Stevensville Feed Mill - Stevensville, MT
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member T0SHEA
N 46° 30.485 W 114° 05.636
11T E 722949 N 5154605
Built in 1918, the Stevensville Feed Mill became a Nationally Registered Historic Place in 1991.
Waymark Code: WMW3QN
Location: Montana, United States
Date Posted: 07/06/2017
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member Outspoken1
Views: 0

Today primarily an antique store, which seems quite fitting, the old wood frame buildings are really showing their age. Much of this could be remedied with something as simple as a coat of paint, though. The original part of the complex, as well as the 1930s addition, are all of wood frame construction with still sheet roofing.

Built as a feed supply store, the complex also operated as a general farm supply store, providing one stop shopping for the local farmer. The large addition on the south side of the false fronted one story building was added in the 1930s as business increased.

An interesting and highly unusual feature of the feed mill was the inclusion of a large door in the front of the building to allow trucks and wagons to enter the store to load or unload grain right in the store. Early on much grain was bagged directly from the thresher so we assume that this loading and unloading method was intended for bagged grain as opposed to bulk grain. The fifty foot tall elevator at the rear was constructed with the normal means of unloading grain into a pit, from which it was elevated then distributed into bins.

The elevator itself is of bog standard crib construction, with a concrete foundation followed by 2X8s, then 2X6s, then 2X4s as the sides went up, all laid on their sides, to crib the elevator bins. We noticed that the headframe still carries the Purina Checkerboard paint scheme.
The Stevensville Feed Mill is composed of a group of wood frame and metal buildings designed for the purpose of processing and storing grain. Parts of the complex also serve as a general farm merchandise warehouse and retail store. Two front-facing, single story, wood frame, gable-roofed buildings, with a connecting addition that joins them into one interior space, present stepped parapet false fronts to the street. The buildings are covered with galvanized, corrugated iron roofs and wooden weatherboard siding. The roof structure of the feed mill and elevator is located at the west end of the complex and rises above the parapet line.

The original building that housed the Stevensville Feed Mill is the long, rectangular gable-roofed section of the complex located at the northeast corner of the lot. The false-front of this building faces east toward Main Street. Originally, a large central doorway in the façade provided access for wagons and trucks for loading and unloading grain within the building itself. Historic photographs reveal that this loading entrance was flanked by large fixed 4-light window units. Later remodeling of the building resulted in the replacement of this early warehouse door...
From the NRHP Registration Form
Street address:
407 Main Street
Stevensville, MT United States
59870


County / Borough / Parish: Ravalli

Year listed: 1991

Historic (Areas of) Significance: Commerce

Periods of significance: 1925-1949, 1900-1924

Historic function: Agriculture/Subsistence, Commerce/Trade

Current function: Specialty Store, Antique store

Privately owned?: yes

Primary Web Site: [Web Link]

Secondary Website 1: [Web Link]

Season start / Season finish: Not listed

Hours of operation: Not listed

Secondary Website 2: Not listed

National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.
Search for...
Geocaching.com Google Map
Google Maps
MapQuest
Bing Maps
Nearest Waymarks
Nearest U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Nearest Geocaches
Create a scavenger hunt using this waymark as the center point
Recent Visits/Logs:
There are no logs for this waymark yet.