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 Holy Rosary Church Rectory - Bozeman, MT Posted by:  T0SHEA
N 45° 40.753 W 111° 02.444
12T E 496828 N 5058408
Though Holy Rosary Church, next door, predates the rectory by around five years, it is the rectory, not the church, which has made it onto the National Register.
Waymark Code: WMWX5C
Location: Montana, United States
Date Posted: 10/25/2017
Views: 0
Primarily, that is because the church, while still a majestic Gothic Revival structure, has undergone sufficient renovation over time to preclude its entry in the register, while the rectory has not. It, too was designed in the Gothic Revival style by Bozeman's most active architect, Fred Fielding Willson, reinforcing its connection with the church.
Corbelling at the cornice is similar to that of the church. A somewhat unique touch included by Willson was the crenellations on the portico over the front entrance. While both buildings were built primarily of brick, the rectory's red brick is in contrast with the buff "granite" brick of the church.
HOLY ROSARY CHURCH RECTORY
Before the 1880s, Catholic missionary priests visited Bozeman about four times a year, holding Mass in private homes and rented halls. The community built its first Catholic church for the Holy Rosary Parish in 1885 at present day Seventh Street and Mendenhall Avenue. By 1905, the drafty wooden church had become dilapidated and the newly arrived Father J. B. Thompson led efforts to construct a “new and beautiful House of God.” In 1906, he arranged to purchase half a block of prime real estate at Main Street and Third Avenue. Dubuque, Iowa, architect Guido Beck designed the “glorious edifice” built of “granite brick” imported from Hebron, North Dakota. The towering Gothic Revival church was completed in 1908 over the objections of some parishioners, who believed that Bozeman’s small Catholic population did not justify such an expensive structure. Originally estimated to cost $35,000, the elegantly appointed church was completed for $65,000 (over approximately $1.17 million in 2009 dollars). In 1910, Father Leitham succeeded Father Thompson. “Building was one job every priest had in those days,” according to Father Leitham, and in 1912 he oversaw construction of the rectory. Fred F. Willson, who later became Bozeman’s premier architect, designed the rectory early in his career. The two-story brick building features Gothic arched windows and a detailed brick design along the roofline, visually linking the rectory to the church. The crenellated (notched) door surround evokes the image of a medieval castle, reinforcing the connection to the Gothic style.
From the NRHP plaque at the rectory
Describe the area and history:
Gaze at the rectory for as long as you like, but, when you're done, the real treat is the interior of the church next door, with its vaulted ceilings, large organ, intricate woodwork and stained glass windows.
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