MONTANA'S MOST
ENDANGERED PLACES 2007

Beaver Dam School, Opportunity

The Beaver Dam School was built in 1914 by the Anaconda Company for school age children in the town of Opportunity. Four teachers taught grades 1 through 8 in four well-appointed classrooms. The Anaconda School District now owns this historic brick building, which has been unoccupied for a number of years. Still structurally sound, it sits on land that is to become part of the Butte-Anaconda Copperway trails system.  The county wants to acquire the land and preserve the school, but says they don’t have a use for the building or the long-term funds to maintain it.  However, MPA believes that if the building becomes part of the greenway system, for interpretive or educational programs, that it could have a new life. MPA staff and board members met with locals in November 2006 and encouraged open-mindedness and the School Board responded, holding off on a decision.  Funding and a new occupancy are the key issues. Plans for the trail system are still being solidified, and MPA will continue to advocate for the Beaver Dam School as a key component to this worthy development project.