Near Bozeman in Gallatin County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
Malmborg School
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, July 24, 2021
1. Malmborg School Marker
Inscription.
Built in 1905, Malmborg School is one of the most architecturally interesting one-room schoolhouses in Gallatin County. The one-story octagonal school originally sported an open front porch with wooden Doric columns resting on high plinths. An open bell tower, also supported by Doric columns, at one time capped the roof. The bell tower—normally associated with church architecture—provided a moral overtone to the building’s design, while the residential-style front porch visually linked school and home. Most often found in mid-Atlantic states in predominantly Dutch communities, octagonal schools are also associated with mid-nineteenth-century reformer Orson Fowler, who promoted the “Octagon Mode of Building” in his book, A Home for All. Architectural pattern books offered plans for octagonal schools and listed their benefits: the least amount of wall length for the most enclosed space, good light and ventilation, and uniform warmth. The school’s north windows were walled in after 1919 to prevent cross lighting from harming students’ vision, and a shed addition in the 1940s provided space for indoor restrooms. The desire
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to offer students a wider curriculum led to school consolidation and the closure of many one-room schools across Montana. Despite proximity to the state’s fifth largest city, Malmborg School managed to resist the pressure of consolidation. Built to educate the children of farmers, ranchers, and railroaders, Malmborg School today serves children whose parents often work in Bozeman. In 2003, ten students, grades kindergarten through eighth, attended Malmborg School, the only known octagonal school in Montana.
Erected by Montana Historical Society.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Education. In addition, it is included in the Montana National Register Sign Program series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1905.
Location. 45° 40.272′ N, 110° 50.234′ W. Marker is near Bozeman, Montana, in Gallatin County. It is on Jackson Creek Road near Bridger Vista Drive, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 375 Jackson Creek Road, Bozeman MT 59715, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, July 24, 2021
2. Malmborg School and Marker
is in Montana’s Yellowstone Country. It is also in the American Mountain West and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor. Globally, it is in North America, the Rocky Mountains, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once Rupert’s Land and also the Louisiana Purchase.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 12, 2024. It was originally submitted on February 13, 2022, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 431 times since then and 36 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on February 13, 2022, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.
