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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMiller Livestock Pavilion (24GA2011) 2025 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: 2730 West Garfield Street Historic Address (if applicable): City/Town: Bozeman, Montana Site Number: (An historic district number may also apply.) County: Gallatin Historic Name: Miller Livestock Pavilion Original Owner(s): Montana State College Current Ownership Private Public Current Property Name: Miller Livestock Pavilion Owner(s): MAES at Montana State University Owner Address: 202 Linfield Hall, P.O. Box 172860 Bozeman, Montana 59717-2860 Phone: 406-994-3681 Legal Location PM: Montana Township: 2S Range: 5E ¼ ¼ NW ¼ of Section: 14 Lot(s): Block(s): Addition: Year of Addition: USGS Quad Name: Bozeman Year: 1987 Historic Use: Equitation/Equestrian Education Current Use: Equitation/Equestrian Education Construction Date: 1968 Estimated Actual Original Location Moved Date Moved: UTM Reference www.nris.mt.gov NAD 27 or NAD 83(preferred) Zone: 12 Easting: 494307 Northing: 5056720 National Register of Historic Places NRHP Listing Date: Historic District: NRHP Eligible: Yes No Date of this document: December 17, 2020 Form Prepared by: Candace Mastel, Campus Planner Address: P.O. Box 172760, Bozeman, Montana, 59717- 2760 Daytime Phone: 406-994-7457 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: Miller Livestock Pavilion Site Number: ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION Architectural Style: Other: If Other, specify: Modern Property Type: Agriculture Specific Property Type: Architect: Drake, Gustafson & Associates Architectural Firm/City/State: Billings, Montana Builder/Contractor: Emil Martel and Son Company/City/State: Bozeman, Montana Source of Information: University Records, Montana State University Background The Miller Livestock Pavilion is located on West Lincoln Street just west of the north-west oriented gravel farm road. It is situated on the north side of West Lincoln Street and the axis of the building runs east-west. The pavilion is generally situated at the southern, center part of a larger area, featuring approximately two (2) acres of fenced corrals and containment areas for livestock. The main entry to the pavilion is on the south side of the building and has adjacent parking for vehicles and a larger parking yard for utility vehicles and trailers. The pavilion provides indoor and outdoor facilities for MSU’s Equine program. It is also home to the MSU Youth Horsemanship School in the summer. The use of the pavilion is centered on teaching programs and student activities. Occasionally, the Department of Animal and Range Sciences rents the facility to other community organizations as a public service. The Range Management Club, a student organization, regularly uses the grass field to the east of the building for its annual Christmas tree sales event. The Miller Livestock Pavilion is one of the eight agricultural field buildings designed by Drake, Gustafson & Associates and constructed by Emil Martel and Son (currently known as Martel Construction) in 1968. Due to its public function, the pavilion is one of the few buildings on the BART Farm that expresses a distinct style. Although largely a utilitarian building, its window-wall main entrance and elongated zigzag awning provides an undeniable link to the 1960s Mid-Century Modern style of design. Exterior The pavilion is a one-story building, constructed as a rigid metal frame building with a low-pitched gable roof and a concrete slab foundation. Its rectangular footprint measures approximately 225 feet by 100 feet, with the long eave sides running east/west and the shorter gable ends running north/south. The exterior walls are clad in light green, corrugated “steel sandwich panels’” and the building has a standing seam metal roof. The ridges of the corrugated metal have a vertical orientation. On all building elevations, the roof has exaggerated overhanging eaves with a metal fascia covering but no soffit, leaving the large steel rafters exposed. Larger overhead doors exist on both the east and west ends. These provide access for livestock and tractors. Several man doors exist around the perimeter of the building. The pavilion’s main entrance is protected by an 80-foot-long zigzag corrugated metal awning that projects approximately 12 feet from the building. The awning consists of four consecutive 20-foot-wide “V”-shaped awning structures with the entrance filling all but the outer few feet of the central peak. Heavy, “Y”-shaped metal posts with tapered bottoms and cylindrical concrete bases support the awning. A wooden sign reading “Bob Miller Pavilion” hangs on the central peak, marking the main entrance. A concrete walk leads to the entrance from the east/west drive and the parking area. The main entrance consists of double solid wooden MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 3 Architectural Description Property Name: Miller Livestock Pavilion Site Number: doors in a peaked window-wall with wood framing. Paired sidelights are found on either side of the double doors and there is a transom light above all six vertical units. The sidelights consist of a long upper glass pane above a slender “strip” of glass and a shorter pane, while the transom lights are single panes of glass with slanted tops. In contrast with the green building, the awning, doors and window-wall framing are white. Paved patios flank the entrance under the awning. Outside of the entrance, fenestration on the façade is limited to two metal sliding windows located under the outer peaks of the awning. A “string” of branding symbols are highlighted, constructed in metal, hanging from the vertical structural supports of the front awning, providing a playful context for the front entry. The east gable-end elevation contains three entrances, including a sliding metal door and a man door on the south end and an oversized garage door on the north end. The sliding door is clad with corrugated metal siding with horizontal ridges. It hangs from an overhead metal track. A single solid metal man door is located immediately to the north of the sliding door. The overhead garage door on the north end of this elevation provides access to the pavilion’s indoor dirt riding area for vehicles and machinery. This northern door is newer and was replaced in 2019 as part of modifications to allow better access to the interior. Modern style circular lights with metal brackets flank the garage door and are centered above both the walk-in door and the sliding door. The other gable end at the west elevation has two sliding metal doors on its south end and a sliding door and a small overhead door on its north end. Each sliding door is clad in corrugated siding with horizontal ridges and hangs from a metal overhead track. Lights identical to those found on the east elevation are located above each of the sliding doors and to the south of the overhead door. Various exterior chutes lead livestock through the northern doors to interior holding pens. The southernmost door opens to a concrete floor outside the pavilion’s interior dirt riding area. Between the south doors stands a hopper-type corrugated metal grain bin with a conical roof and an approximately eight (8) feet in diameter. The north elevation has only one opening: a single, solid metal man door that is slightly offset to west. A light fixture, identical to those found on the side elevations, is centered above the door. Interior The interior of the Miller Livestock Pavilion, much of which is original, contains a large dirt riding arena on its northern two- thirds and bleachers and other public space in its southern one-third. Upon entering the main entrance on the south elevation, there is a small lobby area with concrete block walls that lead to the bleachers. Men’s and women’s restrooms are located to the left and right of the lobby under the bleachers. Three rows of wood bench bleachers with interesting white metal bracket supports sit atop flat concrete terraces on either side of the entrance. A short flight of wood stairs on the west end of the west bleachers leads to a storage area above the bleachers that contains a row of oversized lockers on its north wall. Tubular metal railings, painted white, line the front and sides of the bleacher area. Large open spaces flank the lobby/bleacher structure. Also, visible on the interior is the building’s open metal roof structure and tapered vertical metal supports. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 4 History of Property Property Name: Miller Livestock Pavilion Site Number: HISTORY OF PROPERTY Introduction The Miller Livestock Pavilion is located on the Bozeman Area Research and Teaching Farm (the BART Farm), a division of the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station (MAES). It is located 1.5 miles west of Montana State University’s (MSU) campus core. MSU’s campus sits at the northwest edge of Bozeman, the county seat of Gallatin County, Montana. Commercial development along Huffine Lane (US 191) and College Street bounds the farm to the north. Also, to the north, between Huffine Lane and Garfield Street, are the remnants of the Nelson Dairy Center, a former division of the farm. The MSU Veterinary Center, including the Marsh Laboratory, is located immediately to the east of the farm along Lincoln Street. Farther east is South 19th Avenue, which is characterized by a mixture of commercial, residential and public (including other university buildings) development. More recently commercial and higher density residential development has replaced agricultural fields to the southeast. The BART Farm encompasses 474 non-contiguous acres, which includes the former Towne and Girven Farms, the MSU Veterinary Center immediately to the east and the Boldt Farm located farther to the west. This document, for purposes of highlighting the Miller Livestock Pavilion, focuses on the 135-acre core area on the former Towne and Girven Farms, all of which is located in Section 14, Township 2 South, Range 5 East. This core stretches along a 0.8-mile, gravel-surfaced, north/south drive between Garfield Street to the north and Stucky Road to the south. A gravel-surfaced east/west drive, which aligns with West Lincoln Street, intersects the main drive about 0.2 miles from its north end. The farm includes 29 buildings, 31 structures, several corrals, and a number of other small-scale features. These resources are arranged in clusters along the main drives with livestock-related resources located to the west and the Horticulture Farm located to the east. Moving from the north to south on the west side of the drive clusters included: Swine Center, Horse Center, Nutrition Center, Feed Mill, Farm Shop & Headquarters and the Beef Center. The historic Stucky-Girven Farmstead is situated at the south end of the property. Most farm buildings and structures date from the 1960s or later, while the Stucky-Girven Farm was built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Miller Livestock Pavilion is located on West Lincoln Street just west of the gravel farm road. It is situated on the north side of the street and the axis of the building runs east-west. The main entry to the pavilion is on the south side of the building and has adjacent parking for vehicles and a larger parking yard for utility vehicles and trailers. The pavilion is generally part of a larger staging area, approximately two acres of fenced corrals and containment areas for livestock. Natural Systems and Features The fertile Gallatin Valley stretches about 25 miles along the Gallatin River, with Bozeman sitting near its southeast corner and Three Forks at its northwest corner. The Gallatin River enters the valley from its mountain canyon near Gallatin Gateway, about 15 miles southwest of Bozeman. It then runs north by northwest before reaching Three Forks, where it joins the Jefferson and Madison Rivers to create the Missouri River. The East Gallatin River, which runs north of Bozeman, meets the main branch of the river to the north of the town of Manhattan. The Gallatin Valley is bound by the Bridger Range to the northeast, the Gallatin Range to the southeast and the Madison Range to the south, with the lower Horseshoe Hills to north. The mountains provide dramatic views from the BART Farm and across the Gallatin Valley. As these mountains were forming MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 5 History of Property Property Name: Miller Livestock Pavilion Site Number: 40 to136 million years ago, a vast inland sea began to recede, depositing a thick layer of loam. It is this soil that makes the valley so agriculturally productive. The area between Bozeman and the Gallatin River drops gradually from the foot of the Gallatin Range at about 5,400 feet in elevation to 4,860 feet near the BART Farm’s north boundary. A ridge lining the east side of the Gallatin River divides its watershed from its main tributary, the East Gallatin River. As such the major stream to the east of Bozeman, Hyalite Creek (or Middle Creek) runs almost due north, emptying into the East Gallatin River near the town of Belgrade. Numerous irrigation canals carry water east across the landscape, creating a crisscross pattern with the north-flowing tributaries of Hyalite Creek and the East Gallatin River. On a smaller scale, an unnamed tributary of the East Gallatin River runs through the west side of Section 14 (the location of the BART Farm), with the Farmer’s Canal running east through the north end of the section. Cultural Landscape Features The core building area of the BART Farm can be divided into three major units: The Horticulture Farm to the east of the main north/south drive, the Livestock Unit to the west of the drive and the Stucky-Girven Farmstead at the south end of the property. The Livestock Unit is further divided into six clusters that are defined by their arrangement and historic/current use: Swine Center, Horse Center, Nutrition Center, Feed Mill, Farm Shop & Headquarters and Beef Center. The units are arranged around circulation systems that include a primary north/south and east/west drive, as well as a number of secondary drives. The Swine Center, Horse Center and Horticulture Farm are arranged along the east/west drive, while the remaining clusters of the Livestock Unit line the west side of the north/south drive. The Miller Livestock Pavilion is part of the Livestock Unit. Within the Livestock Unit, there are several smaller “interior” pastures located inside the farm’s main circulation system. These include a pasture south of the Swine Center and Horse Center, two pastures west of the Feed Mill, Farm Shop and north half of the Beef Center, a pasture west of the south half of the Beef Center and a pasture between the Beef Center and the Stucky-Girven Farmstead. Larger “exterior” pastures are found to the west of Livestock Unit. Cultivated agricultural fields are found to the north and east of the farm’s core building area. To the north of the Livestock Unit are larger fields, while there are “strip” experimental plots to the north of the Horticulture Farm. A single elongated field stretches along the east side of the property, south of the farm’s main east/west drive. Small-scale features abound on the BART Farm. There are the various fences that create the farm’s livestock corrals, pens and pastures. Interior pens are typically created with metal or wood panels, while exterior pastures and fields are fenced with barbed wire or woven wire. Systems for feed and watering livestock are another significant small-scale feature. These include individual water tanks and feeders in small pens, long concrete feed bunks that serve interior pastures and metal grain bins attached to buildings. Purposefully planted trees also play a significant role on the farm. A long row of pine trees lines the east side of north/south drive at the Horse Center and a windbreak of deciduous trees protects the Stucky-Girven Farmstead on its east side. The Livestock Unit is anchored by eight large metal buildings constructed in 1968 to replace the Experiment Station’s original livestock-related buildings located immediately across South 11th Avenue from MSU’s main campus. Collectively known as the “agricultural field buildings,” they were designed by the architectural firm, MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 6 History of Property Property Name: Miller Livestock Pavilion Site Number: Drake, Gustafson & Associates and built by general contractor, Emil Martel & Son, both of Bozeman. With the exception of the Feed Mill and Farm Shop & Headquarters, which are centered on more recent buildings, each cluster in the Livestock Unit contains at least one original agricultural field building. This includes the Perry Swine Center in the Swine Center, the Miller Livestock Pavilion, the Oscar Thomas Nutrition Center and Grow Safe Equipment Building in the Nutrition Center, and the A.I. Building (Bull Shed), Little Working Facility (Scale House) and Calving Shed Nos. 1 and 2 in the Beef Center. Support buildings and structures surround each of these main buildings. For the most part these are corrals, pole barns, animal shelters, and small sheds, but there are a few significant exceptions, including the Horse Barn, Horseshoeing Building and Large Working Facility. The agricultural field buildings are arranged rationally with their longer elevations running perpendicular to the north/south drive and, where appropriate, their open ends facing south. All agricultural field buildings are steel- framed structures under overhanging eaves with exposed steel rafter tails. With the exception of the recently renovated Perry Swine Center and the massive Miller Livestock Pavilion, all are clad in beige-colored corrugated metal with vertical ribbing. The long zigzag awning on the south façade of the Miller Livestock Pavilion and the concrete block ornamentation on the Oscar Thomas Nutrition Center are clear examples of late Mid-Century Modern architecture. A Brief History of the Experiment Station The Montana Agricultural Experiment Station (MAES or the Experiment Station) and the Agricultural State College of Montana (MSU) were authorized alongside each other by the State Legislature on February 16, 1893. As a land grant institution, the new College had access to $15,000 in annual federal funding available through the 1887 Hatch Act for the creation of an agricultural experiment station. Agricultural education and extension in Montana would develop quickly over the next few decades from its base in Bozeman, as explained by historian Merrill G. Burlingame in 1968: When Montana State opened in 1893, the teaching mission was only one of its interests. Another was that of agricultural research, and the Experiment Station began operations at the same time. The influence of the nationwide Farmer’s Institutes soon led to the Smith-Lever Act of 1914, which established the Extension Service, and the land-grant educational pattern was complete. Of course, there was much work to be done before reaching that point of relative maturity. Montana stood to benefit greatly from the work of its Agricultural Experiment Station, but beyond authorizing its creation, it did little to support the institution during its formative years. The Experiment Station began operations on a donated 160-acre farm immediately west of the MSU campus, which included 80 acres from the City of Bozeman and what had been the Gallatin County Poor Farm. It depended upon the $15,000 Hatch Act appropriation for survival. Montana’s Agricultural Experiment Station expanded quickly over the next fifteen years, both in the breadth of its studies and in its physical presence across the State. This was largely due to more funding, which came from increasing State support, beginning in 1903 and with the passage of the Adams Act in 1906. The Adams Act offered an additional $15,000 annually in federal monies for research. Money also came in from private donors, including the Northern Pacific, Great Northern and Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroads, who MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 7 History of Property Property Name: Miller Livestock Pavilion Site Number: had a substantial financial interest in agricultural development along their routes through Montana. The Experiment Station also improved and expanded its Home Station in Bozeman, with the acquisition of 160 acres and two city blocks for the College Farm (1909), the addition of 600 acres at the former Fort Ellis Military Reservation located three miles east of the main campus (also in 1909) and the creation of the Montana Grain Laboratory (1913). Agricultural development in Montana surged during the Experiment Station’s first twenty-five years, but the crash in agricultural prices that followed WWI marked the beginning of a tumultuous period that would not end until the close of the Second World War. The Experiment Station continued to grow during the interwar period as it worked to meet the challenges of agricultural depression and wartime production. World War II brought a rebound in agriculture prices, but also necessitated increased production. Further expansion occurred in 1955 when MSU purchased the 160-acre Towne Farm about one mile west of campus, adding the adjacent Girven Farm, also a quarter-section, two years later. The Experiment Station established a Dairy Center and an Experimental Beef Feeding Center at this location, but it would be another decade before the property was to be fully developed. At the onset of the 1960s, Montana’s political climate shifted with the election of Governor Donald Nutter. Under the Nutter Administration (1961-1962), the budgets of the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station and its companion organization, the Montana Agricultural Extension Service, were cut by 34% and 51%, respectively. A new administration following Nutter’s tragic death in a plane crash brought less severe cuts, but the 1960s remained a difficult period for all of higher education in Montana. Even so, in the late 1960s the Experiment Station was able to shift its operations from the original “Home Station” immediately adjacent to campus to their properties on the western edge of town. At the former Towne and Girven Farms, the Experiment Station further developed their livestock operations with the construction of new metal “field buildings” and the Miller Livestock Pavilion in 1968. The Experiment Station was able to thrive during the latter decades of the 20th century and into the 21st century, despite occasional cuts in funding. In partnership with the MSU College of Agriculture, the Experiment Station now includes six departments: agricultural economics, agricultural education, animal and range sciences, immunology and infectious diseases, land resources and environmental sciences, and plant sciences and pathology. It is also affiliated with seven Institutes, including the Agricultural Marketing Policy Center and the Center for Invasive Plant Management. A Brief History of the BART Farm When farmers began settling the land west of Bozeman in the 1860s and 1870s, they could not have imagined it would someday be home to an agricultural experiment station. Although the fertile Gallatin Valley certainly held agricultural promise—that was why they were there in the first place—it would be at least another decade before the Agricultural State College of Montana (MSU) and the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station (MAES) were established simultaneously in 1893. Over the next few decades, however, the College and its Experiment Station expanded rapidly, both in terms of influence and physical size. During the agricultural settlement of the Gallatin Valley, the area between Bozeman and the Gallatin River held MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 8 History of Property Property Name: Miller Livestock Pavilion Site Number: particular promise because it could be easily irrigated. Section 14, T2S, R5E, the future location of the BART Farm, sits at the northwestern edge of the area served by the Middle Creek Ditch. The larger area of the BART Farm, aforementioned, included several smaller aggregate farms and homesteads, including that of the Stucky-Girven and the Towne Farm, whose establishment helped define the agricultural uses in the area and thus the future of the land as utilized by MSU for teaching and research. From the late 1890s to the 1950s the farms passed through many hands and saw much change. Much of the smaller out buildings on the Stucky- Girven farm have been demolished during this time, however the farmhouse, barn, granary, one loafing shed, the garage and the windbreak all remain intact at the south end of the BART Farm’s main drive. When MSU President Ronald R. Renne secured purchase of the Towne and Stucky-Girven Farms in the 1950s, it was in anticipation of moving the Experiment Station’s livestock-related research away from the original buildings located immediately across South 11th Avenue from the main campus. In addition to Renne’s desire to address deferred maintenance and to provide more appropriate facilities for the mission, a modern facility removed from the hustle-and-bustle of campus, it was felt, would better facilitate research staff, teachers and students. Despite the great need to find the Animal Sciences Department a new home, it took several years following the purchase of the Towne and Stucky-Girven Farms to secure funding for new buildings. In 1964, they proposed to the Montana Board of Regents that the original livestock buildings be, “replaced with new facilities,” to be constructed as cheaply as possible with, “low cost steel,” and concrete block. In 1965, the Montana State Legislature heard MSU’s request, allocating some $364,000 for the construction of agricultural field buildings. The following year, MSU and the Experiment Station solidified their building plan. Drake, Gustafson & Associates was selected to design the buildings, which were to include an Experimental Steer Barn, Horse Center, Livestock Pavilion (later named the Miller Livestock Pavilion), Swine Center, Bull Indexing Building, Cow / Calving Sheds, Feed Storage Building, and a Scale House. During the bidding process, some bids came back too high, necessitating the trimming of the scope for the larger building project. On March 8, 1967, the State Division of Architecture and Engineering approved the bids of Emil Martel & Son for the general contract, Safe-Way Plumbing, Heating & Refrigeration for the mechanical contract and Coast-to-Coast Store for the Electrical Contract. Construction began soon after bids were awarded in the spring of 1967 and by February of 1968, construction was complete. One of the first events to be held in the new complex was the annual Little International Livestock Show, which was held in conjunction with the MSU Feeders’ Day. The new agricultural field buildings completed were low-cost steel construction with little architectural flair but lived up to the following five basic guidelines for design and construction: 1) adequate drainage; 2) easy access; 3) public buildings are easily reached; 4) buildings with obvious relationships should be grouped; 5) “buildings which tend to produce objectionable odors shall be located as to minimize this facet of the complex. The Miller Livestock Pavilion is perhaps the most elaborately designed of all the buildings constructed during this campaign. It was intended to provide facilities for the Little International Livestock Show, animal judging, undergraduate studies and rodeo activities. The building was designed to “have and attractive entrance and be located so that it is easy to reach by the public,” while also including “ample parking space.” MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 9 History of Property Property Name: Miller Livestock Pavilion Site Number: Farm Reorganization and Change The late 1970s saw challenges and opportunities for the Experiment Station’s Bozeman-area operations, which by this time included the Animal Science Farm (BART Farm), Agronomy Farm (Post Farm), Red Bluff Ranch, Fort Ellis and the Huidekoper Ranch near Big Timber. It was observed that there was a declining condition of the farm facilities during this time that was concerning. The declining condition of the farm was evident in a 1978 memo from MSU President, William J. Tietz, to J. A. Asleson, Director of the Experiment Station. Tietz acknowledged the well-kept grounds surrounding the Swine Center, Horse Center and Miller Livestock Pavilion, but found conditions at the beef and dairy operations “deplorable,” and the farm’s fences, “badly maintained.” The Experiment Station found it necessary to overhaul farm operations and reassign duties to different entities to improve the conditions at the farm. Despite this exhausting process, they benefited greatly in that there was the opportunity to improve efficiency and re-affirm their mission. The 1980s brought further change to the farm. Some livestock and operations were relocated or rearranged in order to improve efficiency and function. The Dairy Center was closed in 1984 and the herd was transferred to the Montana State Prison Farm in Deer Lodge. At the same time, the termination of swine-related activities at the Livestock Experiment Station in Miles City brought more activity to Bozeman’s Swine Center. The Experiment Station’s feedlot activities shifted away from the Bozeman farm to the research center at Huntley Project near Huntley, Montana (the current site of the Southern Agricultural Research Center). Livestock- related research during this period focused on breeding and genetics, nutrition, range science and reproductive physiology. New buildings were also planned for the Bozeman-area Experiment Station, while other buildings were slated for rehabilitation. These plans included a new “teaching and research building,” (never built), a new shop (finally built in 2008), an expansion of the Feed Mill to include a pellet mill, and the remodeling of the Nutrition Center. During this period, the Horticulture Farm also took shape to the east of the Livestock Experiment Station. Administered by the MSU Department of Plant Sciences, the 10-acre Horticulture Farm provides facilities for research in gardening, sustainability and even beekeeping. While the exact date of the farm’s establishment is unclear, by the 1990s it included two Quonsets, a storage shed and a pump house, in addition to its garden plots and orchard. With the exception of the pump house, those buildings were replaced in the early 2000s with small pre-fabricated or moved buildings. A large Horticulture Storage Barn was also constructed in 2012. The Architect: Drake, Gustafson & Associates Vernon Leslie Drake was born in Billings, Montana in 1922. At Montana State College, he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Architecture in 1948. He worked for Billings architect Chandler C. Cohagen as a draftsman from 1946 to 1949. He partnered in the firm Osness & Drake Architects from 1952 to 1954. After this association, he established his own firm, where he designed a number of institutional structures. He became a partner in Drake, Gustafson & Associates in 1956. F. (Francis) Wayne Gustafson was born in Chinook, Montana in 1927. He attended Montana State College in Bozeman, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Architecture in 1950. At that time, he worked as MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 10 History of Property Property Name: Miller Livestock Pavilion Site Number: a draftsman for Chandler C. Cohagen. He later worked for the prominent Billings firm of Cushing & Terrell. In 1956, he became associated with Vernon Drake and they formed the firm Drake, Gustafson & Associates. The firm was sold to junior partners in 1988 due to Drake’s declining health. Drake died on January 16, 2004. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 11 Information Sources/Bibliography Property Name: Miller Livestock Pavilion Site Number: INFORMATION SOURCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY Knight, James E. “Animal and Range Sciences Department History 1893-2016.” Montana State University, 2016, https://animalrange.montana.edu/ANRS_history_page.html. Nunn, Jessie. Montana Historic Property Record: Animal Sciences Farm. 2014. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 12 Statement of Significance Property Name: Miller Livestock Pavilion Site Number: NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES NRHP Listing Date: N/A NRHP Eligibility: Yes No Individually Contributing to Historic District Noncontributing to Historic District NRHP Criteria: A B C D Area of Significance: Agriculture, Education and Architecture Period of Significance: 1945-1969 STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE The larger Bozeman Area Research and Teaching (BART) Farm is not currently eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) as a district, because most of its buildings were constructed less than 50 years ago. However, the Miller Livestock Pavilion is older than 50 years and is thus eligible for listing in the NRHP as in individual building. The building has not been significantly altered since its original construction in 1968. There has been recent work on the building during the summer of 2019, which included replacement of the roof with the same design and materials as the original roof. In the investigation into the condition of the roof during that work it was discovered that the existing, original structural roof members could not support an increased load for ventilation. A future project to improve ventilation via mechanical means was delayed due to issues brought on in the spring of 2020 because of the global pandemic. It is the intent to revisit this ventilation issue at a future time. Currently, the building management relies on opening overhead doors to allow moisture to escape. Moisture is an issue because the dirt in the arena is routinely wetted in order to prevent dust. This issue needs to be addressed long-term to protect the interior of the structure from further damage due to moisture and condensation. In addition to the re-roofing of the pavilion, the facility had some upgrades to operational equipment, such as the replacement of 50-year-old bucking chutes that did not meet modern safety standards. The original chutes were replaced with new Preifert brand bucking chutes, the same used in the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse for rodeos. The arena footing was also replaced, featuring a new material that is designed to need less moisture and produce less dust particles. Currently the larger BART Farm does not meet the requirements for “exception significance” under Criterion Consideration G for properties under 50 years of age. However, because the Miller Livestock Pavilion is more than 50 years old, it does meet the requirements for significance in the areas of education and agriculture. Reassessment of other buildings should also take place in the future once the buildings constructed after the 1970s reach the 50-year age mark. The future eligibility of the larger farm or said buildings will depend on its future historic integrity. Some of the buildings, like the Swine Center, a major component of the farm, have already been altered so significantly it no longer contributes to the potential historic and architectural significance of the farm, while new buildings and structures are added regularly. Aforementioned, the Miller Livestock Pavilion is over 50 years old and can be considered for listing on the National Register based on Criteria for Evaluation (A, B, C and D). Criterion A: Event Aforementioned, the events that proceeded the construction of the pavilion set in motion a series of historical trends and transactions of homesteading and land purchases that established the contiguous land base that became the Bart Farm and the surrounding agricultural lands owned by the state and used by the university for agricultural education and research. These events ensured that for future generations the land would be held into perpetuity for the use by the young minds of the state to become familiar with traditional farming and agricultural operations and provided the support of a realistic environment to learn and practice in order to prepare for future careers in their respective fields. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 13 Statement of Significance Property Name: Miller Livestock Pavilion Site Number: Criterion B: Person The pavilion was planned during the tenure and by Robert W. “Bob” Miller. Miller was a professor from 1958 until his death in 1974. He was an esteemed member of the academic staff that provided instruction and guidance in the development of the highly regarded horse program. He helped establish the farrier school. In addition to his academic role, he also served as the president of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association and as a coach and advisor to the MSU Rodeo Team. The pavilion was planned by him to be suitable for horsemanship classes and Rodeo Club practice and other animal science programming. Miller was a significant force in the establishment of the pavilion and cutting-edge practices at the university that served the student body well in preparing them for careers in equine and equestrian related trades and certainly for the larger agricultural/livestock industries. Criterion C: Design/Construction Aforementioned, the pavilion exhibits the characteristics of Mid-Century Modern architecture and is a significant demonstration of the melding of agricultural utility with design articulation in the Montana landscape. The construction is durable and renewable and has served the use of the pavilion very well despite a few drawbacks, ventilation and air exchange being the main one. Despite the pavilion serving as an example of Mid-Century Modern architecture, and being professionally designed by an established architecture firm, there might be a debate on whether it truly encapsulates the style and contributes extensively to a reinforcement of the design style so far detached from other buildings of a similar style and given its agricultural setting. However, the design was planned and the features prominently displayed on its front façade are not an afterthought as they were intentionally designed and constructed from the beginning of the building’s planning. Criterion D: Informational Potential The pavilion has played an important role in the continued development of the Animal & Range Sciences Department at Montana State University and the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station as well as community outreach. The overall plan of the farm is also significant for its rational and efficient design, which continues to follow guidelines established in the 1966 Building Program. Over the years, the Miller Livestock Pavilion has hosted countless public and University events, including the Little International Livestock Show, livestock judging clinics and MSU rodeo activities. Therefore, in addition to its significance in agriculture and education, the building is also significant in the area of recreation/entertainment. Summary In consideration of the information provided above it can be concluded that the only significance lies in the design and construction of the building. It could be considered for eligibility for the National Register based on its relation to the areas of agriculture, education, recreation/entertainment and architecture. Under the Criterion C, the building is the largest and most significant metal “field building” constructed during the 1968 building campaign. It also exhibits characteristics of Mid-Century Modern architecture, particularly in its window-wall entrance and zigzag awning. Stylistic elements were originally included because of its public use. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 14 Integrity Property Name: Miller Livestock Pavilion Site Number: INTEGRITY (location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, association) Location – Aforementioned, the larger BART Farm facility is located west of South 19th Avenue and west of the main Bozeman campus, in an area largely still used for agriculture or small-scale farming operations. To the south there has been the more recent development of larger parcels for residential properties but these mostly remain low density and some have a hobby farm appeal, where the property owners raise chickens, goats, and alpaca. To the north, between South 29th Avenue and South Fowler Avenue, commercial development has largely dominated the area north of Garfield Street. This has come with some drawbacks, including increased traffic and noise and expansion of roads near the farm. The farm is more exposed visually to vehicular traffic, and this may be a good thing, as it allows people to see what is going on and to still have the experience of “old Bozeman” when the land surrounding the smaller city center was predominantly used for agricultural production. Very little of the surrounding area will likely remain in agricultural production or farming. The land values adjacent to the city of Bozeman’s jurisdictional boundary is in high demand for commercial and residential development and the land values are high. The recent influx of new residents and jobs to the area only further pressures agricultural uses further to the outskirts of the areas surrounding the city of Bozeman. Design – The design of the Miller Livestock Pavilion, as mentioned earlier in this document, aligns most with the Mid-Century Modern style, with an obvious utilitarian or agricultural twist. The building is basically one-story and low slung in the landscape. It is situated on an open landscape with adjoining corrals and pens that register a very agricultural or livestock characteristic. The most unique aspect of the design is the main entry feature, which is highlighted by the quirky but not foreign (for the period) zigzag corrugated metal awning. The design of the rest of the exterior is a plain box clad in vertical metal siding. Large, exterior grade doors are used to access the interior with tractors, animals and trucks. Several “man doors” are located around the façade, allowing access to the main entry and staff to access work areas. Setting – The Miller Livestock Pavilion is situated on flat ground adjacent to other utilitarian buildings used for similar agricultural teaching or research. The setting is not natural in the sense of a “wildness” but is appropriately situated in a landscape long used for agricultural production, grazing, livestock tending, and traditional Montana ways of life. The setting is as relevant today, as it was during construction in 1968, because the larger