{"id":578,"featured":0,"modified":"2026-07-23 19:14:42","latitude":45.6776075999999875421053729951381683349609375,"longitude":-111.0352457000000185871613211929798126220703125,"title":"Blackmore Apartments","subtitle":"","fullsize":"https://historicmt.org/files/fullsize/c1008c402e6c7cfb321c223eab88238d.jpg","address":"120 South Black Avenue, Bozeman, Montana","all_locations":[],"zoom":17,"creator":["Montana National Register Sign Program"],"description":"In 1903, an architectural journal called apartment buildings &quot;the most dangerous enemy American domesticity has had to encounter.&quot; The article&#039;s author joined a chorus of critics who claimed that the proximity of bedrooms to living areas—and the easy access to both by neighbors—encouraged promiscuity. Nevertheless, apartments increasingly attracted middle-class residents and, since apartments were a hallmark of big cities like New York and Chicago, many Montanans embraced them as signs of urban sophistication. That was the Bozeman newspaper&#039;s reaction to the Blackmore&#039;s construction in 1913. An apartment building, crowed the Courier, is &quot;one of the sure signs that your city is a progressive one … passing from the days of a country town.&quot; Designed by architect Fred Willson, and financed by Willson and other prominent city boosters, the Blackmore Apartments boasted twenty-nine units. Each featured &quot;a disappearing bed in the living room,&quot; an electric stove, an ice-box, and &quot;a chute to convey garbage to the basement, where it is burned in a heating apparatus that heats the water for the building.&quot; A careful designer, Willson minimized the negative aspects of apartment living. For noise reduction and fire protection, he specified brick walls between each unit. Balconies and a U-shaped design assured residents ample sunlight and fresh air. Architectural flourishes include Prairie style elements along the cornice line and a pattern of recessed brick separating the foundation from the upper stories. In 1920, the Blackmore housed a mix of professionals, including merchants, teachers, stenographers, salesmen, a doctor, a milliner, and a druggist.","sponsor":null,"accessinfo":"Private","lede":"","website":"","related_resources":["<a href=\"https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/768c0739-4ce3-41ff-89e6-4b6afef9f743\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Read about the Blackmore Apartments</a>","<a href=\"https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/ee60e3e1-bfda-415d-b8a3-9a6d90e8fc0e/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">See photos of the Blackmore Apartments</a>"],"factoids":[],"files":{"https://historicmt.org/files/fullsize/c1008c402e6c7cfb321c223eab88238d.jpg":{"id":6576,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Blackmore Apartments","description":"Side view of the building, facing northwest | Montana Historical Society | July 2026 | Arizona Duff","alt":"alt=&quot;&quot;","thumbnail":"https://historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/c1008c402e6c7cfb321c223eab88238d.jpg"},"https://historicmt.org/files/fullsize/b1934551f8062bae538c4ceb43119fec.jpg":{"id":6574,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Blackmore Apartments","description":"Side view of the building, facing southwest.  | Montana Historical Society | July 2026 | Arizona Duff","alt":"alt=&quot;&quot;","thumbnail":"https://historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/b1934551f8062bae538c4ceb43119fec.jpg"},"https://historicmt.org/files/fullsize/3db7249ed457f0d209ba17af77e1b70a.jpg":{"id":6575,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Blackmore Apartments","description":"View of facade, facing west.  | Montana Historical Society | July 2026 | Arizona Duff","alt":"alt=&quot;&quot;","thumbnail":"https://historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/3db7249ed457f0d209ba17af77e1b70a.jpg"},"https://historicmt.org/files/fullsize/b4c97a1a9c9c67ec1acc55bbe80096fc.jpg":{"id":3918,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Blackmore Apartments","description":"Blackmore Apartments. Front view of the building, facing west from the Post Office parking lot along Black Avenue. | Montana State Historic Preservation Office | Feb. 1983 | Suzanne Wellcome","alt":"alt=&quot;&quot;","thumbnail":"https://historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/b4c97a1a9c9c67ec1acc55bbe80096fc.jpg"},"https://historicmt.org/files/fullsize/f68f649069cfcc498fc9aa7d0a9de91d.jpg":{"id":3916,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Blackmore Apartments","description":"Front to side view of the building, facing southwest on the corner of Black Avenue and Olive Street. | Montana State Historic Preservation Office | Feb. 1983 | Suzanne Wellcome","alt":"alt=&quot;&quot;","thumbnail":"https://historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/f68f649069cfcc498fc9aa7d0a9de91d.jpg"},"https://historicmt.org/files/fullsize/3cca0055696042d9674cfd07dfc03837.jpg":{"id":3917,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Blackmore Apartments","description":"Blackmore Apartments. Side to rear view of the building, facing north to northwest on Olive Street. | Montana State Historic Preservation Office | Feb. 1983 | Suzanne Wellcome","alt":"alt=&quot;&quot;","thumbnail":"https://historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/3cca0055696042d9674cfd07dfc03837.jpg"},"https://historicmt.org/files/fullsize/b29570e3fb11c8afc3e15e57684b63cd.jpg":{"id":3919,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Blackmore Apartments","description":"Blackmore Apartments. Side view of the building, facing south from the parking lot of the complex off of South Black Avenue. | Montana State Historic Preservation Office | Aug. 1982 | Doug Rand","alt":"alt=&quot;&quot;","thumbnail":"https://historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/b29570e3fb11c8afc3e15e57684b63cd.jpg"},"https://historicmt.org/files/fullsize/77dc4f81105084cd864e94b3c5e95850.jpg":{"id":3920,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Blackmore Apartments","description":"Blackmore Apartments. Rear to side view of the building, facing northwest on Olive Street. | Montana State Historic Preservation Office | Aug. 1982 | Doug Rand","alt":"alt=&quot;&quot;","thumbnail":"https://historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/77dc4f81105084cd864e94b3c5e95850.jpg"}}}