ENDANGERED UPDATE
SPRING 2008

Story Mansion Really REALLY Saved
The latest round of news from Bozeman says that the Story Mansion will be there for us and our children’s children to enjoy. In December, the Bozeman City Commission voted to dedicate the Story Mansion as a public park and allocate $50,000 to start renovating the ground floor. As a city park, the property will be protected from being sold or destroyed and could be turned into a community and conference center, as one proposal suggested.

The mansion was listed on MPA’s Most Endangered Places list in 2002, but was rescued in 2003 when the City purchased the mansion. The building has remained vacant since then, awaiting a final decision and financial plan for its use. The City has to raise $500,000 in funds to match the $500,000 Save America’s Treasures grant received in 2004. The total cost to rehabilitate the mansion is estimated at $2.5 million and new mayor Kaaren Jacobson is heading up efforts by a mansion fundraising committee.

LOST
Bishop Gilmore School/St. Helena School, Helena
While the future of the Story Mansion is secure, it is with much sadness that we report on the loss of the St. Helena School.  The Catholic Diocese of Helena began moving forward with demolition plans in December 2007, despite efforts by many in recent years to help chart another outcome for the building.