| When Rob
Pertzborn, '93 Arch, needed original blueprints of historic
Montana buildings, the Bozeman architect found the rare documents
at Montana State University's library. |
| Now a catalogue
of architectural drawings of Montana buildings from the turn
of the 20th century through the mid-1970s is available online
from both the Renne Library at Montana State University and
the Mansfield Library at the University of Montana. |
| The
collection includes 2,500 individual drawings of
stores, churches, hospitals, parks, private residences
and public and fraternal buildings from across the
state, according to MSU Special Collections librarian
Kim Allen Scott. |
| "There
is something from every municipality in Montana,"
Scott said. "It's the largest collection of
architectural drawings in the state." |
| The
Internet-based catalogue does not show the actual
drawings. People may either visit the university
libraries in Bozeman or Missoula to see the drawings
or order copies by phone. The database lists architects'
names, project, address, the drawing date and the
number of sheets. |
| The
bulk of the collection has been available through
MSU's Web site since January 2002. In September,
more than 400 new drawings from the collections
at UM were added to the database. |
| "We
have drawings from the Daly Mansion in Hamilton,
the courthouse in Missoula and for many buildings
that no longer exist," said UM archivist Donna
McCrea. |
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The
Bozeman Opera House and City Hall as designed
in 1887 by architect Byron Vreeland, is
among a collection of architectural drawings
available from Montana's universities' libraries.
(Drawing courtesy of MSU Renne Library).
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| Scott said
most users of the collection are working architects who want
historical drawings of buildings for restoration projects. Other
users include homeowners interested in the original drawings,
either for restoration work or for display. Some older drawings
are quite beautiful, Scott said, because they were created with
black ink on woven linen. |
| Prominent
early Montana architects A.J. Gibson, Fred Willson, Charles
Haire and J.G. Link are represented in the collection as well
as plans of Turkish Baths in Helena, a school in Valier and
a jail in Jordan. |
| "I
used the archives for research on Bozeman's historic Ellen Theater,
as well as looking up information on the former Bozeman Opera
House arch and tower, a building that was demolished in the
late '60s," said Pertzborn, a principal with Intrinsik
Architecture. "Having a go-to place for well-preserved
archive drawings is invaluable when renovating and restoring
historic structures. I am thrilled to have access to such a
fine resource in Bozeman." |
| To access
the online catalogue, go to the Montana Architectural Drawing
Collection at www.lib.montana.edu/epubs/architect/.
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