STIMULUS IN ACTION

A facelift for the Montana Building in Missoula is just one of 56 historic buildings across the state to benefit from Federal Recovery & Reinvestment funds allocated by lawmakers during the 2009 Montana legislature.

In 2009, MPA worked hard with legislators to secure historic preservation grant funds within the state's House Bill 645, which allocated Federal stimulus funds. Nearly two years later we are happy to report that many of the 56 projects funded by that $4 million pool are finished or well underway.

Not only did the historic preservation grants create much-needed construction jobs, the funds also allowed property owners to complete major repairs that otherwise would have required a major fundraising campaign. So far, roughly one-quarter of the projects are finished. The Montana Department of Commerce reports that the 14 completed projects received $801,647 in grant funds, which funded 9,937 hours of work. These grantees also reported $1,021,590 spent in matching funds.

The first phase of work on the Montana Building is just the beginning of the dream of its owners to restore it to its original grandeur. Photo (left) circa 1900; at right, 2010 following removal of first floor "marblecrete" cornice.

A dramatic facelift for the Montana Building in Missoula is turning heads. The stately brick and stone bank building, completed in 1910, has suffered several façade remodels over the years that removed or covered up much of the building's classical detailing. With $50,000 in stimulus funds, workers at Sirius Construction were hired to complete the first phase of work to remove the "marblecrete" soffitt covering the first floor sandstone cornice and transoms on the Broadway side of the building. The original brick wall and intricate sandstone mouldings and dentils above the windows were revealed. Owners are anxious to raise more grant funds to continue the effort to "release" the building from its 1970s covering.

Uncovering the lobby staircase revealed an amazing marble wall and stair railing.

Gary Williams, one of the building owners remarked, "Some of the condominium owners of the Montana Building are small businesses that have been hard hit by the recent recession. The more costly façade restoration work under the state grant could not have been accomplished at this time without that generous support."

Masonry repairs on the Conrad Mansion saved the crumbling foundation.

The Conrad Mansion in Kalispell is sitting pretty after three months of masonry repairs. Director Mike Kofford says the mortar in the building's stone foundation was crumbling like sugar, jeopordizing the stability of the whole building. Without the stimulus funds, the building would have deteriorated for several more years, while Kofford raised the $70,000 for the repair. He also noted that the stonemasons on the job were out of work for nearly a year before beginning the Conrad Mansion job.

Improvements to Anaconda's downtown street lighting is one project that benefits the whole town. Efforts to restore the town's 1500 historic downtown street lights began in 2000. Last fall, 166 of the cast-iron light poles got new energy-efficient interior systems. The total project cost over $700,000 of which $50,000 came from the historic preservation grant. Connie Daniels, Planning Director for the city, says "I can't imagine Anaconda without its street lights. They are a character-defining feature. They are what makes Anaconda, Anaconda."

Madison County Fairgrounds historic grandstands	Trench dug for new grade beam	A concrete grade beam and new steel framing will extend the life of the grandstands.

The historic 1930s-era wood grandstands at the Madison County Fairgrounds in Twin Bridges was sinking into the marshy soil at the fairgrounds. The Fair Board hired log building expert Rich Teer of Intermountain Restoration and Great West Engineering to install a grade beam, new steel framing, and accessible ramps. The stands will look just as they did in the 1930s, unless you're snooping around underneath.

Last and certainly not least, a host of other projects involve less-stunning but extremely important improvements, mainly roofing. New roofs on the Belt Theater, Helena YWCA, Ravalli County Museum, Moon-Randolph Homestead in Missoula and several others have left these buildings safe, dry, and preserved for the next generation.