # 1
Facing: E
Description: Property 159. Primary façade. (Image #0373, 10/14/2020. EAS)
Feature # 1
Facing: SE
Description: Property 159. Oblique view. (Image #0372, 10/14/2020. EAS)
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 9
Photographs
Property Name: 108 S Bozeman Ave Site Number: 159
Feature # 1 & 2
Facing: NE
Description: Property 159. Oblique view. Feature two partially visible in background to
right of the house. (Image #0374, 10/14/2020. EAS)
Feature # 1
Facing: S
Description: Property 159. View of north elevation and mural. (Image #0375,
10/14/2020. EAS)
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 10
Photographs
Property Name: 108 S Bozeman Ave Site Number: 159
Feature # 2
Facing: SW
Description: Property 159. Oblique view of outbuilding. (Image #0376,
10/14/2020.EAS)
Feature # N/A
Facing: N/A
Description: Property 159. Close up of sign on property fence. (Image #0377,
10/14/2020. EAS)
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 11
Site Map
Property Name: 108 S Bozeman Ave Site Number: 159
MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD
PAGE 12
Topographic Map
Property Name: 108 S Bozeman Ave Site Number: 159