Mccormick Historic District Is a Residential Railroad
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
ABOUT THE DISTRICT Obvious employment patterns did exist, however, district that were close to commerce or along as many of the early residents worked for main thoroughfares. Polley’s Lumber Company, the flour mill and the The McCormick historic district is a residential railroad. A large number of residents also worked Queen Anne styles typically exhibit irregular and commercial neighborhood reflecting national for newspaper and printing companies, while shaped roof lines, complete with dormers, towers, architectural trends as well as the diverse others were associated with the booming and turrets, and spindlework porch supports and architectural preferences of local residents. The automobile industry. Entrepreneurialship appears balustrade are common. Windows vary in size district and the people who labored over and in to have been favored by many residents, with the and shape and may include decorative eyebrow the buildings you will see, played a great role in largest number of early residents directly and Palladian windows with leaded or stained Missoula’s early economic development. associated with the food and building industries. glass panes. A majority of the Queen Annes Restaurant and bar owners were plentiful in the located in the district are relatively unadorned, The McCormick district lies within the platted district, as were architects, designers, painters and often lacking the ornate spindlework, lacy areas of the Knowles Addition number 1 and 2, building contractors. Some worked in close spandrels and beads typically associated with this and along a small portion of the Montana Rail proximity to their residence, in the heart of Victorian design. The style borrows from many Link right-of-way. It is made up of 32 full and Missoula’s downtown, while many provided previous architectural designs, but a majority of partial blocks that contain 571 buildings. A goods and services out of their home. This busy the Queen Anne buildings in the neighborhood majority of the buildings are residential, with southside neighborhood helped serve as a catalyst are asymmetrical forms with a centrally hipped- several commercial and industrial businesses for the developing city of Missoula, and therefore roof, lower cross-gables, and a steeply pitched located along the outer edges of the district. prospered as a direct extension of the booming roof line. Decorative details may include classic Dwellings date back earlier than 1891, but a downtown. columns and cornice-line dentils, typically majority of the residential buildings were erected borrowed from Classic Revival styles, and in between 1902 and 1912. Buildings Queen Anne fashion, a majority of the dwellings exhibit multi-textured wall surfaces and bay Although the district derives its name from The McCormick District is unique in that it is a windows. McCormick Park, located along the northern cohesive neighborhood characterized by middle boundary of the district, the development of the class and moderate upper class homes that reflect American Foursquare neighborhood began as the vision of Judge Hiram several architectural styles and patterns. The Knowles, a prominent developer in Missoula and dwellings typically reflect historic vernacular western Montana. Knowles platted the first styles, although the styles are not strictly addition in 1889, at a time when Montana had followed, reflecting personal preferences of early just entered statehood, and Missoula was area residents. Queen Anne, American developing as a major regional trade center. The Foursquare, Dutch Colonial, American Folk Knowles Additions are some of the earliest housing and Craftsman styles are all well * residential developments on the south side of the represented in the area, with a few examples of Nationally, American Foursquare styles were Clark Fork River, with their proximity to the Neoclassical, Prairie, Tudor and International popular from 1895 to 1930, and in the railroad and extraction industries helping to styles also represented. McCormick district, represent some of the create a prosperous neighborhood. An interesting observation regarding the district’s earliest known buildings. Like the Queen Anne, architectural styles is that although many of the they are often large dwellings and are located on The McCormick area developed quickly from the dwellings reflect social status and income, there corner or double lots near commerce and along late 1800s and into the early twentieth century are just as many that do not. Many of the major thoroughfares. The American Foursquare is because of its association with the Knowles dwellings that housed prominent businessmen popular throughout the neighborhood, and is family, and because the area housed several and women, city boosters and government almost exclusively a two-story hipped-roof commercial and industrial businesses associated officials, are relatively modest in size, and building with a cubic shape, a small centered or with renewable resources. Local industries decorative detailing. However, some of the area’s full-length entry porch, and a front-facing included those dealing in wood products, gas and homes reflected the social status of their dormer. The style typically has a symmetrical coal, as well as food production. Timber mills occupants through associated auxiliary buildings facade with a centered door and balanced and door and sash companies were plentiful in the that include large carriage houses or stables. Be windows, and is often modest in decorative area, providing raw building materials and sure to walk down the alleys to view some these detailing. decorative architectural details for new historic outbuildings, many of which served as a residential construction. The local flour mill was carriage house below, and a caretaker’s quarters , Dutch Colonial not only a large producer of flour, cereal and above. * grain for western Montana, but it also operated a The Colonial Revival subtype planning mill and a door and sash facility at the Queen Anne known as the Dutch Colonial mill site. The district was more or less a giant is popular throughout the provider of raw materials, and the fact that the * The Queen Anne was a district and the style wood products industry in particular was commonly appears with a popular Victorian design booming in the district, may be directly related to front-facing gambrel roof, the large number of building contractors that from 1880 to 1910, and was often constructed as a sometimes with a cross lived and worked out of the district. gambrel at the rear, and a full- large and lavish dwelling. Large residential corner width porch or a porch contained within the L of The early residents of the McCormick area were a the gables. Although these designs are typically 1 strong force of middle to moderate upper class lots and double lots in the Knowles Additions provided ample space for such a style. Large lots 1/2-stories, they provide almost two full stories blue collar workers, professionals, and boosters. because of their steeply-pitched roofs. Unlike other downtown Missoula areas that often were often a necessity not only for the design of had large numbers of residents associated with the house, but also for constructing associated one dominant business or industry, the residents buildings that could include storage outbuildings, of the McCormick district were more of an stables and caretaker’s quarters or additional independent working class made up of single-family dwellings. Smaller, single-story entrepreneurial grocers, contractors, mechanics, Queen Anne designs were also popularly American Folk Housing laborers, and those associated with the arts. constructed throughout the district. Queen Anne’s * were commonly constructed in areas of the Folk housing styles were especially popular were removed. Today, only a few of those and you will see his name stamped into several of throughout the United States from 1850 to 1890. residential and early commercial buildings are Missoula’s earliest sidewalks. The earliest Folk housing was associated with a standing along the corridor. time prior to the arrival of the railroad, and often 4. 720 S. 2nd W., Smith Residence c. 1907-12: consisted of dwellings made from heavy logs or The west side of the district has experienced This Dutch Colonial Revival subtype features a log framing, and even sod. Folk styles remained fewer commercial land use changes than the east cross-gambrel roof, various wall textures and popular as the railroad expanded because the side. Although many of the historical industrial early window sash types that include 4/1 and 3/1 railroad provided a means to cheaply transport structures have been removed, several good double-hung windows with vertical panes. milled lumber, therefore inspiring new examples still exist along the Bitterroot Line of construction techniques (to include light framing the railroad. 5. 743 S. 3 W., Rocene Residence c. 1929-36: techniques and exterior wood cladding). Simply Constructed during the Depression era, the first put, Folk housing could be constructed quickly Domestic and Transportation known owners of this property were Ray and and economically. Folk styles remained popular Outbuildings Marie Rocene. Ray worked as the local sports after the turn of the twentieth century and remains editor for the newspaper from the 1930s through so even today. This style of housing in the the 1950s. The district’s outbuildings are typically McCormick district was especially popular from associated with transportation and are