Anchored by The Baxter Hotel at its west end and the Bozeman Hotel at its east end, the historic district encompasses both sides of four blocks of Main Street, as well as a few buildings on crossing avenues and Babcock Street. It is comprised of 68 buildings, 49 of which are architecturally significant and contributing, while 19 are non-contributing. Of the 19, there are three which, with the passage of time, will likely be included as contributing.
In the Continuation Sheet from the district's nomination form it is stated that several of the larger, architecturally important had been encased by textured sheathing. It appears that all have been returned to their original appearance, as much as is possible. The district now appears very much as it did upon the completion of the most recently built contributing building, save for more recent additions. It is a wonderfully preserved turn of the century urban business district. In the district are a handful of exceptional buildings which have been listed in the register individually.
It's only fitting, then, that Bozeman Magazine should publish a lengthy and informative article on the district, its buildings and the people who built it. Excerpts from the article follow.
Historic Spotlight: The Main Street
Historic District
by Courtney Kramer | Monday Aug. 31st, 2015
...Prior to 1900, Bozeman’s primary commercial core sat along East Main Street from Rouse to Black Avenues. One and two story buildings constructed during Bozeman’s townsite and village phases were constructed of wood and brick, while the Hotel Bozeman and City Hall and Opera House dominated the Main and Rouse intersection. Expansion of industrial facilities tied to the area’s agricultural productivity, including development of a cereal mill, brewery, malting company and the pea canneries drew new workers to the area, which meant a healthy economy for merchants and real estate concerns.
Sanborn Maps indicate that some commercial development occurred on this block before 1900. A Wagon storage shed sat in the middle of the property, while a grain warehouse sat on the north east corner of Willson and Main.
In 1895, Bozeman merchant E. Broox Martin acquired lots 10, 11 and 12 of Block A of Tracy’s first addition to Bozeman and commissioned a two story commercial building for the site. Historic photographs, available at the Gallatin History Museum, show a brick building with two ground-floor retail spaces featuring large plate-glass windows and prismatic glass transoms to bring light into the building....
...In many ways, Broox Martin and his wife Ella Clark Martin epitomize the variety of opportunities in Montana at the beginning of the 20th century. Before moving to Montana, Martin spent twenty five years operating a milling company and serving on the City Council in his native Reed City, Michigan. A fire in 1889 destroyed Martin’s milling operation and prompted relocation to Montana...
...Ella sold the Martin Block and Michigan Block to John A. Lovelace in the mid 1930’s. Lovelace began his career as a Livingston merchant. In 1909, John Lovelace married Montana “Tan” Hathhorn, who grew up on a ranch in the Paradise Valley. Lovelace moved his business interests to Bozeman where he and Tan raised sons Jack and Daniel...
...Jack founded Lovelace Motor Supply in Bozeman and initially rented one of the ground floor retail spaces of the Martin Block. He partnered with his father John to acquire the Martin and Michigan Blocks from Ella Clark Martin in the 1930’s. Lovelace commissioned the design of a machine shop from Bozeman architect Fred Willson in 1940. The brick building, built across the alley to the south of the Michigan Block, was built in phases with a planned but not built third phase. It now bears the iconic ghost sign of “Montana Motor Supply.” Lovelace Motor Supply eventually expanded into a chain of stores and machine shops in Livingston, Dillon and Helena.
Continued at the Bozeman Magazine