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Home My WebLink About005 Historic Property Record 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: 918 S. Tracy Ave. Historic Address (if applicable): City/Town: Bozeman Site Number: (An historic district number may also apply.) County: Gallatin Historic Name: 918 S. Tracy Ave. Original Owner(s): Fred A. and Frances F. Morton Current Ownership Private Public Current Property Name: Owner(s): Charles V. and Heidi A. Soper Owner Address: 124 N Black Ave Bozeman, MT 59715 Phone: Legal Location PM: Montana Township: 02S Range: 06E NW ¼ NE ¼ NW ¼ of Section: 18 Lot(s): TRACT 3 BEING 180' X 210' N2NW4 Block(s): Addition: Year of Addition: USGS Quad Name: Bozeman Year: 1997 Historic Use: Single Family Residence Current Use: Single Family Residence Construction Date: 1933 Estimated Actual Original Location Moved Date Moved: UTM Reference NAD 27 or NAD 83(preferred) Zone: 12N Easting: 497125 Northing: 5057325 National Register of Historic Places NRHP Listing Date: Historic District: NRHP Eligible: Yes No Date of this document: 3/11/2021 Form Prepared by: 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: MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 2 Architectural Description Property Name: 918 S. Tracy Ave. Site Number: ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION Architectural Style: Craftsman If Other, specify: Property Type: Residential Specific Property Type: Single Family Architect: Unknown Architectural Firm/City/State: Unknown Builder/Contractor: Unknown Company/City/State: Unknown Source of Information: n/a This property consists of three historical architectural features: a house, a detached garage, and a shed. The first feature is a house, likely constructed between 1933 and 1935. The house is a 1.5 story, irregular-plan, Craftsman-style residence with shed-roofed dormer, front-gabled enclosed porch, and attached sunroom. Set on a concrete block foundation, the house is clad in horizontal half-log siding with board and batten cladding in the gable ends, shed-roof dormer and front-gabled porch. The roof is front-gabled and clad in asphalt shingles. The overhanging eaves are open and are supported with triangular wood brackets in the gable ends. A metal chimney extends near the roof ridge and a field stone chimney abuts the west end of the northwest elevation. The façade faces southwest, the primary entrance is located on the south end of the primary façade within a front-gabled, enclosed porch. The entrance is accessed via concrete steps with a metal railing. The paneled, wood door has three inset lites and a wood surround. To the north of the entrance is a set of three, wood-framed, hung windows. The center window is six-over-one lites and is flanked by four-over-one lite windows to either side. Storm windows with latches cover the exterior of the windows. On the second floor is a pair of single-lite modern vinyl windows. A rectangular vent is set in the gable peak. The southeast elevation features a two-over-two lite sliding sash wood window and a fixed lite window flanked on either side by single-lite casement windows. A glass (or plexiglass) sunroom is attached to the east end of the elevation. It is set on wood supports and is accessed by wood stairs. The second story features a shed-roofed dormer with a pair of modern, vinyl, single-lite casement windows. The northeast elevation has an additional entrance to the sunroom on the south corner, accessed via wood stairs with a wood railing. The first floor has two, six-over-one sliding sash wood windows with wood surrounds and exterior storm windows. Near the south corner is a basement entrance with paneled wood door and inset lite. The entrance is accessed by concrete stairs with a metal railing. To the north is a fixed, three-lite window set in the concrete foundation. The second floor has a pair of modern, vinyl, single-lite casement windows. A rectangular vent is set in the gable peak. The northwest elevation supports two small, six-lite windows with exterior storm windows and two, six-over-one lite windows. The natural stone chimney is centrally located in the elevation and extends through the overhanging eaves. The elevation is partially obscured by tall grass and a tree. The second feature is a single-story, rectangular-plan, detached garage, located near the north corner of the house. Set on a concrete foundation, the garage is clad in horizontal wood siding and topped with a front-gabled roof clad in asphalt shingles. The eaves are open, exposing rafter ends. The primary façade faces southwest and is dominated by two, single-stall, paneled, sectional, garage doors. A concrete pad sits in front of the doors. A wood plaque reading “The Homestead” is centered above the pair of garage doors. The southeast, northeast, and northwest elevations have no fenestration. The third feature is a single-story, rectangular-plan shed with concrete foundation located northeast of the garage at the northeast corner of the property. The shed is clad in a mixture of horizontal wood siding and vertical board and batten. The roof is an asymmetrical side-gable clad in asphalt shingles. The façade faces south and features two sets of wood-framed, double doors composed of vertical wood planks. The doors are centered in the elevation and are flanked on either side by two-over-two lite wood windows with exterior wire screens. The east and north elevations have no fenestration. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 3 Architectural Description Property Name: 918 S. Tracy Ave. Site Number: The west elevation supports an additional door composed of vertical board and batten that has been cut into the exterior cladding. A square vent is set in the gable peak. There is a modern, wood chicken coop located east of the detached garage. A concrete driveway extends from the southwest corner at Tracy Avenue, diagonally across the property to the northeast along the northwest elevation of the house, terminating in front of the southwest elevation of the garage. Mature trees are present throughout the property, with several tall evergreens shading the southeast elevation of the house. Deciduous trees are present at the north and west corners of the house and tall grasses line the northwest elevation. The house is in good condition. Some paint is peeling and chipping off the wood window surrounds and the exposed concrete basement. The addition of the sunroom, shed-roofed dormer, and front-gabled entry porch affect the integrity of design. The replacement windows on the southwest, southeast, and northeast elevations impact the integrity of materials. The detached garage is in fair condition. All aspects of integrity retained. The shed is in fair condition. All aspects of integrity retained. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 4 History of Property Property Name: 918 S. Tracy Ave. Site Number: HISTORY OF PROPERTY (by C. Alegria and C. Hendry, Extreme History Project) The property currently addressed as 918 South Tracy Avenue is in the NW ¼ Section 18, T2S R6E (situated in SW corner of land deeded in 42/572, except for the land deeded to City of Bozeman in 83/613). A residence was constructed on this property between 1933 and 1935, possibly by Fred and Frances Morton. Fred and Frances Morton purchased this property from Nelson III and Melbourne B. Story and Mayo Story Dean on April 3, 1935. Fred Morton was born in Columbia Falls, MT on June 17, 1905. Frances Morton was born in North Dakota in c. 1912 (Ancestry.com, 2010). While living in this residence, Fred Morton worked as an assistant entomologist for the U. S. Department of Agriculture at Montana State College (now Montana State University) (R. L. Polk & Co., 1940). The Morton’s sold the property to Louis and Hilda Taylor on October 23, 1943. While living in this residence Louis (or Lewis) Taylor was an instructor at Montana State College (R. L. Polk & Co., 1944). The Taylors sold the property to Layton S. and Margaret E. Thompson on March 15, 1945. Layton Spencer Thompson was born on June 17, 1906 in Delia, KS to Ludwig and Ella Thompson. Layton Thompson married Margaret Mellon on August 20, 1939 (Fort Collins Coloradoan, 04 August 1939). Layton Thompson worked as a professor in the Agricultural Economics and Economics Department of Montana State University (MSU) for 30 years, retiring in 1973. Thompson represented MSU on the Great Plains Agricultural Council for 25 years and helped to establish an appraisal system for farmlands and conducted schools for land appraisers. He studied tax structures in four states and wrote bulletins which were used by state legislators. He served on three foreign agricultural economic assignments in El Salvador, Guatemala and in Argentina. Layton Thompson died on March 3, 1991 (RossvilleKansasGenealogy.com, 2001-2021). Margaret Thompson was born on December 29, 1917 in Fort Collins, CO to Charles Edward and Attie Dean Mellon. She graduated from Colorado State College in June of 1939. Margaret and Layton moved to Bozeman in 1939. She raised four children while living in this residence. Margaret died on April 5, 2011 at age 93 years (Findagrave.com, 2021). Margaret Thompson sold the property to Charles Soper and Heidi MacMurray Soper on May 17, 2005. The Sopers are the owners as of March 2021. Table 1. Chain of Title, 918 South Tracy Avenue, Bozeman, Montana. Grantor Grantee Date of Instrument Type of Instrument Property Description/Comments Reference Gallatin Valley Electric Railway A. L. and Jennie E. Love 14 June 1910 Warranty Deed 10.39 acre lot in Section 18, T2S R6E D: 42/572 A. L. and Jennie E. Love T. Byron Story 29 June 1917 Warranty Deed 360’ x 210’ Tract in NW ¼ Section 18, T2S R6E (situated in SW cor of land deeded in 42/572) D: 56/429 T. B. Story T. B. Story Inc. 19 November 1920 Deed Same D: 62/334 T. B. Story Inc. Katharine F. Story 02 January 1924 Warranty Deed Same D: 67/129 Katherine F. and T. B. Story Nelson Story, Jr. 06 May 1924 Quit Claim Deed Same D: 67/276, 65/488 Nelson Story III and Mayo Dean Story were the sole heirs of Nelson Story, Jr. (deceased). They executed the deed below subject to a Decree of Distribution then pending in the District Court of the Sixth Judicial District of Montana (see D: 79/182). MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 5 History of Property Property Name: 918 S. Tracy Ave. Site Number: Grantor Grantee Date of Instrument Type of Instrument Property Description/Comments Reference Nelson III and Melbourne B. Story and Mayo Story Dean Fred A. Morton 03 April 1935 Warranty Deed 360’ x 210’ Tract in NW ¼ Section 18, T2SR6E (situated in SW cor of land deeded in 42/572) (subject to water rights reserved to A. L. and Jennie E. Love in 56/429) D: 79/182 Fred A. and Frances F. Morton Louis and Hilda Taylor 23 October 1943 Warranty Deed 360’ x 210’ Tract in NW ¼ Section 18, T2SR6E (situated in SW cor of land deeded in 42/572) (except land deeded to City of Bozeman in 83/613) (subject to water rights reserved to A. L. and Jennie E. Love in 56/429) D: 88/531 Louis and Hilda Taylor Layton S. and Margaret E. Thompson 15 March 1945 Warranty Deed 360’ x 210’ Tract in NW ¼ Section 18, T2SR6E (situated in SW cor of land deeded in 42/572) (except land deeded to City of Bozeman