Montana State Arsenal, Armory and Drill Hall Other Name/Site Number: Montana National Guard Headquarters, State Area Command, Armory/24LC0785
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#*' H£C£IV£0 2280 NFS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 (Rev. Oct. 1990) JAN 92002 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NAt NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES REGISTRATION FORM 1. Name of Property historic name: Montana State Arsenal, Armory and Drill Hall other name/site number: Montana National Guard Headquarters, State Area Command, Armory/24LC0785 2. Location street & number: 1100 North Main not for publication: n/a vicinity: n/a city/town: Helena state: Montana code: MT county: Lewis & Clark code: 049 zip code: 59601 3. State/Federal Agency Certification As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1986, as amended, I hereby certify that this X nomination _ request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of Historic Places and meets the procedi ral and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60. In my opinion, the property X meets _ does not meet the National Register Criterjaf I recommend that this property be considered significant _ nationally X statewide _ locally. If JL Tr.'2^3ui JL /4VcfO WtV/Z-o* / 1 •• S / f J / Signati re of certifyiijg official/Title ' Date Montana State Historic Preservation Office State or Federal agency or bureau ( _ See continuation sheet for additional comments.) In my opinion, the property _ meets _ does not meet the National Register criteria. Signature of commenting or other official Date State or Federal agency and bureau 4. National Park Service Certification fereby certify that this property is: Date of Action Centered in the National Register _ see continuation sheet _ determined eligible for the National Register _ see continuation sheet _ determined not eligible for the National Register _ see continuation sheet _ removed from the National Register _see continuation sheet _ other (explain): ________________ Montana State Arsenal, Armory and Drill Hall Lewis and Clark, Montana Name of Property County and State 5. Classification Ownership of Property: Public Number of Resources within Property Contributing Noncontributing Category of Property: Building 1 0 building(s) Number of contributing resources previously 0 sites listed in the National Register: n/a 0 structures 0 objects Name of related multiple property listing: n/a 0 TOTAL 6. Function or Use Historic Functions: Current Functions: DEFENSE/arms storage DEFENSE/arms storage GOVERNMENT/municipal building GOVERNMENT/municipal building 7. Description Architectural Classification Materials: MODERN MOVEMENT/Moderae foundation: CONCRETE; METAL/steel walls: CONCRETE; METAL/steel roof: CONCRETE; METAL/steel other: WOOD Narrative Description SETTING The Montana State Arsenal, Armory and Drill Hall is a two-story concrete and steel building designed by Helena architect Norman DeKay and constructed between 1940 and 1942. The building has served as command headquarters for the Montana National Guard since it was constructed. The Montana State Arsenal, Armory and Drill Hall (informally referred to as the Armory) reflects the long history and importance of the Montana National Guard's state and federal missions and its presence in the state capital of Helena. The Armory is located at 1100 North Main Street, a prominent corner on primary commercial routes in Helena, Montana. The building lies at the northwest corner of the junction of Lyndale Avenue (US Highway 12) and Main Street, which extends south into Helena's historic district. Carroll College, established in 1880, lies one third of a mile to the west, across open fields. The Armory is recognized as a landmark within the city of Helena. At the time construction was completed in 1942, the Armory was the only building on this city block. Lying south of the YMCA building, with its adjoining sports park, and southwest of historic Memorial Park, the Armory's front entrance faces southeast. A concrete walk leads from the front entrance of the building to the sidewalks that parallel Main Street and Lyndale Ave. Formal landscaping consists of an expanse of lawn on either side of the front walkway, with a few lawn trees and foundation plantings. West of the front walk, three ornamental flowering crab trees line Lyndale Ave. and define the edge of the lawn. Just past this row of trees, a driveway exits from Lyndale Ave. and leads to a large paved parking area at the rear of the building. A large Douglas fir is located on the lawn adjacent to the southwest elevation of the building. Another, smaller parking area is located on the northeast side of the building—accessed via Main Street. This parking area is partially screened from the street by three large spruce trees and a variety of shrubs. Low foundation plantings (mostly arborvitae) are located along both sides of the front (southeast) elevation. A large grouping of communications antennae sits at the back of the building and is not permanent, (see continuation sheet) NPS Form 10-900-a 0MB Approval No. 1024-0018 (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 7 Montana Arsenal, Armory, and Drill Hall Page 1 Lewis and Clark County, Montana __ ________ The Armory is one of three standing late Art Deco/early Moderne buildings constructed by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in Helena during the early 1940s. The other two include the Helena Middle School and the Federal Bureau of Investigation's District headquarters. The Armory is an outstanding example of the pragmatic architecture built to serve public needs during the Depression Era. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION The Armory is a seven-bay building, constructed in the early Art Moderne style typical of many WPA projects. The lot on which the building is constructed slopes downward from the southeast to the northwest, a factor that influenced the original design of the building—the front and side elevations have two levels above ground; from the rear (north) elevation three above-ground levels are exposed. Plans specified two stories of above ground offices, with a large drill floor on the ground level. A full basement and sub-basement originally functioned as vehicle and supply storage and a weapons range, but have been converted to office space. The building has a flat roof. Originally painted a uniform white, the Armory has been recently repainted, with a more dramatic, yet compatible color scheme of white for the main body with blue, black and gray highlighting the architectural details. The overall form, massive and asymmetrically blocky, is typical of depression-era architecture found elsewhere in the United States, but not so commonly found within Montana. The following description of the Armory was prepared for the Governor and the 2?th State Legislature Monolithic concrete. 148 feet wide, 153 deep. Two Stories. Full basement. Partial sub-basement. The basement and sub-basement will have capacity for 70 trucks with large storage space for United States Army Supplies. Also a rifle range. The first floor will have a drill hall 73 feet wide and 102 feet long surrounded on three sides with required locker and storage rooms, office, club rooms and custodian's quarters. The second floor will contain offices for the Adjutant General, United States Purchasing and Disbursing Officer, Army Officers and instructors, and a lecture room. The building is fireproof and earthquake resistive. It faces the intersection of Main Street and Lyndale Avenue with a drill area at the rear. It is planned to serve the United States Army as well as the National Guard. 1 Exterior; The Montana State Arsenal, Armory and Drill Hall is a two story, seven-bay poured concrete and steel building with symmetrical fenestration. The flat roof features a short parapet wall all the way around the building, and a concrete, capped interior chimney near the northwest. A water table surrounds the building. A raised, arched roof covers the interior drill hall. Flanking bays are stepped back from the central entry, and a flagpole flying the National and State flags stands in the immediate foreground. Decorative bands, set off by narrow concrete recessed beads and now painted a contrasting color, circle the building directly above the second-story windows and the top of the parapet wall. The south (front) elevation contains a recessed central entry dominated by four pilasters that frame the entry doors and continue just beyond the roofline. The squared pilasters are topped with a stepped Moderne motif. Three broad steps with iron handrails lead to the entrance, and are flanked by projecting knee walls with columnar lights. The east concrete knee wall contains a marble plaque with the date of 1942 - the year the State Arsenal was completed. The west concrete 1 Montana Armory Board, "Report to Montana's 27th Legislature and the Governor," (n.d.)Montana Historical Society Archives; MC 35, Box 176, File 1 NFS Form 10-900-a 0MB Approval No. 1024-0018 (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 7 Montana Arsenal, Armory, and Drill Hall Page 2 ________________ _____ Lewis and Clark County, Montana knee wall contains a brass plaque inscribed with "Public Improvement Work Projects Administration 1941 1942." A handicapped ramp installed during the modern era bisects the center of the stairway. Three sets of double doors, each featuring a six-light transom, provide the primary entrance to the building. Each door at the front entrance contains 10 lights and brass hardware. Three recessed panels, one above each door opening, separate the first and second story of the building. Above the entryway is wrought iron signage stating the function of the building, HEADQUARTERS MONTANA NATIONAL GUARD. One wood-frame, 16-by-16-light, double casement window with a 16-light fixed transom is located above each set of doors at the second story level.