HomeMy WebLinkAboutWestgate National Register Form 2024Sections 1-6 page 1
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations for individual properties and districts. See instructions in National Register
Bulletin, How to Complete the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. If any item does not apply to the property being
documented, enter "N/A" for "not applicable." For functions, architectural classification, materials, and areas of significance, enter only
categories and subcategories from the instructions.
1. Name of Property
Historic name: Westgate Village Shopping Center__________________________________
Other names/site number: 24GA2227____________________________________________
Name of related multiple property listing: N/A_____________________________________
(Enter "N/A" if property is not part of a multiple property listing
____________________________________________________________________________
2. Location
Street & number: 1003, 1005, 1007, 1009, 1011 West College Street
City or town: Bozeman State: Montana County: Gallatin
Not For Publication: Vicinity:
____________________________________________________________________________
3. State/Federal Agency Certification
As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended,
I hereby certify that this X nomination ___ request for determination of eligibility meets
the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of Historic
Places and meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60.
In my opinion, the property _X_ meets ___ does not meet the National Register Criteria. I
recommend that this property be considered significant at the following
level(s) of significance:
___national ___statewide _X_local
Applicable National Register Criteria:
_X_A ___B _X_C ___D
Signature of certifying official/Title: Date
______________________________________________
State or Federal agency/bureau or Tribal Government
In my opinion, the property meets does not meet the National Register criteria.
Signature of commenting official: Date
Title : State or Federal agency/bureau
or Tribal Government
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Sections 1 – 6 page 2
______________________________________________________________________________
4. National Park Service Certification
I hereby certify that this property is:
entered in the National Register
determined eligible for the National Register
determined not eligible for the National Register
removed from the National Register
other (explain:) _____________________
______________________________________________________________________
Signature of the Keeper Date of Action
______________________________________________________________________________
5. Classification
Ownership of Property
(Check as many boxes as apply.)
Private:
Public – Local
Public – State
Public – Federal
Category of Property
(Check only one box.)
Building(s)
District
Site
Structure
Object
X
X
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Sections 1 – 6 page 3
Number of Resources within Property
(Do not include previously listed resources in the count)
Contributing Noncontributing
_____1_______ ____________ buildings
_____________ _____________ sites
_____1_______ _____________ structures
_____1_______ _____________ objects
_____3_______ _____________ Total
Number of contributing resources previously listed in the National Register ____N/A____
______________________________________________________________________________
6. Function or Use
Historic Functions
(Enter categories from instructions.)
_COMMERCE/TRADE: specialty store (shopping mall)__
___________________
___________________
___________________
Current Functions
(Enter categories from instructions.)
_COMMERCE/TRADE: specialty store (shopping mall)__
___________________
__________________
___________________
___________________
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 7 page 4
7. Description
Architectural Classification
(Enter categories from instructions.)
Modern Movement ___
___________________
___________________
Materials: (enter categories from instructions.)
Principal exterior materials of the property: CONCRETE: Concrete Masonry Unit (CMU)
Block____
Additional exterior materials of the property: GLASS, WOOD, BRICK________________
Roof: WOOD, SYNTHETICS: composition/rubber________________________________
Narrative Description
(Describe the historic and current physical appearance and condition of the property. Describe
contributing and noncontributing resources if applicable. Begin with a summary paragraph that
briefly describes the general characteristics of the property, such as its location, type, style,
method of construction, setting, size, and significant features. Indicate whether the property has
historic integrity.)
______________________________________________________________________________
Summary Paragraph
The Westgate Village shopping center was built in 1957 and stands in its original location at the
northeast corner of the intersection of South 10th Avenue and West College Street in Bozeman,
Montana. Bozeman sits in the Gallatin Valley with a view to the north of the Bridger Range and
the Gallatin Range to the south. Montana State University calls Bozeman home. The Westgate
Village Shopping Center represents the very first small neighborhood multi-unit retail shopping
center built in Bozeman. The original design of the building, which is largely intact, included
spaces for five business separated by interior common walls, under one roof structure, with a
single continuous façade and automobile parking focusing on the building. The Westgate Village
Shopping Center was constructed as a five-unit, simple rectangular plan, one-story building with
flat, built-up roof. The overall dimensions of the building measure approximately 108 ft. 1 ½ in.
east-west by 61 ft. north-south, with a full length projecting flat-roof covering a concrete
walkway along the south façade. The west, north, and east exterior walls of the building are
constructed of concrete masonry unit blocks laid in a stacked bond pattern. The building is
characteristic of the mid-20th century Modern Movement, including simple, asymmetrical
massing, flat roof, restrained simple decorative detail, and smooth planar surfaces and finishes.
Elements of the period include the original façade with rustic brick base walls beneath full-height
glass windows, wood-frame glass doors with inoperable transom windows, two-level flat built-
up roof with projecting covered walkway, roof-top sign frames for each business, and a free-
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 7 page 5
standing business sign in the parking lot. Alterations to the building include later replacement
doors, and infill plywood panels where large windows were located on the east shop units.
The property retains historic integrity of design, location, setting, materials, workmanship,
feeling, and association. The use of some modern, noncompatible materials, such as wood-siding
as window in-fill and new doors, are reversible and do not adversely detract from the overall
elements of integrity.
Detailed historic and architectural and historic information pertaining to the Westgate Village
Shopping center is contained in a historic property record report, Historic Documentation and
Evaluation: Westgate Village Shopping Center, Bozeman, Montana.1 Additional architectural
information can be found in the report, Historic Preservation Plan: Westgate Village Shopping
Center, Bozeman, Montana.2
____________________________________________________________________________
Narrative Description
Westgate Village Shopping Center (one contributing building, 1957)
The Westgate Village Shopping Center was built as a five bay, five-business unit, simple
rectangular plan, one-story building with flat, built-up roof (Figures 1, 2). The overall
dimensions of the building measure approximately 108 ft. east-west by 61 ft. north-south, with a
full length projecting flat-roof covering a concrete walkway along the south façade. The roof
covering the walkway projects 7 ft. 6 in. from the front (south) wall of the building. The
walkway roof is supported by nine 6 in. by 6 in. wood posts. The west, north, and east exterior
walls of the building are constructed of concrete masonry unit blocks (light red matrix,
measuring 15 ¾ in. wide by 8 in. deep) laid in a stacked bond pattern. The interior common walls
between the five individual rental units of the building are constructed of similar concrete
masonry block in a running bond pattern. Although a simple design, the building is characteristic
of the mid-20th century Modern Movement style. Specific details of the style include simple,
asymmetrical massing, flat roof, lack of or simple decorative detail, and smooth planar surfaces
and finishes.
The building has a flat built-up roof with gentle slope from south (front) to north (rear). The roof
is built at two elevations, one approximately 20 in. higher, covers units 1003 and 1005 West
College Street located on the east end of the building, while the lower roof covers units 1007,
1009, and 1011 on the west portion. The roof extends south to cover the walkway below.
1 Scott L. Carpenter, “Historic Documentation and Evaluation: Westgate Village Shopping Center, Bozeman,
Montana,” 2022. Report prepared for Fig and Feather, LLC, Bozeman, MT, by InteResources Planning, Inc.,
Bozeman, MT. Copies on file at InteResources, Inc., City of Bozeman, Planning Department, and Montana State
Historic Preservation Office, Helena, MT.
2 Scott L. Carpenter, “Historic Preservation Plan: Westgate Village Shopping Center, Bozeman, Montana,”
2022. Report prepared for Fig and Feather, LLC, Bozeman, MT, by InteResources Planning, Inc., Bozeman, MT.
Copies on file at InteResources, Inc., and City of Bozeman Planning Department.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 7 page 6
The original interior floor plan of the building included five rectangular retail units of varying
widths, all with common walls made of concrete masonry block units. The original five units
were assigned street addresses of 1003 West College Street (on the east), and progressing to the
west with 1005, 1007, 1009, and 1011 West College Street. Over the years, as retail business
spaces and ownership changed, interior common walls were altered and doorways added, thus
changing the interior floor plan to a slight degree. Currently, units at 1003 and 1005 are
combined into a single address of 1003 West College Street.
Figure 1. Composite panoramic photographic view to north at façade (south wall) of Westgate Village
Shopping Center (1003, 1005, 1007, 1009, and 1011 West College Street, Bozeman, Montana. Red
asterisks denote locations of protruding block common walls between each store unit (IRP22-
10_PanoPhoto_001_labeled_03122022)
Figure 2. South and west wall elevations of Westgate Village Shopping Center, Bozeman, Montana.
showing general existing layout of façade with doors, windows, lower block wall, extended roof over
walkway, and two-level flat roof.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 7 page 7
The exterior of the building has seen some change since its construction, the greatest the
combining of units 1003 and 1005 into a single restaurant space in the 1960s (within the period
of significance), which removed the entrance door and adjacent windows to unit 1005. Some of
the infilling of the windows and door of these units occurred circa 1982. Other alterations
include change in exterior paint, removal of the suspended wooden louvered sunshades,
replacement of doors (within their original openings), and infilling one small window opening at
the north end of the east wall. Despite the alteration of the 1003 and 1005 storefronts with the
infilling of several window and door openings with vertical plywood paneling and white brick
across the lower wall, the openings of both the windows and door locations remain apparent, and
despite the infill, the changes are easily reversable.
South (front) façade wall: The entry façade faces south and fronts an asphalt parking lot parallel
to the north edge of West College Street and adjacent sidewalk. The façade forms the continuous
plane of store fronts (originally five rental units, now four) of different widths.
The design of the south façade is divided into five asymmetrical bays of different widths. The
bays at 1003, 1005, and 1011 were originally constructed as approximately symmetrical with
central glass doors flanked by large, fixed windows placed above low brick wall panels. The
south wall façade widths of each store unit measure (from east to west): Unit 1003 – 23 ft. 2 in.,
Unit 1005 - 16 ft. 10 in., Unit 1007 – 19 ft. 1 in., Unit 1009 – 17 ft. 6 in., and Unit 1011 – 31 ft.
2 in.
Unit 1011, the widest store front, remains with double doors in a 6 ft. 0 in. opening topped by a
glass transom, although the doors have been recently upgraded with metal frames. Two large
panels of glass atop a low brick wall covered with board-and-batten flank the doors. Entries at
1003 and 1005 were single doors in 3 ft. 0 in.-wide openings. The door opening into unit 1005 is
bricked and paneled over, but the original doorway is visible with different colored paint visible
on the lower brick panel (Figures 3, 4). The original doorway in unit 1003 remains extant,
although the door has been replaced sometime in the past. The original window openings in unit
1005 are in-filled with vertical plywood paneling, with one smaller replacement window
positioned on the right. Window presentation in unit 1003 is altered in size and arrangement and
the eastern-most window in-filled with vertical plywood paneling; window and door openings,
however, remain original. Units 1007 and 1009 were designed and constructed in an
asymmetrical arrangement with 3 ft. 0 in.-wide doors on the left or west end of each unit, flanked
on the right with two large panels of glass atop a low brick wall. The storefronts for units 1007
and 1009 exhibit their original design configuration and materials and exhibit a space for a
transom window above each door. The door at unit 1003 also has a rectangular panel above the
door where a transom window once occurred. Original door and windows are trimmed in wood
on sides, top, and bottom.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 7 page 8
Figure 3. Detailed photographic view to north at south wall (front) of Units 1005 (left) and 1003 West
College Street (right) showing how original full-height windows above lower brick wall have been
covered with T-111 plywood. Newer half-size upper windows are placed above plywood at center and on
right (IRP 22-10_DSCF5180)
Figure 4. Photographic view to north at Unit 1005, showing detail of modern T-111 plywood panels
placed over original window/door openings. Door opening is seen as white in-fill of bricks at base in
center of store façade. Note exposed ends of CMU block load-bearing walls between units defining
individual bays.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 7 page 9
The entire building façade displays a low brick wall beneath the large, fixed windows. The low
wall is constructed of painted rough-faced bricks measuring 15 ¾ in. wide by 3 ¾ in. high, laid
in a stacked pattern. The low wall at Unit 1011 is covered with modern standing seam metal. The
butt-end of each concrete masonry block wall that divides the separate bays and forms the
common wall between each store unit projects eight inches beyond the façade.
Protecting the south façade and the walkway below is the distinctive extended roof of the
shopping mall. Nine simple 6-in. by 6-in. wood posts support the extended roof which features a
tongue-and-grooved ceiling. Wooden louvered panels originally spanned the distance between
each of the posts and below the eave to provide partial shade from the southern sun but no longer
remain (Figure 5).3 Paint ghosting on the posts indicates that each shade unit was constructed of
four 1-in. by approximately 8-in. milled lumber boards set at 45-degree angles and extended
about 22 in. down from the south side of the eave (Figures 6, 7). Photographs from 1957 show
the louvers extending horizontally beyond the east and west corner posts and also on the far west
end of the walkway.
The extended roof protects a concrete walkway that parallels the front/south facade of the
building. The walk displays a continuous slope grading down from east to west aligning with the
associated grade of each unit’s entrance door.
Despite changes over time, the south façade displays its modern design, layout, and the
numerous architectural details that speak to its history as a forebearer of the nascent modern style
soon to be ever-present in Bozeman. These queues include the asymmetrical layout, low rustic
brick wall below the windows, window and door opening locations, fixed transom windows,
wood window and door trim, and projecting ends of CMU block common walls between units.
Figure 5. Photographs from Bozeman Daily Chronicle advertisement for grand opening of Westgate
Village Shopping Center showing original wood-louvered sunshades projecting down from horizontal
wood beam supporting extended roof above walkway (Bozeman Daily Chronicle, November 28, 1957, pg.
4). View to north at Gallatin Drug at 1011 West College Street (left photo) and (right photo) Cresap’s
Men’s Store at 1005 West College Street (left) and L & H Café at 1003 West College Street (right).
3 “Grand Opening [advertisement],” Bozeman Daily Chronicle, November 23, 1957, pgs. 4-5. Microfiche copy
available at Montana State University, Renne Library, Bozeman, MT; City of Bozeman, Planning Department,
CUP Review Files, photographs, Westgate Village Shopping Center, 1982.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 7 page 10
Figure 6. View to northeast at Community Food Co-Op occupying 1011 West College Street (ca. 1984),
showing detail of original configuration of wood-louvered sunshades beneath horizontal wood beam on
south face and west end of walkway. Note that lower louver board is missing in from of 1009 West
College Street (on right)
Figure 7. Measured sketches showing details of wood-louvered sunshades that originally projected down
from horizontal beam supporting extended roof of covered walkway on south façade of building.
Elevation sketch on left, photograph of support post with ghosting of boards forming sunshade (center),
and sketch of louver placement from ghosting (IRP 22-10_IMG_8240)
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 7 page 11
East exterior wall: The east wall of the building is comprised of exposed concrete masonry
(CMU) block in a stacked pattern (Figure 8). Original CMU blocks that form the east, north, and
west exterior walls and interior load-bearing walls between business units consist of a dense red
concrete/crushed rock matrix (Figure 9). An in-filled window that measures 48 in. wide by 30 in.
high with concrete sill is located approximately 9 ft. 6 in. south of the northeast corner of the
building, approximately 5 ½ feet above the base of the wall. Another small in-filled opening
appears about six ft. to the south of the silled-opening, possibly associated with a wall vent. The
east edge of the flat roof is flush with the face of the wall, with only cap flashing protruding.
Figure 8. View to west at east exterior wall. Note overhang of extended roof over walkway (left), blocked
window opening (right) [IRP 22-10_IMG_7771]
Figure 9. General view of concrete masonry unit (CMU) block used on building. Note red matrix color
(IRP 22-10_IMG_7257)
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 7 page 12
North (rear) exterior wall: The north (rear) wall of the building consists of exposed concrete
masonry (CMU) block in a stacked pattern. Three doorways provide entry to units 1003, 1007,
and 1009 (now from 1011). An 18-in. eave projects beyond the north wall and has a modern rain
gutter installed (Figure 10).
Figure 10. View to southwest at northeast corner of building showing north (rear)
wall on right and north end of east wall on left. Note overhang of flat built-up roof,
with two levels, at rear. Concrete pad extends full-length of north wall and allow
egress at three doors. Note stacked pattern of CMU blocks on east and north walls
(IRP 22-10_DSCF5194).
West exterior wall: The west wall of the building is comprised of exposed concrete masonry
(CMU) block in a stacked pattern (Figure 11). A small slider window that measures 5 ft. 4 in.
horizontal by 2 ft. 8 in. vertically appears approximately 10 ft. 8 in. south of the northwest corner
of the building, approximately 6 feet above the base of the wall. The east edge of the flat roof is
flush with the face of the wall, with only cap flashing protruding.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 7 page 13
Figure 11. View to east at west wall of building. Note CMU block construction in stacked pattern, small
slider window near north end of wall (left), and extended roof of covered walkway on south side of
building (right) [IRP 22-10_DSCF5201].
Building interior spaces: Each of the five original shop spaces are separated by CMU block
constructed load-bearing walls running north south. The interior block walls extend and project
beyond the south façade approximately 8 inches. At different times since the original building
construction, the load-bearing walls between shop spaces have been punctured to allow interior
passage between areas. The interior floor level steps down approximately 12 in. between each
unit east to west, with the highest floor occurring in 1003 and the lowest in 1011. Much of the
layout and furnishing treatment of the interior spaces has changed since the original construction
that likely featured large open spaces; these changes reflect the evolution of each unit as different
businesses moved in and out. All of the original load bearing walls remain as does the “I-
shaped” floorplan at the rear (north) of Unit 1011.
Roof-Top Business Signs: Present roof-top business sign frames above 1007, 1009, and 1011
West College Street measure 4 ft. high by 8 ft. wide. The frame above unit 1009 was recently
removed. The sign frame above 1003/1005 West College Street measures 9 ft. 4 in. wide by 7 ft.
9 in. high. The signs consist of metal frames with enlarged metal display fields anchored to roof
for placement of individual business signs (Figures 12, 13).
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 7 page 14
Figure 12. View to northeast at front (south) façade of Westgate Village Shopping Center showing detail
of three remaining historic metal sign frames for roof-top business signs. Sign frames centered above
1011 West College Street (on left), unit 1007 (right of center), and large frame centered above units at
1005 and 1003 West College Street (on right). Note that metal sign frame above 1009 West College Street
was recently removed (IRP 22-10_IMG_7793)
Figure 13. View to south from on top of roof at Westgate Village Shopping Center showing details of
historic metal frames with metal frames with enlarged metal display fields anchored to roof for placement
of individual business signs. Large frame (at left) is centered above 1003 and 1005 West College Street.
Metal frame (4 ft. high by 8 ft. wide) (at right) is centered above 1007 West College Street. Sign frame
above units 1009 (recently removed) and 1011 are like that depicted on right (IRP 22-10_IMG_8237
(left), IRP 22-10_IMG_8234 (right)
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 7 page 15
Free-Standing Pole Sign: (one contributing object, 1971) A free standing Columbo’s Pizza
pole support sign stands at the southeast corner of the property parking lot at the intersection of
the sidewalk along the west side of South 10th Avenue and the sidewalk along the north side of
West College Street. The support structure dates to 1971 to the initial erection of the sign by
Karl Marks Pizza, 1003 West College Street (the predecessor of Columbo’s Pizza & Pasta that
now occupies the location).
On August 30, 1971, Carl Marks, the new owner of the Karl Marks Pizza Restaurant filed an
“Application for Erection Permit (Sign or Other Advertising Structure) with the City of Bozeman
to install a free-standing metal pole sign in the southeast corner of the Westgate Village
Shopping Center.4
The free-standing Karl Mark’s Pizza/Columbo’s Pizza & Pasta structure (Figure 14) stands 19 ft.
5 in. tall including a 12 ft. 4 in.-tall cast-iron support pole with a 6 in. diameter. The present
rectangular, sheet metal, sign box measures 8 ft. 8 in. wide, 4 ft. 8 in. high, and 16 in. deep. The
two-sided sign features a translucent plexiglass channel on both the west and east sides with
approximately 4 in. metal frame edges to hold the plexiglass. The box is internally lit. Above the
sign box extends a sheet metal T-frame crossmember. Support chains that extend below the T-
frame crossmember provide support to the sign box. It is presumed that the metal pipe anchored
in the ground extends through the sign box and attaches to the T-structure for additional support.
Because the majority of the constituent parts of the free-standing pole sign remain, including the
pole support and upper T-frame crossmember, the free-standing pole sign is counted as a
contributing object to the property. The business that now advertises, Columbo’s Pizza & Pasta,
changed from the original business, however, the present box installed circa 1990, roughly
conforms to the original and uses the original pole and T-frame support.
Parking Lot (one contributing structure, 1957): The property has an asphalt surfaced parking
lot that extends the full width of the building from the sidewalk on the north side of West
College Street to the edge of the concrete walkway along the south/front façade of the building,
and from the west edge of the sidewalk along the west side of South 10th Ave to the east where it
joins the paved alley on the west side of the building. The parking lot measures approximately
113 feet east-west by 37 feet north- south (Figures 14, 15). Access to the parking lot occurs via
two slightly sloped drives, one on the east end and one on the west end, both off West College
Street. Although the parking lot has received new topping throughout its existence, the lot is
original to the building and property as originally designed and sports its original footprint.
Small-scale Features Not Included in Resource Count
A concrete pad for the original Westgate Village sign that once proclaimed the location of the
shopping mall lies in the northeast corner of the parking lot—the only remnant of the sign that
4 City of Bozeman Application for Erection Permit (Sign or Other Advertising Structure) No. 623, August 8,
1971, 5 ft. (high) by 6 ft. (wide) metal pole, Karl Marks Pizza, 1003 W. College. On file City of Bozeman,
Planning Department.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 7 page 16
remains is the concrete pad and the flush-cut supports of the original posts (Figure 16). The sign
was erected sometime after November 22, 1957. The City of Bozeman Application for Erection
Permit (sign or other advertising structure), No. 290 was issued on that date and identified a
metal-framed plastic illuminated sign, measuring 5 ft. high by 7 ft. 8 in. wide, supported by three
iron posts. The shape of the sign was a trapezoid with rounded corners (Figure 15). The plastic
face of the sign was yellow and had channel letters in red cursive and black block font that read
“Westgate Village.” The sign appears in photographs from the late-1950s or early 1960s and
again in 1982. The early form of the sign displayed three extended vertical poles-ends atop the
metal frame but appear to have been removed sometime in the 1970s. The entire sign was
removed sometime in the mid-1980s.
Figure 14. View to west at Westgate Village Shopping Center (2022) showing free-standing pole sign in
southeast corner of parking lot (left). Sign has been converted to business information for Colombo’s
Pizza but placed in original 1971 sign structure/frame. South 10th Avenue is seen in foreground (IRP 22-
10_IMG_7769)
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 7 page 17
Figure 15. Photograph ca. 1959-1960, view to northwest, showing Westgate Village Shopping Center at
northwest corner of intersection of N. 10th Ave. and West College Street. Rear of A&W Drive Inn is at far
left. Note original Westgate Village sign right of center at northeast corner of parking lot, and wooden
louvered sunshades above front edge of extended roof over walkway (photo courtesy of Janet Colombo)
Figure 16. General view to north (left photo) at concrete foundation base of original “Westgate Village”
free-standing pole sign located in northeast corner of parking lot (IRP 22-10_IMG7774) and detailed
view of concrete foundation base for pole sign (right photo) adjacent to South 10th Avenue sidewalk, note
three flush-cut ends of original vertical sign support poles imbedded in concrete (IRP 22-10_IMG7777)
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 7 page 18
Original Elements of the Westgate Village Shopping Center:
Though the Westgate Village Shopping Center exhibits its evolution of adapting to new
businesses throughout its history, it remains able to evince its historic 1957 mid-century
trappings via number of means.
1. The original rectangular form and footprint of the building with much of the historic
materials;
2. The original two-level built-up flat roof with extended southern eave that cover the
concrete walkway;
3. The original full-width concrete walkway that parallels the south (front) façade and two-
step concrete approach at west end;
4. The original full-width façade with low brick wall, near full height and width glass store
windows, wood-framed glass doors with fixed transoms above;
5. Original metal mesh-covered metal frames for roof-top business signs and free-standing
signs as documented from historic photographs and documents.5 Sign assemblies include
three, one each over units 1003-1005, 1009, and 1011. The original sign frame above unit
1007 was recently removed;
6. Free-standing business sign in the southeast corner of the parking lot that retains the
original pole and support apparatus;
7. Full-width asphalt parking lot between the front façade concrete walkway on the south
side of the building and the sidewalk along the north side of West College Street.
Integrity
The Westgate Village Shopping Center retains all aspects of integrity to varying degrees. The
property sits in its original location. Integrity of setting, association, and feeling remain strong as
many of the surrounding buildings that date to the shopping center’s construction remain,
including the two buildings to the south on the Montana State University campus and the
building to the west; the shopping center continues to evoke its reason for construction—to serve
the local student population.
Integrity of design, materials, and workmanship mostly remain, albeit with some changes. In
the 1960s, the address of 1003 and 1005 West College Street were converted into a single space
5 Carpenter, Scott L., “Comprehensive Sign Plan: Historic & Culturally Significant Signs, Westgate Village
Shopping Center, Bozeman, Montana. InteResources Planning, Inc., Bozeman, MT,” 2022. Report prepared
for Fig and Feather, LLC, Bozeman, MT, by InteResources Planning, Inc., Bozeman, MT. Copies on file at
InteResources, Inc., City of Bozeman, Planning Department, and Montana State Historic Preservation Office,
Helena, MT.
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to house a restaurant, a change that occurred within the period of significance; however, this
conversion resulted in the removal and/or in-filling of some of 1005’s entry and windows,
changes that are easily reversable. Other alterations that detract from integrity of design,
materials, and workmanship include the removal of the suspended wooden louvered sunshades
that spanned the front façade walk, the replacement of doors within their original openings, the
in-filling of two small openings in the east wall, and the replacement of the updating of the sign
box on the historic sign assembly.
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_________________________________________________________________
8. Statement of Significance
Applicable National Register Criteria
(Mark "x" in one or more boxes for the criteria qualifying the property for National Register
listing.)
A. Property is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the
broad patterns of our history.
B. Property is associated with the lives of persons significant in our past.
C. Property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of
construction or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values,
or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components lack
individual distinction.
D. Property has yielded, or is likely to yield, information important in prehistory or
history.
Criteria Considerations
(Mark “x” in all the boxes that apply.)
A. Owned by a religious institution or used for religious purposes
B. Removed from its original location
C. A birthplace or grave
D. A cemetery
E. A reconstructed building, object, or structure
F. A commemorative property
G. Less than 50 years old or achieving significance within the past 50 years
X
X
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Areas of Significance
(Enter categories from instructions.)
_COMMERCE ______
_ARCHITECTURE __
___________________
___________________
Period of Significance
_1957-1973 ________
___________________
___________________
Significant Dates
_1957 _____________
___________________
___________________
Significant Person
(Complete only if Criterion B is marked above.)
___________________
___________________
___________________
Cultural Affiliation
___________________
___________________
___________________
Architect/Builder
_Hugo G. Eck (Architect)_
_H.H. Gower (Builder)___
___________________
Statement of Significance Summary Paragraph (Provide a summary paragraph that includes
level of significance, applicable criteria, justification for the period of significance, and any
applicable criteria considerations.)
The Westgate Village Shopping Center was designed by Hugo Eck, a locally famous architect
and professor at Montana State University. The commercial development was the first planned
multi-unit shopping center built in Bozeman as a response to major post-World War II
population and economic growth of the community. As Montana State College (MSC), located
south of West College Street, witnessed significant growth in the post-war student enrollment,
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the need for residential and commercial growth followed. The development of the Westgate
Village Shopping Center and nearby businesses followed these needs. Upon thorough evaluation,
the property has been found eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places under
criteria A and C. Under Criterion A, the Westgate Village Shopping Center is significant for its
commercial associations with the nearby university population through a new and modern
building. The Westgate Village Shopping Center retains its original commercial use to the
present day. Under Criterion C, the property exhibits the design, workmanship, and materials of
Bozeman’s first shopping center, a shopping center that reflects the growing popularity of mid-
twentieth century/post-World War II development in Bozeman, Montana. Designed by a local
architect, the building retains the majority of its original architectural attributes.
Justification for the property’s period of significance of 1957-1973, includes 1957, the
construction date of the property and the opening of business establishments in November of that
year; the year 1957 also represents the significant date associated with the property. The end of
the period of significance is 1973, the end of the historic period and a date that reflects the
building’s continued use and commercial service to the community.
______________________________________________________________________________
Narrative Statement of Significance (Provide at least one paragraph for each area of
significance.)
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
The historic Westgate Village Shopping Center meets numerous specific elements of Criterion A
and C for evaluating a historic property for nomination to the National Register of Historic
Places. The building clearly is associated with events related to the significant era of Post-World
War II/Mid-20th Century commercial development in Bozeman (Criterion A) following a
Modern architectural style plan (Criterion C). The creation of the building was in response to
increasing urban population and economic growth in the town. The Westgate Village building
was the first such multi-unit shopping center designed and constructed in Bozeman and
southwest Montana. The building served as model for the other small, medium, and large multi-
unit shopping centers later built in Montana. The post-war era growth and development of the
southwest Bozeman/College area set the stage for the particular design and construction of
Westgate Village.
History of Strip Malls in the United States
Few mid-twentieth century architectural and cultural icons remain to exemplify the planned
commercial development as a response to post-war increases in population, economic growth,
and changing lifestyles due to the use of the automobile. Mid-century development of multi-unit
shopping centers are one such example. Westgate Village Shopping Center, the first of its kind in
Bozeman, is a remaining example of that historical and architectural development.
The development of small and large neighborhood shopping centers throughout the U.S. shared
elements of design for buildings, parking lots, and related features but also influenced planning
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and design of adjacent neighborhoods, traffic systems, and city design.6 “The emergence of
major business centers … represents one of the most significant changes to the structure of
settlement in the United States during the twentieth century… The creation of major retail
centers on the urban periphery after World War II lay in the forefront of this business
dispersal…7”
Not surprisingly, the advent of strip malls correlated to some degree with the additional freedom
provided by the popularity of the automobile. Love them or hate them, “Since the 1950s, the
strip mall has been a constant backdrop to the daily activities of people across the United
States.”8
The streetcar served as an early source to develop new retail opportunities outside of cities. As
people and streetcars moved further out, businesses followed. The areas outside of town initially
drew businesses that could not afford the higher rents of downtown areas; however, recognition
soon occurred that opening a business outside of the downtown areas could prove financially
viable. To increase their profits, businesses outside the usual business districts often erected
buildings with an eye toward economy.9
With the gaining popularity of the automobile, downtown areas faced issues of congestion and
overcrowding.10 These problems naturally lead to construction of businesses outside of the
congestion, “…congested downtowns were making outlying shopping areas more attractive to
suburban dwellers.”11 Although occurring in the formative years of “strip malls,” plans for
businesses outside the city core addressed such issues as the automobile and parking, though
often through an expansion of public space associated with the street rather than true parking
lots. Recommended setbacks for automobile parking became part of business building
planning.12 The automobile literally changed how business was conducted.
6 Richard Longstreth, “City Center to Regional Mall: Architecture, the Automobile, and Retailing in Los
Angeles, 1920 – 1950,” (Cambridge : the Oxford Press, 1997).
7 Richard Longstreth, “City Center to Regional Mall: Architecture, the Automobile, and Retailing in Los
Angeles, 1920 – 1950,” (Cambridge : the Oxford Press, 1997), pg. x.
8 Matthew Manning, “The Death and Life of Great American Strip Malls: Evaluating and Preserving A Unique
Cultural Resource,” (Thesis, University of Georgia, Athens, 2005), pg. 2.
9 Matthew Manning, “The Death and Life of Great American Strip Malls: Evaluating and Preserving A Unique
Cultural Resource,” (Thesis, University of Georgia, Athens, 2005), pgs. 4-8.
10 Matthew Manning, “The Death and Life of Great American Strip Malls: Evaluating and Preserving A Unique
Cultural Resource,” (Thesis, University of Georgia, Athens, 2005), pgs. 11.
11 Matthew Manning, “The Death and Life of Great American Strip Malls: Evaluating and Preserving A Unique
Cultural Resource,” (Thesis, University of Georgia, Athens, 2005), pg. 11.
12 "Drafting and Design Problems: Neighborhood Shopping Centers," Architectural Record May 1932: 326;
Clarence S. Stein and Catherine Bauer, "Store Buildings and Neighborhood Shopping Centers," Architectural
Record Feb 1934: 179. In Matthew Manning, “The Death and Life of Great American Strip Malls: Evaluating
and Preserving A Unique Cultural Resource,” (Thesis, University of Georgia, Athens, 2005), pg. 12.
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The strip malls of the 1950s and 1960s definitely followed earlier planning precepts from the
1930s that recommended one-story commercial buildings with room for parking, with parking
either in front of stores or minimally, at least free of traffic.13 Interestingly, in a nod toward
future business development and illustrated by the Westgate Village Shopping Center, a
shopping center’s appearance could include, “A single feature, such as a clock tower, flagpole, or
well-designed electric sign tower, identifying the entire group of shops, [was] more effective
than the usual attempts at giving individual shops separate ‘architectural’ treatment.”14 The
presentation of the shopping center was to be downplayed: “The design of the store… should be
subordinated entirely to the purpose of displaying merchandise to its best advantage. Self-
expression, monumental and picturesque efforts are out of place.”15
By the early 1930s, parking assumed such prominence that parking designs appeared in
architectural journals, including an option present at the Westgate Village Shopping Center.16
Retailers soon realized the positive economics associated with sufficient front parking lots.
Planners’ ability to overcome issues with parking including the acceptance of store front parking,
witnessed the rise of the strip mall.17
While earlier shopping locals strove for pedestrian use, the strip mall was designed with the
automobile in mind. Post-War culture greatly influenced the strip mall. The importance of the
strip mall is illustrated by its discussion architectural journals where four patterns were identified
and included “strip,” “mall,” “U,” and cluster or group. The true strip mall, “straight line of
stores tied together by a canopy over the pedestrian walk extending along the entrance fronts to
the stores.”18 The definition further stated, “It is set back from the access street with most of the
parking placed between the street and the building.”
Another attraction of the strip mall was its easy adaptation to different sites and its economy to
build; this went hand in hand with the old saw, form follows function. The similarity of strip
malls to the earlier planning ideas of over 20 years prior are unmistakable. The design and
construction of strip malls, like the Westgate Village Shopping Center, focused almost
exclusively on the ability to sell one’s goods.
13 Matthew Manning, “The Death and Life of Great American Strip Malls: Evaluating and Preserving A Unique
Cultural Resource,” (Thesis, University of Georgia, Athens, 2005), pg. 15.
14 "Drafting and Design Problems: Neighborhood Shopping Centers," 329. In Matthew Manning, “The Death
and Life of Great American Strip Malls: Evaluating and Preserving A Unique Cultural Resource,” (Thesis,
University of Georgia, Athens, 2005), pg. 15.
15 K. Lönberg-Holm, "Planning the Retail Store," Architectural Record June 1931: 503. In Matthew Manning,
“The Death and Life of Great American Strip Malls: Evaluating and Preserving A Unique Cultural Resource,”
(Thesis, University of Georgia, Athens, 2005), pg. 16.
16 Matthew Manning, “The Death and Life of Great American Strip Malls: Evaluating and Preserving A Unique
Cultural Resource,” (Thesis, University of Georgia, Athens, 2005), pg. 19.
17 Matthew Manning, “The Death and Life of Great American Strip Malls: Evaluating and Preserving A Unique
Cultural Resource,” (Thesis, University of Georgia, Athens, 2005), pg. 27.
18 Matthew Manning, “The Death and Life of Great American Strip Malls: Evaluating and Preserving A Unique
Cultural Resource,” (Thesis, University of Georgia, Athens, 2005), pgs. 28, 29.
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Presentation of strip malls advocated uncomplicated, harmonious, and inexpensive construction
with little ornamentation.19 Strip malls that predated 1951 often expressed leanings toward
modernism as well as advertising through the presence of a sign.20 Some signs were bolder than
others. Signs were generally erected along edges of sidewalks or sidewalk canopies (such as the
original Westgate Village Shopping Center sign that stood in the northeast parking lot corner),
and often displayed colorful letters with nighttime lighting.21
With the close of the 1950s, “the strip mall was a uniquely recognizable and ubiquitous form of
commercial development.”22 Matthew Manning highlighted the elements that defined strip malls
from other commercial ventures, nearly all which the Westgate Village Shopping Center
displays:23
• Single Ownership or Control
• Designed and Built as a Planned Unit
• Linear Arrangement of Building(s) (straight, curved, or angled)
• Single Story
• Building(s) Set Back from Public Road or Right-of-Way
• Primary Parking between Building(s) and Road
• Minimum 3:1 Ratio of Parking Area to Building Area
• Single Front Facade Facing Parking
• Separate Rear Service Access
• Storefront Entrances Directly Accessible from Parking Area
• Covered Sidewalk along Storefronts (canopy, awning, arcade, etc.)
• Spaces for Multiple Tenants with Partition Walls between Stores
• Flexible Interior Space Customizable by Tenants
• Individual Exterior Signage for Each Storefront
• Signage Visible from Passing Vehicles
The strip mall encompasses the postwar economy and popularity of the automobile. Small
shopping centers of the Westgate Village style were an increasingly popular design choice
throughout the United States during the post-World War II/1950-1960s period. Tied to the strong
19 The Community Builders Handbook, Ed. J. Ross McKeever and prepared by the Community Builder's
Council of the Urban Land Institute, Anniversary Edition, (Washington, DC: Urban Land Institute, 1968), pgs.
320-321. Matthew Manning, “The Death and Life of Great American Strip Malls: Evaluating and Preserving A
Unique Cultural Resource,” (Thesis, University of Georgia, Athens, 2005), pg. 32.
20 Matthew Manning, “The Death and Life of Great American Strip Malls: Evaluating and Preserving A Unique
Cultural Resource,” (Thesis, University of Georgia, Athens, 2005), pg. 34.
21 Matthew Manning, “The Death and Life of Great American Strip Malls: Evaluating and Preserving A Unique
Cultural Resource,” (Thesis, University of Georgia, Athens, 2005), pg. 33.
22 Matthew Manning, “The Death and Life of Great American Strip Malls: Evaluating and Preserving A Unique
Cultural Resource,” (Thesis, University of Georgia, Athens, 2005), pg. 39.
23 Matthew Manning, “The Death and Life of Great American Strip Malls: Evaluating and Preserving A Unique
Cultural Resource,” (Thesis, University of Georgia, Athens, 2005), pg. 39.
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economy, new locations were built that further fueled a sense of success. The association
between the automobile and strip malls is undeniable, but in the case of the Westgate Village
Shopping Center, plans for the buildings construction also recognized the importance of the local
student population, a source of revenue that often lacked a vehicle. The volume of automobile
and pedestrian traffic within and around Bozeman’s college campus created the obvious response
for developing businesses along this busy section of West College Street.
The new commercial developments in suburban areas brought with them the ability to provide a
variety of services, not limited to shoe repair, bakeries, barbers, drug stores, and grocery. Or in
the case of the Westgate Village Shopping Center, a ski shop, women’s wear, men’s wear, drug
store, and café. The attempt was to provide a venue that could yield the same services as those
found in the downtown areas. Strip malls also assumed the role of a location to socialize and
depending on the business, had extended hours. The presence of a strip mall in one’s community
was viewed favorably, often as a “status symbol.” By the 1950s through the 1970, strip malls
spread to highway and interchange locations.24
The Westgate Village Shopping Center was the first multi-unit shopping center designed and
built in in the town. The building was planned, designed, and constructed in response to the
increasing population and economic development of the area adjacent to Montana State College
(later Montana State University) following World War II. As veterans returned home and
ventured into new professions and partook of higher education under the GI Bill, the area around
Montana College and Bozeman saw increases in commercial retail opportunities.
The name for Bozeman’s first shopping center, the Westgate Village, clearly represented the
commercial hub near the “west gate” of Montana State College. Businesses along West College
Street from South 11th to South 8th Avenues included from the 1940s to the 1960s, A&W Root
Beer, shops and restaurants, a bar at Westgate, gasoline service stations, and the Parkway
Market, all that capitalized on the student and employee traffic to and from the College. The
overall efficient design of the Westgate Village Shopping Center, with accessible storefronts,
street access, adjacent on-site parking, as well as roof-top and free-standing parking lot signs are
typical of shopping centers of the mid-twentieth century. Westgate Village represents the first
example of a small shopping center that brought these architectural elements to Bozeman and
southwest Montana. footnote?
Early Development of the Area and Property Transfers
The location of the Westgate Village Shopping Center (Lots 11, 12, 13, 14; Block 52 of the West
Park Addition to Bozeman) fell within the original U.S. Land Grant of 160 acres to George W.A.
Frazier, March 10, 1875.25 A portion of the original Frazier Land Grant was subdivided into the
24 Matthew Manning, “The Death and Life of Great American Strip Malls: Evaluating and Preserving A Unique
Cultural Resource,” (Thesis, University of Georgia, Athens, 2005), pg. 43.
25 U.S. General Land Office, Bureau of Land Management records MTMTAA 042870. Sale-Cash Entry (Statute
566), for the eastern ½ of the southwest ¼ and the western ½ of the southeast ¼ of Section 12, Township 2
South, Range 5 East.
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West Park Addition to Bozeman in April 12, 1892, by Louis F. and Amanda A. Manage12.26 The
West Park Addition is rectangular in shape, bounded on the north by West Babcock Street
(originally platted as 1st Street SW in 1892), on the east by South 8th Ave, on the south by West
College Street (8th Street SW in 1892), and on the west by South 11th Ave. The southwest area of
Bozeman was slow to realize development, with construction of buildings on lots in the West
Park Addition largely not occurring until the early- to mid-20th Century. Development of Lots
11, 12, 13, and 14, Block 52, and surrounding lots did not happen until the late 1950s.
The late-19th and early-20th century development of southwest Bozeman (south of West College
Street and east of South 11th Avenue) was dominated by the creation of Montana State
Agricultural College amidst open agricultural fields in 1893.27 By 1892, Bozeman’s Gallatin
Light, Power and Railway Company street cars extended local street car service through the open
fields at the outskirts of Bozeman connecting the north edge of Montana State College Campus
to the rest of the town; by 1902, the track provided transportation to the south portion of the
campus.28 In 1965, the Montana State Legislature formally approved the name change to
Montana State University (the last land-grant college in the nation to become a university).29
In June of 1919, Lewis Terwilliger acquired Lots 8 through 21, Block 52 from Mrs. Vesta P.
Walker.30 Terwilliger apparently pursued little if any lot sales or development until he sold Lots
8-21 to Fred B. Liquin on January 5, 1946.31 Between 1946 and 1950, deed records for Lots 11-
14, Block 52, the location of the Westgate Village Shopping Center, proved difficult to find. In
May of 1950, Lots 11-14, Block 52, appear as a sale to Henry Jongewaard, owner/manager of
L&H Restaurant at 1003 West College Street from Paul K. & Dorothy Dudley.32
Growth of Montana State College Following World War II
By the end of World War II in 1945, Montana State College (MSC)witnessed a fall student
enrollment of 1,260 students after war-time lows of 938 students in 1943. By the end of the war,
Bozeman residents, students, and the entire population of the U.S. saw large increases in the
economy, new jobs, and educational opportunities.33 The G.I. Bill, formally known as the
26 West Park Addition Subdivision Plat, Bozeman, Montana, 1892. Gallatin County Clerk & Recorder, Plat
Book.
27 Phyllis T. Smith, “Bozeman and the Gallatin Valley: A History,” (Globe Perquot Press: Guilford, Connecticut
2002), pg. 174.
28 Phyllis T. Smith, “Bozeman and the Gallatin Valley: A History,” (Globe Perquot Press: Guilford, Connecticut
2002), pg. 179.
29 Phyllis T. Smith, “Bozeman and the Gallatin Valley: A History,” (Globe Perquot Press: Guilford, Connecticut
2002), pg. 289.
30 Gallatin County Deed Book 60, Page 252, Gallatin County Clerk & Recorder, Bozeman, MT.
31 Deed Book 92, p. 411, Gallatin County Clerk & Recorder.
32 Gallatin County Deed Book 101, Page 487, Gallatin County Clerk & Recorder, Bozeman, MT.
33 The precepts of the town of Bozeman date to the opening of the Bozeman Trail from the Oregon Trail to the
early gold mining settlement of Virginia City, Montana Territory in 1863 by John Bozeman and John Jacob. A
year later, along a portion of the trail within the Gallatin Valley, John Bozeman, Daniel Rouse, and William
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Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, was a law that provided a range of benefits for some of
the returning World War II veterans.34 Unfortunately, African American veterans were often
hindered from realizing the benefits of the G.I. Bill. Typical benefits of the legislation included
financial assistance for education, low-interest loans, and low-cost mortgages for home purchase.
The end of the War triggered the largest ever student enrollment at Montana State College with a
147% jump from 1260 students in 1945 to 3121 students in 1946 (Figure 17).35 Following the
end of World War II, Montana State College attempted to keep pace with the growing enrollment
with hiring of additional staff and professors, construction of new buildings, and the construction
of additional student housing, often augmented by the use of temporary war-surplus buildings
and trailers for residences.
Figure 17. Table and graph showing annual fall student enrollment at Montana State College from 1939
– 1960, with 147% increase in 1945 at the beginning of the implementation of the G.I. Bill. Statistics
provided by the Montana State University, Planning Department, compiled by InteResources Planning.
The sharp growth in student enrollment paralleled similar increases in new jobs, businesses, and
home construction in the town of Bozeman. Post-World War II growth, the increase in student
enrollment at MSC, and increase use of personal automobiles established the best opportunity for
developing the town’s first shopping center, Westgate Village, located at the northwest corner of
the campus. Beginning in the 1950s, businesses prospered along the north side of West College
Beall formalized the first town plan in August 1864. Phyllis T. Smith, “Bozeman and the Gallatin Valley: A
History,” (Globe Perquot Press: Guilford, Connecticut 2002).
34 Glenn C. Altschuler and Stuart M. Blumin, “The GI Bill: A New Deal for Veterans,” (Oxford University Press:
Oxford, 2009).
35 MSC enrollment statistics from Montana State University, Office of Planning and Statistics, compiled by
author.
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St. from North 8th Ave. to 11th Ave. These were the first businesses established away from Main
St. and North 7th Ave. at Bozeman’s core. The College Street businesses, and Westgate Village
in particular, capitalized on the large amount of automobile and pedestrian traffic generated by
MSC and surrounding neighborhoods.
Later History of the Property and Immediate Development
Records, deeds, maps, and photographs found at Gallatin Museum, Bozeman Building Office,
Bozeman Public Library, Gallatin County Clerk and Recorder Office, and U.S. Census records
indicate that the subject property at Lots 11, 12, 13, and 14, within Block 52 of the West Park
Addition, remained undeveloped and vacant until 1954. The 1950 Polk City Directory for
Bozeman shows no address listings between 903 and 1217 West College.36
The 1954 Polk City Directory for Bozeman (Street Section page 86) lists a business, “The Hut
Restaurant” operated by Cora Rogers at 1003 West College St.37 No other addresses are listed
with any residence or business on the north side of West College St. until 1013 West College, the
location of the A&W Root Beer restaurant at the intersection of South 11th Ave. and West
College Street.
The 1954 City Directory also lists the residence of Chester H. Anderson at 715 South 10th Ave,
the then recently constructed house immediately north 1003 West College. A photograph of
Norma Anderson’s 10th birthday party (ca. 1956) in front of the Anderson house at 715 South
10th Ave, shows a Quonset hut building on the lot at the northwest corner of South 10th Ave. and
West College Street (Figure 18).38 According to the Andersons the Quonset hut, reported to have
been moved to the property from North 7th Ave., was the building that housed The Hut
Restaurant and later L&H Café, operated by Henry and Lydia Jongewaard in 1957-1958.39 The
1956 Bozeman City Directory lists “The Hut Restaurant” operated by Henry Jongewaard at1003
West College St.40 No other addresses are listed in the directory between 1003 West College
Street and 1013 West College, the location of the A&W Root Beer restaurant. The Hut
Restaurant, and later L&H Café, has been documented to be located within a steel Quonset hut
moved to the property about 1952.
36 Polk City Directory for Bozeman, Montana, 1950, pg. 166.
37 Polk City Directory for Bozeman, Montana, 1954, pg. 86.
38 Gallatin County History Museum photo 18118.
39 Polk City Directory for Bozeman, Montana, 1958, pg. 176.
40 Polk City Directory for Bozeman, Montana, 1956, Street Section pgs. 29, 240.
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Figure 18. Undated historic photograph, circa 1955-1956. Original Photo Caption: “18118: Norma
Anderson's 10th birthday party. The house sits at 715 South 10th Avenue at the intersection of South 10th
Ave. and College Street. The Army Barracks/classrooms (at MSC) are visible in the background on the
south side of West College Street. Also seen is a Quonset hut that housed "The Hut" café, and later the
“L & H Café”. The Quonset hut was moved to this location from North 7th Avenue [Bozeman]” (Gallatin
County History Museum, Photograph Collection, No. 18118, Bozeman, Montana.
Figure 19 shows a current photo from the same view as Figure 18, with the Anderson house and
rear of Westgate Village Shopping Center.
Figure 19. Current photograph that shows same view as historic photo above (Figure 18). View to south
from sidewalk at 715 S. 10th Ave. (house on right), looking at east end of north wall of Westgate Village
Shopping Center. Quonset Hut that was the location of “The Hut” restaurant and “L&H Café” in 1955-
1957, was located in area of east end of parking lot and Westgate Village Building.
The Sanborn Fire Insurance map for Bozeman, 1959 revision, shows the location of the Westgate
Village Shopping Center as constructed in 1957, with a faint “ghosting” of the Quonset hut
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structure located on the same lot at the northwest corner of West College St. and North 11th Ave
(Figure 20).
Figure 20. Portion of 1959 revision of 1927 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map for Bozeman, pg. 6. Showing
sketch plan of Westgate Village Shopping Center (at 1003 – 1011 College). Revision glued over original
map which shows “ghosting” of The Hut Restaurant can be seen beneath the later map revision applied
over the earlier map (red ellipse). A & W Drive-In is in yellow to left of “954”.
Figures 21 and 22 show two different aerial views (ca. 1952 and 1954) of the parcel with “The
Hut”/”L&H Café” restaurant that operated out of the Quonset hut at the corner.
Figure 21. Enlarged portion of aerial photograph (ca. 1952), view to north, showing “The Hut
Restaurant” (Quonset hut with shed-roof addition on west) at northwest corner of West College Street
and South 10th Avenue (red arrow). Note: vacant lot with billboard to the west of “The Hut Restaurant”
where A&W Drive-In was constructed in 1954. Note: MSC Military Sciences Dept. (Quonset huts) and
Wool Lab at lower left and 2-story wood-frame Military Sciences Classrooms at lower center [Photo
courtesy of MSU Special Collections, Image No. parc-000178]
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 8 page 32
Figure 22. Enlarged portion of aerial photograph (ca.1954), view to southeast, showing “The
Hut”/”L&H Café” Quonset hut structure (with shed roof addition on west) at southeast corner of North
10th Ave. and West College St. (red arrow). A&W Drive-In appears to the right of Quonset hut [Photo
courtesy of MSU Special Collections, Image No. parc-000201]
The Westgate Village Shopping Center
On June 19, 1957, Henry & Lydia Jongewarrd (owners and operators of the L&H Café) sold lots
12, 13, and 14 within Block 52 to Bruce W. Mecklenburg.41 On the same day, Ruben & Florence
Batchelder transferred Lot 11, Block 52, to Bruce W. Mecklenburg.42 Because the new Westgate
Village building was larger than the Quonset hut that housed the L&H Café on Lots 11-14,
construction of the Westgate Village Shopping Center likely did not begin until sometime after
June 1957. Following a very short time, Lots 11-14 were transferred again on June 14, 1958,
from Bruce Mecklenburg to Cyrus Bowman Chase of Gallatin County.43 Available records do
not indicate that Mecklenburg and Chase entered into a partnership, but that is a strong
possibility.
Information gleaned from deeds and advertisements in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle in 1957
indicates that the Westgate Village was constructed between June and October of 1957 by
Mecklenberg, with Henry H. Gowen serving as general contractor. Plumbing and heating
fabrication was provided by Budd Plumbing and Heating, wiring completed by Bozeman
Electric, and signs fabricated by Obie Signs of Bozeman.44
41 Gallatin County Deed Book 125, pg. 213, Gallatin County Clerk & Recorder, Bozeman, MT.
42 Gallatin County Deed Book 125, pg. 211, Gallatin County Clerk & Recorder, Bozeman, MT.
43 Gallatin County Deed Book 127, pg. 432, Gallatin County Clerk & Recorder, Bozeman, MT.
44 “Grand Opening [advertisement],” Bozeman Daily Chronicle, November 23, 1957, pgs. 4-5. Microfiche copy
available at Montana State University, Renne Library, Bozeman, MT.
United States Department of the Interior
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NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 8 page 33
Chase purchased all of the Westgate Village Shopping Center property in 1958, remaining the
owner until June 14, 1985, when he sold it to Thomas J. Henderson & James A. Schuchard.45
James Schuchard is listed in the 1980 Polk City Directory as the owner/manager of Karl Mark’s
Pizza (1003 W. College St.) and the Next Door Saloon (1005 W. College St.).46
The founder behind the Westgate Village Shopping Center, Walter Bruce Mecklenburg was a
second-generation resident of Bozeman, born in 1925 to Walter (Sr.) and Dora Mecklenburg.
Walter Sr. was a successful cattle broker in Gallatin County. The Mecklenburg family were
important members of the Bozeman Methodist Church and provided land for the development of
the Bozeman Deaconess Hospital and Hillcrest Senior Living facility (both Methodist facilities)
on Highland Boulevard.
Bruce Mecklenburg Attended Bozeman High School and served in the U.S. Navy during WWII
as a radio operator. Bruce attended MSC in 1946, studying agricultural sciences, and worked in
his father’s cattle brokerage business in Bozeman. The junior Mecklenburg went into real estate
and invested in several properties in and around Bozeman. In 1973 he founded Mecklenburg
Realty Company in Bozeman and developed the University Mall – aided by the experience with
the development of Westgate Village. In 1989, Mecklenburg brokered the sale of the “Flying D
Ranch” southwest of Bozeman, purchased by Ted Turner. Mr. Mecklenburg passed away in
Bozeman in 2010.47
Bozeman Architect Hugo Gustof Eck produced several different architectural plans for different
options and configurations for the Westgate Village Shopping Center. Undated (ca.1957)
architectural drawings contained in Eck’s Papers held at the Renne Library Special Collections at
Montana State University include 14 undated drawings titled “Store Group for Shopping Center,
Hugo G. Eck, Bozeman.”48 Eck’s drawings include several different options and configurations
for a proposed shopping center building at the corner of West College Street and South 11th
Avenue. All the drawings show a rectangular building with four or five store units, flat roof of
different levels, covered front walkway, storefront façade of large glass fixed windows above
brick lower walls, and glass doors with glass transoms – all features that exist in the Modernist
Style building that exists today. One of the drawings, “Preliminary SK No. 1, H. Eck Architect,
Bozeman Mont.” (no date) shows two of the proposed store units with business names
“Hausman’s”, and “Drug Store”, two businesses located in the first constructed building in 1958
(Figure 23).49
45 Gallatin County Deed Book 88, pg. 746, Gallatin County Clerk & Recorder, Bozeman, MT.
46 Polk City Directory for Bozeman, Montana, 1980, Street Section pgs. 198, 202.
47 “Walter Bruce Mecklenburg: 1925-2010,” Bozeman Daily Chronicle, February 28, 2010.
48 MSU Special Collections, Collection Number 2378, Drawing Set Number 019, Hugo Eck.
49 MSU Special Collections, Collection Number 2378, Drawing Set Number 019, Hugo Eck.
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National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 8 page 34
Figure 23. Architectural drawing “Preliminary Sk[etch] No. 1, H. Eck, Bozeman, Mont.” (no date)
showing a design option for a shopping center at the corner of 10th Ave. and College St., with five shop
units including four businesses that were present at the opening in 1957: a drug shore, sporting goods
(Hauseman’s), men’s clothing (Hub), and a restaurant. Various façade details are similar to what was
built at Westgate Village Shopping Center [Courtesy of MSU Renne Library, Special Collections, Hugo
Eck Collection, Collection 2378, File 19]
A single drawing by Eck represents the closest rendering of the Westgate Village Shopping
Center eventually built in 1957 (Figure 24).50 No final design drawings or construction plans
have been found that exactly portray the building as constructed.
50 MSU Special Collections, Collection Number 2378, Drawing Set Number 019, Hugo Eck.
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National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 8 page 35
Figure 24. Undated architectural plan and elevation drawing for a shopping center building and parking
lot at the corner College St. and 10th Ave. Floor plan shows five common-wall store units as eventually
built, including the restaurant at the east end of the building. Although the building as completed was
slightly different than these unsigned plans, the similarities of dimensions, south walkway and store
entrances, stepped flat roof, full glass façade and low brick band wall are the same [Courtesy of MSU
Renne Library, Special Collections, Hugo Eck Collection, Collection 2378, File 19]
As noted, a portion of the revised 1957, 1958, and 1960 Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps for
Bozeman, Montana, shows the front/south portion of Westgate Village Shopping Center at 1003,
1005, 1007, 1009, and 1011 West College Street. Blue tinting denotes construction materials of
concrete block, with a roof height of 13 feet. Yellow tinting denotes wood-frame roof over the
front concrete walkway and “S” denotes a commercial shop or business, and “REST” denotes the
presence of a restaurant.51
Various issues of the Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported on the building and grand opening of
the new shopping center at the corner of South 10th Ave. and West College St. in 1957. The first
article, printed October 14, 1957, yields information regarding the new shopping center expected
to open soon.52 The article mentioned the building’s construction by Bruce Mecklenburg and
Howard Gower [general contractor] and lists the five different stores slated for occupancy
51 Portion of 1959/1960 revision of 1927 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map for Bozeman, pg. 6, inset.
52 “Shopping Center to Open Soon at Tenth and College,” Bozeman Daily Chronical, October 14, 1957.
United States Department of the Interior
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Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 8 page 36
including, “a men’s store to be operated by Cresap McCracken, a restaurant by Henry
Jongewaard, a branch of Hauseman’s for sporting goods and school supplies, the Gallatin Drug
and a sweater shop by Mrs. Ed Pegram and Mrs. Tony Storti.” The new locations for
Hauseman’s sports shop and Cresap’s men’s wear were the second location for each, adding to
their long-term Main Street stores. Gallatin Drug formerly occupied a store space on Main Street
but closed that operation to focus on the new location on West College Street.
The article discussed the future plans for a supermarket grocery to move to the vicinity of the
shopping center, a notion consistent with some of Hugo Eck’s variations on designs. The story
also noted that the festivities planned for the opening of the shopping center were to include a
contest to name the new shopping center.
The advertisements in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle of November 22 and 29, 1957, further
reported on the new businesses and Grand Opening celebration planned for November 29th and
30th (Figures 25, 26).53
Figure 25. Bozeman Daily Chronicle article (October 14, 1957) announcing the new shopping center to
be opened soon [MSU Renne Library, microfiche, Bozeman Daily Chronicle Collection, Bozeman, MT]
53 “Shopping Center To Open Soon At Tenth and College,” Bozeman Daily Chronicle , October 14, 1957.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 8 page 37
Figure 26. Bozeman Daily Chronicle advertisement (November 26, 1957, pg. 3) announcing the new
businesses, grand opening prizes, and a list of all the contractors. [MSU Renne Library, microfiche,
Bozeman Daily Chronicle Collection, Bozeman, MT]54
As excitement for the grand opening heightened, several of the new businesses erected signs to
advertise their wares. These included small lighted neon tube signs mounted on the south side of
the 12-in. horizontal wood beam that supports the extended roof over the covered walkway. At
least three business advertised in this fashion, based on City of Bozeman Erection Permits and
included the L & H Café (1003 West College Street), Cresap’s Men’s Wear (1005 West College
Street), and Gallatin Drug (1011 West College Street)[ Figures 27-30].55 These three signs
appear in the photographs accompanying the November 28, 1957, Bozeman Daily Chronicle
two-page advertisement for the grand opening of the Westgate Village Shopping Center (Figure
5). These neon signs were removed sometime prior to the early 1970s and replaced at roughly
the same time with front-lit roof-top signs attached to metal frames with enlarged metal display
fields. The original and later signs through the 1960s were fabricated and installed by Bozeman
sign maker Obie Signs located on North 8th Avenue, north of West Lamme Street.
54 “Free!”, Bozeman Daily Chronical, November 26, 1957.
55 City of Bozeman Application for Erection Permit, Sign or Other Advertising Structure, No. 293, November
25, 1957, 12 in. x 18 ft. neon skeleton sign, L & H Café, 1003 W. College; No. 292, November 25, 1957, 12 in x
13 ft. neon skeleton sign, Cresap’s Mens [sic] Store, 1005 W. College; No. 291, November 25, 1957, 12” [no
width] neon skeleton sign, Gallatin Drug, 1003 [sic] W. College.
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National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 8 page 38
Figure 27. View (ca. 1982) to north at west end of Next Door Saloon (1005 W. College St.) at right and
Access Camera (1007 W. College St.) at center and left, and east end of Through the Looking Glass (1009
W. College St.) at extreme left, showing metal frames with angled supports and enlarged metal display
field for attaching roof-top business signs. (City of Bozeman, Planning Department building files)
Figure 28. Copy of “Application for Erection Permit (sign or Other Advertising Structure)” No. 293,
Nov. 25, 1957, for a 12 in. (high) by 18 ft, (wide) skeleton neon type sign to be fabricated on wall (beam),
sign to read: “L & H Café.” (Sign Erection Applications and Permits on file at City of Bozeman,
Planning Department.)
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National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 8 page 39
Figure 29. Copy of “Application for Erection Permit (sign or Other Advertising Structure)” No. 292,
Nov. 25, 1957, for a 12 in. (high) by 13 ft. (wide) skeleton neon type sign to be fabricated on wall (beam),
sign to read: “Cresap’s Men’s Store.” (Sign Erection Applications and Permits on file at City of
Bozeman, Planning Department.)
Figure 30. Copy of “Application for Erection Permit (sign or Other Advertising Structure)” No. 291,
Nov. 25, 1957, for a 12 in. (high) (no width specified) skeleton neon type sign to be fabricated on wall
(beam), sign to read: “Gallatin Drug.” (Sign Erection Applications and Permits on file at City of
Bozeman, Planning Department.)
It is surmised that the limited 12-in. vertical height of the original neon signs placed on the
horizontal beam beneath the roof overhang provided less than optimal visibility to passers-by
along West College Street or the adjacent sidewalk. The desire for roof-mounted signage hoped
to facilitate greater visibility for the businesses in the mall. About 16 months after the grand
opening of the Westgate Village Shopping Center in November of 1957, the business owner of
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Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 8 page 40
Village Casuals women’s clothing shop at 1009 West College Street applied for a city sign
permit to install a flat metal sign on the “flat marque front” [horizontal wood beam] at unit 1009
(Figures 31, 32).56
Other signs likely existed throughout the early period of the building’s existence, though little
evidence regarding their presence was noted. The few photographs of the Westgate Village
Shopping Center through the years provide much of the sign information related to the building
including signs for Karl Marks Pizza and the Next Door Saloon were two of those businesses.
Both Karl Mark’s Pizza and Next Door Saloon (1003 and 1005 West College Street,
respectively) began business in 1971 or 1972.57 Because Marks filed for a sign permit in August
of 1971 for a free-standing business sign (see discussion below), it is presumed that the metal
frames for roof-top signs were also installed at that time, if not earlier. Larger roof-top signs
were installed for each business sometime after 1959 and before the mid- to - late- 1970s.
The use of rooftop signage on the Westgate Village Shopping Center represents a style of
advertising not only appropriate to the existing building, but one that harkens back to the
building’s earliest days, more than 50 years ago. The transition to roof-top advertising allowed
better visibility to pedestrians and vehicle traffic.
Figure 31. Copy of “Application for Erection Permit (sign or Other Advertising Structure)” No. 62,
March 4, 1959, for a 1 ft. high by 8 ft. wide flat metal sign to be installed on “flat marque front” (beam),
sign to identify Village Casuals. (Sign Erection Applications and Permits on file at City of Bozeman,
Planning Department.)
56 City of Bozeman Application for Erection Permit (Sign or Other Advertising Structure) No. 62, March 4,
1959, 1 ft. (high) by 8 ft. (wide) flat metal sign, Village Casuals, 1009 W. College, to be attached to the face of
the horizontal beam.
57 See Bozeman City Directory information in Table 1, this nomination.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 8 page 41
Figure 32. Copy of City of Bozeman Sign Permit No. 188, April 9, 1981, for 4 by 8-ft. metal roof-top sign
for Accent Photo, 1009 W. College. It is assumed that sometime between the installation of the Village
Casuals sign in 1959 and the business signs of the mid- to late-1970s the location of each was changed to
roof-top locations. (City of Bozeman Sign Permit Files).
Signage wasn’t limited to the top of the building. A new sign that proclaimed the location of the
entire complex was erected in the northeast corner of the parking lot sometime after November
22, 1957 (Figures 33, 34). The City of Bozeman Application for Erection Permit (sign or other
advertising structure) No. 290 was issued on that date and identified a metal-framed plastic
illuminated sign, measuring 5 ft. high by 7 ft. 8 in. wide, supported by three iron posts (Figure
35).58 The sign assumed the shape of a trapezoid with rounded corners and the plastic face
yellow with channel letters in red cursive and black block font that read “Westgate Village.” The
sign stood as the tallest pronouncement regarding the mall, drawing one’s eyes toward the
building from the nearby streets and sidewalks. The sign appears in photographs from the late-
1950s or early 1960s and again in 1982 (Figure 36). The early form of the sign displayed three
extended vertical poles-ends that projected form the top the metal frame. The entire sign was
removed sometime in the mid-1980s.
58 City of Bozeman Application for Erection Permit (Sign or Other Advertising Structure) No. 290, November
22, 1957, 5 ft. (high) by 7 ft. 8 in. (wide) 3 metal pole, Westgate Village sign, 1003 W. College. On file City of
Bozeman, Planning Department.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 8 page 42
Figure 33. Photograph ca. 1959-1960, view to northwest, showing Westgate Village Shopping Center at
northwest corner of intersection of N. 10th Ave. and West College Street. Rear of A&W Drive Inn is at far
left. Note original Westgate Village sign right of center at northeast corner of parking lot, and wooden
louvered sunshades above front edge of extended roof over walkway (photo courtesy of Janet Colombo).
Figure 34. Copy of “Application for Erection Permit (sign or Other Advertising Structure)” No. 290,
November 22, 1957, for a 5 ft. (high) by 7 ft. 8 in. (wide) metal-framed plastic-faced internally lighted
pole sign for Westgate Village at 1003 W. College. (Sign Erection Applications and Permits on file at City
of Bozeman, Planning Department.)
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 8 page 43
Figure 35. Copy of Erection Permit No. 290, dated 10 December 1957, approving sign permit application
for Westgate Village Sign. Note permit was approved and signed for the City of Bozeman by Walter R.
Sales, winner of the Westgate Village “Name the Shopping Center” contest in November 1957 (Sign
Erection Permit on file at City of Bozeman, Planning Department.)
Figure 36. 1984 photo view to northwest at Westgate Village sign at northeast corner of parking lot. Note
three cast-iron posts are set in a concrete base adjacent to the sidewalk and parking lot. Wires leading
from power pole out of view to left attach to sign for interior backlighting.
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NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 8 page 44
With tenant signage erected almost simultaneously with the building’s grand opening, additional
advertising appeared in the Bozeman Daily Chronical touting the upcoming event. The last
advertisement prior to the grand opening stated that the total value of free prizes for the
celebration witnessed a boost to $1000.00 (Figure 37).59 The winner of the “Name the Shopping
Center” was in line to receive a Telefunken Console Radio and 4-Speed Hi-Fi Record Player.
Adjusted for inflation, the price of the stereo today would be $4,474.00 – a hefty value to be
sure! The advertisement also provided the list of owners’ names of the various businesses:
Cresap’s Men’s Wear – Cresap McCracken, Gallatin Drug – George Christensen, Hauseman’s
Ski and College Shop – Marlyn J. and Dean M. Hauseman, Jr., and the L & H Café – Henry and
Lydia Jongeward [sic]. The ad fails to list the owner’s name for the Skirt’n Sweater Shop, but
other records indicate the owners as Mrs. Ed Pegram and Mrs. Tony Storti.
Figure 37. Advertisement, Bozeman Daily Chronicle, pg. 2, November 29, 1957. [MSU Renne Library,
microfiche, Bozeman Daily Chronicle Collection,
59 “Grand Opening, One More Big Day!” (advertisement), Bozeman Daily Chronicle, November 29, 1957, pg. 2.
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Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 8 page 45
Excitement in Bozeman reached a new high on November 28, 1957, when Mecklenburg and all
of the business owners prepared for the Grand Opening with a full two-page advertisement in the
Bozeman Chronicle (Figure 38).60 The ad was full of photos of the new shopping center and
stores, special deals, a list of the stores and their owners, and a recap on the contest to name the
new center. The banner of the ad read, “The New ???? Shopping Center, Gala Opening this
Friday & Saturday, It’s Easy to Reach….College at Tenth (across from Montana State College
Campus).” The “????” at the top of the ad indicates the then not-yet known official name was to
be selected during the grand opening drawing.
Figure 38. Two-page advertisement for “The New ???? Shopping Center – Gala Opening this Friday &
Saturday,” pgs. 4-5, November 28, 1957. Bozeman, MT. [MSU Renne Library, microfiche, Bozeman
Daily Chronicle Collection, Bozeman, MT]
Following the Grand Opening on November 30th, the grand drawing was held to judge the names
for the new shopping center. On December 6, 1957, an advertisement in the Bozeman Daily
60 “Shopping Center College, at Tenth, GRAND OPENING” (advertisement), Bozeman Daily Chronicle,
November 28, 1957, pgs. 4, 5.
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Name of Property County and State
Section 8 page 46
Chronicle announced the winners (Figure 39).61 The name, “West-Gate Village,” was submitted
by Walter Sales of 116 North Willson Ave. Mr. Sales won the first-place honor and the
Telefunken Radio and Hi-Fi Set. Second prize, an electric train set, was awarded to Ralph Aaker
who resided on Lincoln Road. A third prize of a Sunbeam coffee percolator was given to Wayne
Woosley, resident at 513 South 10th Ave. Lastly, fourth prize, a Sunbeam fryer, was awarded to
Phil Luginbill who lived at 407 South 14th Ave. The entry names for 2nd – 4th places were not
divulged.
Figure 39. Bozeman Daily Chronicle advertisement announcing the winners of the “Name the Shopping
Center Contest.” December 6, 1957, pg. 7. [MSU Renne Library, microfiche, Bozeman Daily Chronicle
Collection, Bozeman, MT]
Beginning in December of 1957, Bozeman’s new and first shopping center became known by the
name of Westgate Village Shopping Center. The naming of Bozeman’s first shopping center
proved lasting, yielding a sobriquet it continues to bear 65 years after its construction.
Interestingly, people associated with the naming contest appear later in the history of the
shopping center. Walter Sales, the winner of the “Name the Shopping Center Contest,” worked
as a rancher in Gallatin County and resided in Bozeman at 311 South Willson Ave.62 Sales was
also employed as the Building Inspector for the City of Bozeman, at least in the year 1957. In
1957, Sales approved the installation of the free-standing Westgate Village sign in the northeast
corner of the Westgate parking lot. That Sales approved the official permit for the sign appears a
bit awkward considering the announcement he had won the first-place prize in the “Name the
Shopping Center Contest” on December 6, 1957.
61 “Announcing the Winners of our “Name the Shopping Center Contest” (advertisement), Bozeman Daily
Chronicle, December 6, 1957, pg. 7.
62 Polk City Directory for Bozeman, Montana, 1958, Street Section pg. 224.
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Section 8 page 47
With the West Gate Village Shopping Center built and operating, the 1958 Polk City Directory
for Bozeman listed the first commercial establishments located in the mall.63
1003 W. College St.: L&H Café, Henry Jongewaard64
1005 W. College St.: Cresap’s Men’s Clothing, J. Cresap Mc Cracken65
1007 W. College St.: Ski and College Shop Sporting Goods, Marlyn Hauseman66
1009 W. College St.: Village Casuals Women’s Wear, Joyce Kiesse & Theresa Fox67
1011 W. College St.: Gallatin Drug, George P. Christensen68
Few changes occurred to the Westgate Village Shopping Center for the next several decades.
The addition of one notable feature, however, occurred in 1971 with the erection of the Karl
Marx pizza sign (now home to the Columbo’s Pizza sign) at the southeast corner of the property
parking lot. Carl Marks, the new owner of the Karl Marks Pizza Restaurant filed an
“Application for Erection Permit (Sign or Other Advertising Structure) with the City of Bozeman
to install a free-standing metal pole sign on August 30, 1971 (Figure 40).69
The free-standing sign stood, and continues to stand, 19 ft. 5 in. tall (Figures 14, 41). The sign
structure features a metal sign box sandwiched between a lower support pole and upper T-frame
crossmember with support chains. The Karl Marks Pizza Restaurant sign itself displayed a
slightly longer width and narrower height compared to the present Columbo’s sign.
Although simple in presentation, the location of the sign in the exact same spot for over 60 years
has inspired the patronage of the eateries from both local clientele and those visiting Bozeman
and the Montana State University campus.
63 Polk City Directory for Bozeman, Montana, Street Section pg. 287.
64 Polk City Directory for Bozeman, Montana, Street Section pg. 176.
65 Polk City Directory for Bozeman, Montana, Street Section pg. 119.
66 Polk City Directory for Bozeman, Montana, Street Section pg. 223.
67 Polk City Directory for Bozeman, Montana, Street Section pg. 251.
68 Polk City Directory for Bozeman, Montana, Street Section pg. 140.
69 City of Bozeman Application for Erection Permit (Sign or Other Advertising Structure) No. 623, August 8,
1971, 5 ft. (high) by 6 ft. (wide) metal pole, Karl Marks Pizza, 1003 W. College. On file City of Bozeman,
Planning Department.
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National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 8 page 48
Figure 40. Copy of “Application for Erection Permit (sign or Other Advertising Structure)” No. 623,
Aug. 8, 1971, for a 5 ft. (high) by 6 ft wide metal pole sign for Carl (sic) Marks at 1003 W. College. (Sign
Erection Applications and Permits on file at City of Bozeman, Planning Department.)
Figure 41. View to east at east end of Westgate Village Shopping Center parking lot (photo date ca.
1984), showing “Karl Marks Pizza” free-standing pole sign in extreme southeast corner of parking lot.
Note sheet-metal support “T” at top with chain links supporting sign box. Original (1957) free-standing
3-pole “Westgate Village” sign is near southeast corner of building. Westgate Village sign was removed
sometime during 1980s or early 1990s. Conoco service center is located on the east side of South 10th
Ave. (City of Bozeman, Planning Department building files)
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NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 8 page 49
The successful opening of the Westgate Village Shopping Center and its continued occupancy by
a number and variety of different enterprises attests to the importance and value of the mall, not
only upon its opening, but throughout its existence. Table 1 below lists all the businesses that
called Westgate Village Shopping Center home from 1958 to 2023. Including the present
occupants, over 30 businesses have operated out of the Westgate Village Shopping Center. The
businesses included clothing stores, restaurants, bars, drug stores, sporting good stores, camera
shops, hair stylists, optical businesses, and staying relevant with the present, a marijuana
dispensary. All of these businesses served the local area providing both those who arrived by car
and on foot a closer option for many goods or services than a trip downtown.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 8 page 50
Table 1. Tenants at Westgate Village Shopping Center, 1958-2022, based on Polk City Directories
for Bozeman, Montana.70
Date 1003 W College 1005 W College 1007 W College 1009 W College 1011 W College
1958 L&H Café,
Henry & Lydia
Jongewaard (pg 176)
Cresap’s Men’s
Clothing, J. Cresap
McCracken (pg 119)
Ski & College Shop
Sporting Goods,
Marlyn Hauseman
Jones (pg 223)
Village Casuals
Women’s Wear,
Joyce Kiesse and
Theresa Fox (pg 251)
Gallatin Drug,
George P. Christensen
(pg 140)
1959
1961 Edward’s Varsity
Shop, Edward R.
Saunders,
Haberdashery (pg 61)
1962
1963
1964
1965 The Villager
Restaurant, Leonard A.
Wagner (pg 306)
(The Varsity Shop,
pg 305)
1966
1967 (Vern & Florence
Erickson, pg 322)
1968 (Hauseman’s Ski &
College Shop, Marlyn
Hauseman Jones, pg
126)
1969 (Larry A. Restvedt, pg
298)
1970 Gentry Shop Men’s
Clothing, Robert
Pynich (pg 81)
1971 (No Listing)
1973 Karl Mark’s Pizza,
Dick Mullin mgr (pg
149)
Next Door Saloon,
Dick Mullin mgr (pg
207)
Hauseman’s Ski and
College Shop, owned
by William A.
Murdock
(Betty D. Jackson, pg
293)
Gallatin Drug
Pharmacy, Teorge P.
Christensen and B
Hive Gift Shop,
Marvin L & Beatrice
Stewart (pg 12)
1974 (John E. Svendsen mgr,
pg 201)
(John E. Svendsen
mgr, pg 201)
Bridger Mountain
Sports (business name
Change, William A.
Murdock, pg 45)
B Hive Gift Shop,
Marvin L & Beatrice
Stewart (pg 15)
1975 (Mark Ferguson mgr, pg
193)
(Mark Ferguson mgr,
pg 269)
1976 Kampus Mini Shops,
Cindy Johnson, pg 161
Bridger Mountain
Sports, William A.
Murdock, pg 38
1977 College Card and
Gifts, Ronald Spriggs
(pg 64)
- vacant -
1978
1979
1980 Accent Camera,
photo finisher, Becky
Bartling, pg 2
Cactus Records,
Barbara Allen pg 53)
1982
1983 (Robert Steinman pg
3)
Through the Looking
Glass, hair design,
70 Page numbers provide references to the source information from Polk City Directory for Bozeman for each
specific listed year. City directories were not published for every year.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 8 page 51
Date 1003 W College 1005 W College 1007 W College 1009 W College 1011 W College
Marsha Conrad pg
565)
1984 Campus Contact
Lens Clinic, Thomas
C. Sather pg 59
Athlete’s Foot: 1984
photo, no reference in
city directory.
1984 Community Food
Co-Op, Dana Huschle
pg 76
1986 Karl Mark’s Pizza,
owned and operated by
Joe Colombo pg 215
Next Door Saloon,
owned and operated by
Joe Colombo pg 256
1987
1989 - same as 1986, 1987 - - same as 1986, 1987 - - same as 1984, 1987 - - same as 1983,1987 - - same as 1984, 1987 -
1990 Colombo’s Pizza and Pasta (business name
change, and permanent merging of 1003 and 1005
W College), owned and operated by Joe Columbo.
1991
1992 Video Rodeo video
rentals, Donald
Mazzola pg 164)
1993 (“not verified”)
1994 (- no listing -)
1995 (- no listing -)
1996 (- no listing -)
1997 Hair Today beauty
shop, Marsha Conrad
pg 74
1998 (“not verified”)
1999 (“not verified”)
2000 Sather Eye Clinic &
Optical (name change
for same business),
Thomas C. Sather
owner pg 196
Video Rodeo video
rentals, Donald
Mazzola pg 233)
2001
2002 Koko & Co Hair &
Body Works, Nicole
Bakich owner, pg 73
2003 Bling Wireless
cellular telephones,
Zac h Bethke owner pg
17
2004
2005
2006
2007 Verizon Wireless,
cellular telephones
(name change for same
business)
2008 Dish Network – Bling
Wireless, cellular
telephones (name
change for same
business pg 60
2009
2010
2011 - no listing -
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 8 page 52
Date 1003 W College 1005 W College 1007 W College 1009 W College 1011 W College
2012
Colombo’s Pizza and Pasta, owned and operated
by Cassie Colombo and Seth Cooper (9/1/2021,
Deed 2749011, Fin and Feather, LLC)
2013 Culture Frozen
Yogurt pg 61
2014 Culture Frozen
Yogurt Zach Q.
Bethke owner pg 55
2015
2016
2017
2018 Toppers Frozen
Yogurt, no owner
name listed, possibly
business name
2018 change from Culture
Frozen Yogurt in 2017
2019
2020 Toppers Frozen
Yogurt, Zach Q.
Bethke owner
2021 Essy’s Coffee pg 105
Owned by Evan
Anderson
2022 Moka Boutique,
front/south 1/3 of unit,
owned by Nancy
Mahoney, open for
business 4/29/2022
Greener Pastures,
marijuana dispensary
owned by Ryan
Sagatalian, open for
business 4/15/2022
Unit vacant, August
2022
Colombo’s expanded
into rear/north 2/3’s of
unit for game/arcade
room, direct interior
access to Colombo’s
2023 Cub Power Skate
Shop, front/south 1/3
of unit, Nate Howe
owner, opened
December 2022
The Break Room,
bar and light food,
owned by Colombo’s
Pizza and Pasta,
operated by Kyle Suta,
opened July 4, 2023
Colombo’s occupies
rear/north 2/3’s of unit
for game/arcade room,
direct interior access to
Colombo’s
Throughout the history of Westgate Village Shopping center, from 1957 to the present, at least
33 different businesses operated at the property. During the 66-year period of operation as a
small local shopping center, Westgate Village has provided important retail commercial and
restaurant services to the neighborhood community and the entire Bozeman area. The building
has gained local celebrity from years of students who frequented its businesses, especially the
operations that catered to food.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 8 page 53
The First But Not the Only
The early success of the Westgate Village Shopping Center in the late 1950s and early 1960s
provided the foundational example for other later shopping centers in Bozeman. Each of these
subsequent centers responded to the ever-growing population, expanding residential
development, and popularity of the automobile by creating several other shopping hubs in the
town. Westgate Village Shopping Mall stands as Bozeman’s first planned multi-unit shopping
center that set the pattern for other similar centers. Table 2 provides information regarding
Bozeman’s later shopping centers, excluding the large single businesses such as K-Mart and
Gibson’s Department stores.
Table 2. List of multi-unit shopping centers in Bozeman, Montana, built after the creation
of the Westgate Village Shopping Center in 1957.
Shopping Center Name Location Number of Units Date
Opened
Palffy Center 1230+ West Main Street 3-5 ca. 1960
Buttrey’s Shopping Center 1503+ West Main Street 5-16 1960
Hinky Dink Shops Tai Lane south of West Lincoln Street 6-8 1961
Beaver Pond Center 1710+ West Main Street ?, multiple ca. 1963
Heeb’s Food Center East Main Street and South Wallace Avenue 4 1964
Skagg’s Center 912 North 7th Avenue 7 ? ca. 1978
Gallatin Valley Mall 2825 West Main Street Major regional mall,
50+ units, originally 22
units
1980
University Square Shopping
Center
West Main Street & South 23rd Avenue Large center, 20+ units 1988
ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE
The Montana State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) realized the importance of a contextual
understanding of Mid-20th Century/Post-World War II architecture, and its importance to the
overall thematic expanse of history in Montana. To that end, the Montana Post-World War II
Architectural Survey and Inventory was prepared as a first step to the consistent evaluation of
recent significant architectural examples.71 The study examined the important interplay between
the historic context of the Post-World War II era, the “modern” forms of architectural style and
building types, and other topics.
71 Diana J., Painter, 2010. Montana Post‐World War II Architectural Survey and Inventory. A Preserve America
project report prepared for Montana State Historic Preservation Office, Helena, MT, by Painter Preservation
and Planning, Spokane, WA. Copy on file at Montana SHPO, Helena, MT and InteResources Planning, Inc.,
Bozeman, MT.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 8 page 54
Painter’s report noted that, following World War II, Montana exhibited a particular deficit of
infrastructure and building stock resulting from 25 years of economic stagnation. Montana
communities required an infusion of new construction, “to alleviate pent-up demand and to
respond to a new economic era.72” The report explains further:
Montana’s architects practicing in the post-war era experienced many of the
opportunities enjoyed by their counterparts elsewhere, as the post-war economy
grew and demand increased for new, modern facilities. They eagerly sought
opportunities to experiment with the new modern forms and expressions,
materials and construction methods. Among architects in general there was often
a desire to reflect new social values in architectural form. The way buildings met
the ground plane, related to the outdoors, their internal organization, all reflected
post-war ideas about how people and buildings should interact. The most common
building types of post-war buildings also reflected the values and needs of post-
war communities and organizations.73
Painter’s report presented the importance of consistently evaluating Post-World War II buildings,
and seek creative techniques for preservation. Such evaluations will document the important
aspects of Mid-20th Century American history as Montana communities faced changing demands
in education, economics, politics, arts, and resource utilization.
The Westgate Village Shopping Center is eligible for listing under Criterion C. Although simple
in presentation and footprint, the shopping center utilized unique 20th century elements of design,
materials, construction, and setting to efficient and accessible use to meet the needs of the mobile
public as well as business owners. The Modern building with International Style queues
embraces minimalism. Its simple, almost utilitarian presentation afforded a low-cost
neighborhood shopping center—one with design details that allowed for effective maintenance,
continuous service, and simple aesthetics for public enjoyment.
The International Style served to reinterpret traditional forms for a new period with new uses. It
stressed functional interpretation especially related to the architectural plan. The style proffered
flat roofs with stripped decorative elements. Windows were plentiful and often ganged to allow
the entry of abundant sunshine. Buildings were often sited at grade, though variations did
occur.74
72Diana J., Painter, 2010. Montana Post‐World War II Architectural Survey and Inventory. A Preserve America
project report prepared for Montana State Historic Preservation Office, Helena, MT, by Painter Preservation
and Planning, Spokane, WA., pg. 1.
73 Diana J., Painter, 2010. Montana Post‐World War II Architectural Survey and Inventory. A Preserve America
project report prepared for Montana State Historic Preservation Office, Helena, MT, by Painter Preservation
and Planning, Spokane, WA.
74 Diana J., Painter, 2010. Montana Post‐World War II Architectural Survey and Inventory. A Preserve America
project report prepared for Montana State Historic Preservation Office, Helena, MT, by Painter Preservation
and Planning, Spokane, WA., pg. 26.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 8 page 55
Per Robinson & Associates:
The International Style is characterized by large, rectilinear forms, the complete
absence of ornamentation, smooth wall surfaces, expansive banded windows, flat
roofs, and cantilevered building extensions. A skeletal construction of steel or
reinforced concrete is typical with an emphasis on horizontality. The
International Style originated in Europe in the 1920s and remained popular into
the 1970s.75
The low-profile rectangular façade with unobtrusive broken flat roof emphasizes the street view
and access. The large store front windows and lower bank walls of rustic form bricks in stacked
pattern add to the aesthetic pleasure of the building. Some change has occurred to both the
exterior and the interior of the shopping mall, reflecting the building’s evolution of use, though
any exterior alterations are easily reversed. The building continues to occupy its original
footprint with no additions. Rumors circulate regarding a possible reintroduction of the
trapezoid-shaped Westgate Village sign.
Westgate Village Shopping Center affords numerous architectural elements relating to its
Modern design with International queues.
1) Simple massing and floorplan with an emphasis on horizontality;
2) A flat roof, embellished by a two-level design;
3) Restrained decorative detailing;
4) Smooth finishes and planar surfaces;
5) Gangs of windows;
6) Greatly extended eaves, cantilevered.
Even though the larger roof-top signs were not used on the building in the late 1950s, they were
installed for each business sometime after 1959 and before the mid- to late- 1970s, when
photographs and sign permits first indicate the location of such signs. Larger roof-top signs
would be more visible to pedestrians and vehicle traffic in keeping with the original design intent
of the building. The concept and use of roof-top signs at Westgate Village dates to minimally
1973, if not earlier.
Architect Information
Hugo Eck was born in Anaconda, Montana, June 6, 1919, to Theodore and Anna Eck. During his
teenage years, Eck worked as a carpenter for his father, a builder, constructing houses and
drawing plans. Eck graduated from Anaconda High School in 1937 and attended Montana State
College in Bozeman. He received his degree in architecture from MSC in 1941.76 During World
75 Robinson & Associates, “Modernism in Washington,” Brochure (Washington, D.C.: The District of Columbia
Historic Preservation Office, 2009).
76 “Personnel Service, Class of 1941, Hugo Gust Eck,” Resumé, The University of Montana, Montana State
College, Division of Engineering, Bozeman, Montana, on file at Gallatin County Museum, Bozeman, MT.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 8 page 56
War II, Eck worked as a naval architect at the Bremerton, Washington shipyards from 1942 to
1946. While designing ships, Eck honed his architectural skills in the Modernist style, especially
in respect to efficiency of space and materials, form-follows-function, and other elements that
defined modern architecture.77
After the war, Eck and his wife Dorothy (a five-term Montana State Senator), returned to
Bozeman where he worked on the faculty of the MSC Architecture Department from 1946-1978.
Eck also pursued a successful architectural practice in Bozeman until retirement. Eck’s
Modernist Style and creative efforts are reflected in the numerous buildings he designed
throughout Bozeman, southwest Montana, Colorado, and other locations. Noted building
designed by Eck in Bozeman include additions to the Methodist Church, where the Eck and
Mecklenburg families were both members. Eck also designed the 1960s addition to Bozeman
Deaconess Hospital on West Lamme Street, Alpha Gama Delta Sorority House at MSU,
Hillcrest Senior Living Facility (a Methodist Church property) in Bozeman, Mount Ellis
Academy in Bozeman, First Lutheran Church in Anaconda, Fallon Memorial Hospital in Baker,
Montana, Madison Valley Hospital in Ennis, Security Bank of Bozeman, Bozeman Hospital
Surgical Room (another Methodist Church project), University of Colorado Pulmonary ICU,
and, last but not least, the Westgate Shopping Center in Bozeman.78
A recognized expert and aficionado of the Modernism Style of architecture, Hugo Eck
established a large portfolio of projects, bringing a wide range of efficient and stylistic designs to
the Rocky Mountain West. His eye for form and line, scale and proportion, materials and modern
engineering resulted in numerous unique architectural examples in the mid-twentieth century.
Potential Future Work
It is recommended that future upgrades to the building include consideration for consistent paint
colors, re-establishing the storefronts to units 1003 and 1005, as well creating a consistent and
historically sympathetic design for the historic roof-top business signs and replacement of the
“Westgate Village” parking lot sign in its original location on existing concrete sign pad with
specifications to closely match the historic photographs.
Post Script
Despite the once ubiquity and importance to the general population, strip malls are an often-
overlooked resource in terms of listing in the National Register. In fact, a search of the National
Register database noted only one mall listed using the search criteria of “strip mall” or “shopping
mall,” albeit, a few are undoubtedly listed as contributing elements of larger historic districts.79
77 Gallatin County Museum, Bozeman, MT. Flat files on Hugo Eck; “Retired MSU professor dies of self-inflicted
wounds,” Bozeman Daily Chronicle, February 4, 1988.
78 Montana State University Renne Library, Special Collections, Bozeman, MT. Architectural and Engineering
Drawing Files, Hugo G. Eck Collection, Collection 2378, File 19.
79 The 1936 Massachusetts Avenue Parking Shops, NR #03000670, listed July 25, 2003.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 9 – end, page 57
______________________________________________________________________________
9. Major Bibliographical References
Bibliography (Cite the books, articles, and other sources used in preparing this form.)
Altschuler, Glenn C. and Stuart M. Blumin, The GI Bill: A New Deal for Veterans, 2009. Oxford
University Press, Oxford, England.
Bozeman Daily Chronicle, newspaper, various issues 1955-1965. Bozeman Daily Chronicle,
Bozeman, MT. Microfiche copies available at Montana State University, Renne Library.
- “Grand Opening,” advertisement, November 23, 1957, pgs. 4-5
- “Shopping Center to Open Soon at Tenth and College,” advertisement, October 14, 1957
- “Grand Opening, One More Big Day!” advertisement, November 29, 1957, pg. 2
- “Shopping Center College, at Tenth, GRAND OPENING,” advertisement, November 28,
1957, pg. 4-5
- “Announcing the Winners of our “Name the Shopping Center Contest””, advertisement,
pg. 7
- “Retired MSU professor dies of self-inflicted wounds,” February 4, 1988, (no page listed),
Bozeman, MT
- “Walter Bruce Mecklenburg: 1925-2010 [obituary],” February 28, 2010
Carpenter, Scott L. 2022a. Historic Documentation and Evaluation: Westgate Village Shopping
Center, Bozeman, Montana, InteResources Planning, Inc., Bozeman, MT. Montana Historic
Property Record, copy on file at InteResources Planning offices, Bozeman, MT, and City of
Bozeman Planning Department, Bozeman, MT.
- 2022b. Historic Preservation Plan: Westgate Village Shopping Center, Bozeman, Montana,
InteResources Planning, Inc., Bozeman, MT. Copy on file at InteResources Planning offices,
Bozeman, MT, and City of Bozeman Planning Department, Bozeman, MT.
- 2022c. Comprehensive Sign Plan: Historic & Culturally Significant Signs, Westgate Village
Shopping Center, Bozeman, Montana. InteResources Planning, Inc., Bozeman, MT,” 2022.
Report prepared for Fig and Feather, LLC, Bozeman, MT, by InteResources Planning, Inc.,
Bozeman, MT. Copies on file at InteResources, Inc., City of Bozeman, Planning Department,
and Montana State Historic Preservation Office, Helena, MT.
City of Bozeman. Various dates 1950-1972. “Applications and Permits for Business Sign
Erections,” Bozeman Planning Department, Bozeman, MT.