in 83/613) D: 90/613 Layton S. and Edith Margaret Thompson (aka Margaret E. Thompson) Edith Margaret Thompson 26 June 1998 Acknowledged Statement of Surviving Joint Tenant Same D: Film 186/2165 Edith Margaret Thompson Charles Soper and Heidi MacMurray 17 May 2005 Warranty Deed Same D: #2188062 Charles Vern Soper and Heidi MacMurray (nka Heidi Ann Soper) Charles Vern and Heidi Ann Soper 01 September 2010 Quit Claim Deed Same D: #2369372 MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 6 Information Sources/Bibliography Property Name: 918 S. Tracy Ave. Site Number: INFORMATION SOURCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY Ancestry.com 2010 1920 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. Electronic document, accessed March 9, 2021. Findagrave.com 2021 Memorial page for Edith Margaret Mellon Thompson (29 Dec 1917–5 Apr 2011), Find a Grave Memorial no. 68146382, citing Sunset Memorial Park, Belgrade, Gallatin County, Montana, USA. Electronic document, accessed March 9, 2021. Fort Collins Coloradoan [Fort Collins, Colorado] 1939 “Church will Honor Bride.” 04 August. Fort Collins, Colorado. R. L. Polk & Co. 1902-2012 Polk’s Bozeman (Gallatin County, Mont.) City Directories. R.L. Polk & Co., Kansas City, Missouri. RossvilleKansasGenealogy.com 2001-2021 Rossville, Kansas Genealogy website. http://52.14.125.208/showmedia.php?mediaID=5885&medialinkID=5907. Electronic document, accessed March 9, 2021. Sanborn Map Company 1890-1943 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 7 Statement of Significance Property Name: 918 S. Tracy Ave. Site Number: 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 This property consists of three historical architectural features: a house built between 1933-1935, a detached garage constructed at the same time as the house, and a shed constructed in 1960. The house is a 1.5 story, irregular-plan, Craftsman-style residence with shed-roofed dormer, front-gabled enclosed porch, and attached sunroom. The site is in good condition and retains most aspects of integrity despite several specific modifications affecting the house (Feature 1). 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. The site has been evaluated against the NRHP Criteria. Cursory research found no association with events that have made significant contributions to the broad patterns of our history under Criterion A. A deed search found no association with historically significant persons under Criterion B. The site does not represent significant characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction under Criterion C, and is unlikely to yield important information in reference to research questions under Criterion D. Furthermore, the property is not located within an existing historic district and due to considerable in-fill and redevelopment of the surrounding residential blocks in the past fifty years, Metcalf does not recommend adjacent properties have district potential. The site is recommended not eligible for inclusion in the National Register. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 8 Integrity Property Name: 918 S. Tracy Ave. Site Number: INTEGRITY (location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, association) Overall, the site is in good condition, although the three historic features vary slightly in age, condition, and level of integrity retained. Replacement of original windows in the house and the added sunroom which is not characteristic of the period of construction or architectural style, are modifications that impact integrity of materials and design. Deterioration of materials was noted in all three features but does not detract overall from the site. Other aspects are intact, and the site retains sufficient integrity to convey historic character. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 9 Photographs Property Name: 918 S. Tracy Ave. Site Number: Feature # n/a Facing: SE Description: Site overview from S. Tracy Ave. (Image 2494; 3/15/2021, J. Lee). Feature # 1 Facing: Northeast Description: Southwest elevation of Feature 1 (Image #1819, 3/4/2021, S. Wells.) MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 10 Photographs Property Name: 918 S. Tracy Ave. Site Number: Feature # 1 Facing: North-Northeast Description: Southwest and southeast elevations of Feature 1 (Image #1820, 3/4/2021, S. Wells.) Feature # 1 Facing: West Description: Northeast elevation and sunroom of Feature 1 (Image #1825, 3/4/2021, S. Wells.) MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 11 Photographs Property Name: 918 S. Tracy Ave. Site Number: Feature # 1 Facing: South Description: Northeast and northwest elevations of Feature 1 (Image #1822, 3/4/2021, S. Wells.) Feature # 1 Facing: East Description: Northwest and southwest elevations of Feature 1 (Image #1821, 3/4/2021, S. Wells.) MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 12 Photographs Property Name: 918 S. Tracy Ave. Site Number: Feature # 1 Facing: South Description: Field Stone Chimney detail, northwest elevation of Feature 1 (Image #1823, 3/4/2021, S. Wells.) MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 13 Photographs Property Name: 918 S. Tracy Ave. Site Number: Feature # 2 Facing: North-Northeast Description: Southwest elevation of Feature 2 (Image #1827, 3/4/2021, S. Wells.) Feature # 3 Facing: North Description: South elevation of Feature 3 (Image #1830, 3/4/2021, S. Wells.) MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 14 Site Map Property Name: 918 S. Tracy Ave. Site Number: MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 15 Topographic Map Property Name: 918 S. Tracy Ave. Site Number: