Designed by H. E. Kirkemo, Zip Auto was constructed in 1937 at a time when Art Deco and Art Moderne architectural styles had become the rage among many architects. Primarily Art Moderne in style, the building underwent an $870,000 rehabilitation project in recent years, receiving a Federal Historic Preservation Tax Credit, preserving this local landmark and its original
retro style. The project restored the shop’s classic appearance by painstakingly crafting new garage doors to match the damaged original doors, repainting several faded advertisements from the 1930s, and cleaning and repainting the entire structure. The restoration also kept the business alive by bringing the building up to current safety codes and purchasing new equipment.
This last was important as the building continues in use as an auto repair ship to this day.
Zip Auto
The Zip Auto building is one of the buildings in Missoula that best represents the important role played by the automobile in Missoula by the 1930s and because of its stylized functional design. The building still functions as an automobile repair shop. Zip Auto is also one of the best examples of Art Moderne architecture in the Missoula area and was designed by one of the city's most prominent architects, H. E. Kirkemo. None of the Art Moderne features, including the rounded corners and inset lettering and ornamentation, have been altered.
This building was designed by H. E. Kirkemo and constructed in 1937, when the property was owned by Tom Meisinger and George Colville, who owned the building throughout the historic period. The only other owners have been the Flodbergs, the present owners. The building has always been Zip Auto Service.
The building has excellent integrity of design, materials, and workmanship. Even the doors, window, and neon sign are original. The interior of the building also retains its original integrity. The building was once unpainted concrete but has been painted white.
Zip Auto is a one-story, poured concrete, L-shaped, Art Moderne style automobile repair shop with a flat roof. It has four Main Street-side bays, large, multipane garage doors and windows, decorative, inset stripping and signs, and a concrete foundation. The building is located in the central business district near the intersection of West Main and West Front Streets and actually fronts on both streets, as it sports two primary facades. It is located in a block of one-story historic buildings, almost all of which have been remodeled with a resulting loss to the historic fabric of the area.
From the NRHP Registration Form