- No. 291, November 25, 1957, Gallatin Drug, 1003 [sic] W. College
- No. 292, November 25, 1957, Cresap’s Mens [sic] Store, 1005 W. College
- No. 293, November 25, 1957, L & H Café, 1003 W. College
- No. 62, March 4, 1959, Village Casuals, 1009 W. College
- No. 623, August 8, 1971, Karl Marks Pizza, 1003 W. College
- No. 290, November 22, 1957, Westgate Village sign, 1003 W. College
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 9 – end, page 58
City of Bozeman, Planning Department, Conditional Use Permit (CUP) Review Files,
photographs, Westgate Village Shopping Center, 1982.
Eck, Hugo. Various dates. “Hugo Eck Architectural Drawing File, Collection No. 2240, 2378,”
Architectural Drawings Collection, Merrill G. Burlingame Archives and Special Collections,
Renne Library, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT.
Gallatin County Clerk & Recorder Office. Various dates. Gallatin County Courthouse,
Bozeman, MT.
- Gallatin County Plat Book, West Park Addition Subdivision Plat, Bozeman, Montana, April
26, 1892
- Gallatin County Deed Book 60, Page 252, June 16, 1919
- Gallatin County Deed Book 92, Pg 411, January 5, 1946
- Gallatin County Deed Book 101, Page 487, May 16, 1950
- Gallatin County Deed Book 110, Pg 167, December 6, 1952
- Gallatin County Deed Book 125, Page 213, June 19, 1957
- Gallatin County Deed Book 125, Page 211, June 19, 1957
- Gallatin County Deed Book 127, Page 432, May 29, 1958
- Gallatin County Deed Book 88, Page 746, June 14, 1985
- Gallatin County Deed 2749011, September 1, 2021
Gallatin History Museum Archives. Various dates. Research files at Gallatin History Museum,
Gallatin County Historical Society, Bozeman, MT.
- “Personnel Service, Class of 1941, Hugo Gust Eck,” Resumé, The University of Montana,
Montana State College, Division of Engineering, Bozeman, Montana
- “Retired MSU professor dies of self-inflicted wounds,” February 4, 1988, (no page listed),
Bozeman Daily Chronicle, Bozeman, MT
Longstreth, Richard. City Center to Regional Mall: Architecture, the Automobile, and Retailing
in Los Angeles, 1920-1950. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1997,
Manning, Matthew. “The Death and Life of Great American Strip Malls: Evaluating and
Preserving A Unique Cultural Resource.” MA Thesis, University of Georgia, Athens, 2005.
Montana Historical Society, State Historic Preservation Office, June 3, 2022. “Letter from Eric
Newcombe, State Historic Preservation Office Historic Architecture Specialist concurring with
determination of eligibility for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, Westgate
Village Shopping Center, 24GA2227,” File ID: Local/Other-2022-2022052703, Montana State
Historic Preservation, Helena, MT. Copy on file at InteResources Planning, Inc., Bozeman, MT;
City of Bozeman Planning Department, Bozeman; and SHPO, Helena, MT.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 9 – end, page 59
Montana State University, n.d. “MSC Enrollment Statistics,” record on file at Montana State
University, Office of Planning and Statistics, Bozeman, MT.
https://www.montana.edu/opa/enrollment/index.html
Painter, Diana J. Montana Post-World War II Architectural Survey and Inventory. A Preserve
America project report prepared for Montana State Historic Preservation Office, Helena, MT, by
Painter Preservation and Planning, Spokane, WA., 2010. Copy on file at Montana SHPO,
Helena, MT and InteResources Planning, Inc., Bozeman, MT.
R.L. Polk & Co. Polk’s Bozeman (Gallatin County, Mont.) City Directory, various vols. 1950-
2020, Kansas City, MO. Original volumes located at Bozeman Public Library, Bozeman, MT.
- 1956, Street Section pg. 29, and pg. 240.
- 1958, Street Section page 119, 140, 176, 223, 224, 251, 287.
- 1980, Street Section pg. 198, and pg. 202 Street Section page 224.
Sanborn Map Company. Maps for 1927, 1957-1959, 1960 revision, “Sanborn Fire Insurance
Maps, Bozeman, Gallatin Co., Montana.” Sanborn Map Company, NY. Originals on file at City
of Bozeman Planning Department, Bozeman, MT; copies on file at InteResources Planning,
Inc., Bozeman, MT.
Smith, Phyllis. Bozeman and the Gallatin Valley: A History. Two Dot: The Globe Pequot Press,
1996.
Stein, Clarence S. and Catherine Bauer. "Store Buildings and Neighborhood Shopping Centers."
Architectural Record (Feb 1934).
U.S. General Land Office, Bureau of Land Management records MTMTAA 042870. Sale-Cash
Entry (Statute 566), for the eastern ½ of the southwest ¼ and the western ½ of the southeast ¼ of
Section 12, Township 2 South, Range 5 East. https://glorecords.blm.gov/search/default.aspx
PERSONAL COMMUNICATION WITH AUTHOR:
Colombo, Cassie. Owner Westgate Village Shopping Center and Colombo’s Pizza, various dates
2022, Bozeman, MT.
Colombo, Janet. Owner Westgate Village Shopping Center and Colombo’s Pizza, various dates
2022, Bozeman, MT.
Murdoch, William. Former owner, Bridger Mountain Sports, various dates 2022, Bozeman, MT.
Wiseman, Kelly. Bozeman Food Co-Op, various dates, Bozeman, MT.
___________________________________________________________________________
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 9 – end, page 60
Previous documentation on file (NPS):
____ preliminary determination of individual listing (36 CFR 67) has been requested
____ previously listed in the National Register
____ previously determined eligible by the National Register
____ designated a National Historic Landmark
____ recorded by Historic American Buildings Survey #____________
____ recorded by Historic American Engineering Record # __________
____ recorded by Historic American Landscape Survey # ___________
Primary location of additional data:
____ State Historic Preservation Office
____ Other State agency
____ Federal agency
_X__ Local government, Gallatin County Museum
_X__ University, Montana State University/Special Collections
____ Other
Name of repository: _____________________________________
Historic Resources Survey Number (if assigned): _24GA2227______
______________________________________________________________________________
10. Geographical Data
Acreage of Property _0.27 acres (11,900 square feet)__
Use either the UTM system or latitude/longitude coordinates
Latitude/Longitude Coordinates
Datum if other than WGS84:_WGS84__
(enter coordinates to 6 decimal places)
1. Latitude: 45.671589 degrees Longitude: -111.051329 degrees (NW Corner)
2. Latitude: 45.671587 degrees Longitude: -111.050895 degrees (NE Corner)
3. Latitude: 45.671275 degrees Longitude: -111.050901 degrees (SE Corner)
4. Latitude: 45.671227 degrees Longitude: -111.051335 degrees (SW Corner)
Verbal Boundary Description (Describe the boundaries of the property.)
The southeast corner of the property is the northwest corner of the intersection of West
College Street and South 10th Avenue, Bozeman, Gallatin County, Montana. The east
boundary line follows the concrete sidewalk along the west side of South 10th Avenue to the
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 9 – end, page 61
northeast corner of the rear of the building. The north boundary is the north edge of the the
concrete walk along the north side of the building to the northwest corner of the rear of the
building. The west boundary of the building is the west wall of same along the east edge of
the north-south running alley leading to West College Street, between South 10th and 11th
Avenues. The south boundary line follows the sidewalk to the south of the building and
parking lot, along the north side of West College Street. The maps on pages 62-65 confirm
this boundary.
Boundary Justification (Explain why the boundaries were selected.) The verbal description
of property boundary follows the legal property description of Lots 11-14, Block 52, West
Park Addition, Bozeman, Montana, Section 12, Township 2 South, Range 5 East.
______________________________________________________________________________
11. Form Prepared By
name/title: _Scott L. Carpenter, Architectural Historian, Senior Cultural Resources Planner__
organization: _InteResources Planning, Inc. _______________________________________
street & number: _505 Bond St., Suite B __________________________________________
city or town: _Bozeman_________________ state: _Montana____ zip code:__59715______
e-mail__scott@interesources.com___________________________
telephone:__406-581-6722_______________________
date:__November 15, 2023_______________________
edited with small contributions by:
name/title: _John Boughton______________________
organization: _Montana Historic Preservation Office______________________________
street & number: _225 North Roberts Street_______________________________
city or town: _Helena__________________ state: _MT________ zip code:_59620______
e-mail__jboughton@mt.gov ______________________________
telephone:__(406) 444-3647 _______________________
date:_January 2024____________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Additional Documentation
Submit the following items with the completed form:
Maps: A USGS map or equivalent (7.5 or 15 minute series) indicating the property's
location.
Sketch map for historic districts and properties having large acreage or numerous
resources. Key all photographs to this map.
Additional items: (Check with the SHPO, TPO, or FPO for any additional items.)
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 9 – end, page 62
Topographic Maps and Aerials
Cropped and enlarged portion of USGS 7.5 minute topographic map, Bozeman, MT, 2020, showing
location of Westgate Village Shopping Center historic property at northwest corner of intersection of
West College Street and South 10th Avenue (marked by red starburst symbol). North is at top of map.
Width of map view is approximately 2.25 miles.
Westgate Village
Shopping Center
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 9 – end, page 63
Close-up of Location of Westgate Village Shopping Center. Found on the Bozeman 7.5’
Quadrangle map.
Westgate Village
Shopping Center
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 9 – end, page 64
Google Earth aerial photograph of southwest Bozeman with overall view of intersection of South 11th
Avenue and West College Street (at round-about), with Westgate Village Shopping Center Building
labeled with red rectangle and yellow push pin.
Historic Documentation
Westgate Village Building1003 - 1011 West College StBozeman, Montana
Legend
1000 ft
N N
Westgate Village
Shopping Center
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 9 – end, page 65
Google Earth aerial photograph of intersection of South 11th Ave and West College Street (at round-
about), with Westgate Village Shopping Center Building (1003, 1005, 1007, 1009, and 1011 West
College Street) labeled in red.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 9 – end, page 66
Interior floorplan
Recent architectural drawings for Essy’s Aurore French Bakery, 1011 W. College St., drawn by
Cann Designs, showing current floorplan of Westgate Village building (addresses of original
commercial rental units have been added at bottom to indicate original layout). Note: proposed
design indicates the removal of interior (north-south) load-bearing wall between Units 1003 and
1005. This wall still remains.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 9 – end, page 67
Photographs
Photo Log—All Photos
Name of Property: Westgate Village Shopping Center
City or Vicinity: Bozeman
County: Gallatin State: Montana
Photographer: Scott L. Carpenter
Date Photographed: February 14, 2022
MT_GallatinCounty_WestgateVillageShoppingCenter_0001
View to North.
South/Front Façade
Westgate Village Shopping Center. Composite panoramic photograph of south/front façade
and portion of building’s parking lot.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 9 – end, page 68
MT_GallatinCounty_WestgateVillageShoppingCenter_0002
View to Northwest.
Westgate Village Shopping Center. East elevation of building at southeast corner. Oblique
view of east exterior wall at southeast corner showing portion of restaurant unit at 1003 W.
College St. at far left.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 9 – end, page 69
MT_GallatinCounty_WestgateVillageShoppingCenter_0003
View to Southwest.
Westgate Village Shopping Center. East (left) and North (right) elevations of building at
northeast corner. Oblique view of north (rear) exterior wall at northeast corner showing rear
egress doors to walkway from units at 1003, 1005, and 1007 W. College St.
MT_GallatinCounty_WestgateVillageShoppingCenter_0004
View to East.
Westgate Village Shopping Center. East elevation of building.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 9 – end, page 70
MT_GallatinCounty_WestgateVillageShoppingCenter_0005
View to Southwest.
Interior view to south, Unit 1003 West College Street (Colombo’s Pizza and Pasta
Restaurant). Note original configuration of front windows and door and original pine tongue-
and-groove board ceiling supported by cross-beams to load-bearing walls.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 9 – end, page 71
MT_GallatinCounty_WestgateVillageShoppingCenter_0006
View to west.
Interior view to west, Unit 1003 West College Street (Colombo’s Pizza and Pasta
Restaurant). View to west through opening in original load-bearing walls into units 1005 and
1007 West College Street (left of soda dispenser). Note opening to extend kitchen/food
preparation area into south portion of unit at 1005 West College Street. Original pine tongue-
and-groove board ceiling supported by cross-beams to load-bearing walls remain.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 9 – end, page 72
MT_GallatinCounty_WestgateVillageShoppingCenter_0007
View to Southwest
Interior view to south, Unit 1005 West College Street (Colombo’s Pizza and Pasta
Restaurant). Food preparation area beyond swinging door at center. Note original pine
tongue-and-groove board ceiling supported by cross-beams to load-bearing walls.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
Westgate Village Shopping Center Gallatin County, MT
Name of Property County and State
Section 9 – end, page 73
MT_GallatinCounty_WestgateVillageShoppingCenter_0008
View to Southwest
Interior view to northeast, Unit 1011 West College Street (The Break Room). Note original
pine tongue-and-groove board ceiling supported by cross-beams to load-bearing walls on left
and right.
Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: This information is being collected for nominations to the National Register of Historic
Places to nominate properties for listing or determine eligibility for listing, to list properties, and to amend existing listings. Response
to this request is required to obtain a benefit in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended (16 U.S.C.460
et seq.). We may not conduct or sponsor and you are not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a
currently valid OMB control number.
Estimated Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for each response using this form is estimated to be between the Tier 1
and Tier 4 levels with the estimate of the time for each tier as follows:
Tier 1 – 60-100 hours
Tier 2 – 120 hours
Tier 3 – 230 hours
Tier 4 – 280 hours
The above estimates include time for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining data, and preparing and transmitting
nominations. Send comments regarding these estimates or any other aspect of the requirement(s) to the Service Information
Collection Clearance Officer, National Park Service, 1201 Oakridge Drive Fort Collins, CO 80525.