farm remains intact and the building and lands surrounding the pavilion are still used for agricultural purposes. Materials – The materials of construction are not only representative of agricultural buildings of this type and from this era but also are similar to those structures built for similar uses in current construction on other MAES facilities, and certainly farms and ranches, throughout the state. The majority of materials used in the original construction are still present on the exterior even to this day. The Bart Farm operates on a tight budget and most maintenance or upgrades involve using similar materials with a longevity and appropriateness to the use intended, i.e. agriculture. Workmanship – The workmanship, upon examination, is quite good considering the wear and tear seen by a facility such as the Miller Livestock Pavilion. The exterior has been well maintained and the finishes on the metal siding are very acceptable. The interior has seen more wear and tear and certainly the areas near the overhead doors, where animals are routinely moved in and out, have taken a beating. The interior has been constructed of durable materials like concrete, wood and steel. The surfaces are experiencing condensation and accumulation/growth of algae due to the very humid conditions. This situation is planned to be remedied in the future with the addition of a modern mechanical air exchange devices. Feeling – The agricultural, livestock and equine trades are infused heavily in the academic facility of the Miller Livestock Pavilion. Besides the architectural details that set it apart from other traditional agricultural buildings MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 15 Integrity Property Name: Miller Livestock Pavilion Site Number: west of South 19th Avenue, stepping into the pavilion and setting foot near the arena brings even the casual observer into a different realm, one that provides a sense of tradition, pride and history rooted in the care and culturing of animal and human relationships. The current foreman of the building, Alison Reck, has a deep appreciation for the work being done to educate the next generation of young people in all aspects of the curriculum. Instructors like Andi Shockley, a professor who teaches Horsemanship and Equitation, teaches five or six classes in the pavilion arena. In the evening, the arena is used by the Rodeo Club or other organizations to practice and prepare for local and regional events around the state. The faculty, staff and students who use this facility know that they are perpetuating a time-held tradition of horsemanship that historically preserves traditions long held in Montana and the region. Association - The pavilion was named in honor of a former instructor that helped to plan its development during his tenure at the university. Robert W. “Bob” Miller served as an instructor in the Animal Sciences department from 1957 until his death in 1974. In addition to being an instructor in Beef Production and Animal Genetics, he was also the founding force behind the MSU Horshoeing School. In addition to being an instructor he was also the President of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association and a coach and advisor to the Rodeo Club. Miller was a nationally recognized authority on horses and served as a staff member of Dr. E.M. Ensminger’s Horse Science School. Miller also authored a university text, “Horse Behavior and Training and Guide to Using Horses in Mountain Country.” He was awarded the Outstanding Teacher in Agriculture Award in 1974. There is a plaque and framed photo in the entry of the pavilion, highlighting Miller’s contributions to the university and the equine program. The Livestock Pavilion was renamed in 1979 in honor of Miller after his death in 1974 from a horse riding accident. (Knight, 2020). Overall, the larger BART Farm retains sufficient importance in the areas of agriculture, education and architecture. On a smaller scale, the Miller Livestock Pavilion also retains sufficient integrity in the areas of design, setting, and association. The current quality of the building maintains the same integrity to the original design and construction of 1968 during the period of significance. When considered together, the larger farm, the landscape features, and the pavilion create an easy association with livestock-related research and teaching through the aggregation of many smaller facilities. It still exemplifies the 130-year time-held tradition of working the land and animal husbandry that the original settlers who founded the farms began. MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 16 Photographs Property Name: Miller Livestock Pavilion Site Number: Feature: 1 Facing: Northeast Description: Front facade of pavilion showing zigzag awning Feature: 2 Facing: North Description: Front entry to building MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 17 Photographs Property Name: Miller Livestock Pavilion Site Number: Feature: 3 Facing: East Description: West façade showing sliding door Feature: 4 Facing: Northwest Description: Detail of metal siding MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 18 Photographs Property Name: Miller Livestock Pavilion Site Number: Feature: 5 Facing: West Description: East façade Feature: 6 Facing: Northeast Description: Detail of entry awning MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 19 Photographs Property Name: Miller Livestock Pavilion Site Number: Feature: 7 Facing: West Description: Bleachers on interior Feature: 8 Facing: West Description: Interior riding arena with bucking chutes MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 20 Photographs Property Name: Miller Livestock Pavilion Site Number: Feature: 9 Facing: West Description: Metal tubular railing on west end of interior Feature: 10 Facing: South Description: Vertical steel supports on interior MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 21 Site Map Property Name: Miller Livestock Pavilion Site Number: MONTANA HISTORIC PROPERTY RECORD PAGE 22 Topographic Map Property Name: Miller Livestock Pavilion Site Number: