09/16/2024“Great Falls This Week” is reported and written by Matt Hudson. Send your news and tips to [email protected] commission makes last-ditch effortAfter 123 years, the last-standing building from the Anaconda Copper Mining Company smelter era could fall back to the earth this winter if left alone.Wind and winter weather are likely to strike the final blow and collapse the building, according to structural assessments ordered by the Historical Preservation Advisory Commission.“I don’t think it’s going to last another winter,” said Bruce Haman, a city building official, during an HPAC meeting on Sept. 11.The Boston and Montana Barn is the last-standing structure from the Anaconda Company smelter operation. Credit: Samantha Long / Historic Preservation OfficeBuilt in 1901, the Boston and Montana Barn is the white structure sticking out from the hillside on the southern end of the Anaconda Hills Golf Course. According to the Great Falls Historic Preservation Office, the building predates Anaconda Company operations and takes its name from the Boston and Montana Consolidated Copper and Silver Mining Company, which was in a similar line of work.Anaconda acquired Boston and Montana in 1910, just after the completion of the big stack. The barn housed horses, wagons and construction equipment for smelter operations and later served as storage and a fire station. The wooden barn’s lifespan eclipsed that of the big brick stack by decades.The barn escaped a city-planned demolition in 2005 when the HPAC stepped in and asked to document the building first. Already in rough shape, the building remained untouched and unmaintained. An assessment conducted a year ago laid out the extent of the building’s condition, which includes failing roof supports, a degrading foundation and visible bending and bowing of the outer walls.In August 2024, the roof partially collapsed. The added exposure to moisture and weather exacerbated issues, and the city, which owns the structure, closed the area due to safety concerns.At its Sept. 11 meeting, the HPAC faced a difficult decision. With no funding identified to rehabilitate the structure, the members discussed the range of options from demolition to salvage to full restoration. The cost of stabilization alone was estimated a year ago at $500,000, although the roof’s collapse would likely increase that expense.“The roof now has to come off completely,” said architect Tony Houtz, who has surveyed the building.The HPAC voted to approve a last-ditch effort to explore options to save the building — or at least a portion of it. Commission members talked about saving even a part of the building for historical education rather than reconstructing the entire barn.“We’re down to the last building, and I think we’d be remiss if we didn’t attempt to save it,” commission member Ken Robison said.Commission members and city staff will rush to get a proposal in front of the Great Falls City Commission, which would need to make a decision on the matter. It’s not clear what funding sources might come into play, but time isn’t on their side. Immediate action is necessary just to weatherproof the building so that there’s still something to save, according to Houtz.5 Things to Know in Great FallsThe History Museum opened the Owen and Gayle Robinson Research Center on Saturday. The center expands classroom and research capacity for the Cascade County Historical Society. The renovation also improves climate-controlled artifact and archive storage behind a “visible vault” that’s on display for visitors. Sept. 17 is both Constitution Day and Citizenship Day at Great Falls Public Schools. It commemorates the Sept. 17, 1787, signing of the U.S. Constitution and the 1952 congressional action declaring Citizenship Day. Throughout the week, students will participate in activities related to the Constitution and its impact. Great Falls Neighborhood Council 5 is hosting a candidate forum featuring candidates for Cascade County Board of Commissioners District 3. Confirmed to attend are Republican candidates Eric Hinebauch and incumbent Rae Grulkowski (write-in), as well as Democrat candidate Don Ryan. It takes place Monday, Sept. 16, at 7 p.m. The location is Mountain View School. The Great Falls Public Schools 2025 budget book includes projections about the Sentinel missile project on the district. In the short term, the increase in base personnel is expected to bring 176 new children, though not all may be school-aged and all won’t arrive at the same time. A government program provides impact aid for “federally connected students.” The workforce off base is expected to have a bigger impact. Estimates say that as many as 585 children could come to Great Falls from this group. These impacts are likely years away, the district notes. During the active fall season for bears, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is urging hunters and residents in central and eastern Montana to be bear aware. Bear encounters are rare east of the mountains, but grizzlies have been confirmed in recent years near Big Sandy, the Bear Paw Mountains south of Havre and in the Missouri Breaks. FWP has an informational site for bear safety.Around TownThe Montana School for the Deaf and the Blind in Great Falls is seeking community donations to refurbish its two-lane bowling alley. The alley is part of the campus gym, which was built in 1983. The number of students at MSDB has doubled since then, according to a press release from the MSDB Foundation, and the bowling alley has been out of use for more than a decade. Specialized assistive equipment is necessary for students with low vision to safely play.Over the summer, members of the 341st Missile Squadron helped kick off the renovation by removing large, nonworking parts and equipment.MSDB is looking to raise $40,000 for the renovation project. The Zeller Knowles Foundation and another unidentified benefactor have pledged up to $20,000 in matching funds, according to the foundation. MSDB is a residential school for students who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, visually impaired and/or deafblind. It’s the only school of its kind in Montana and serves 1,200 students through outreach programs around the state, including 50 students who live on campus during the school year. A donation website can be found here.Following UpTommy Michael VanHoose, the Great Falls gun shop owner who faces five counts of submitting false tax returns, pleaded not guilty to the felony charges last week.VanHoose entered his plea during an arraignment hearing in U.S. District Court in Great Falls.Federal prosecutors allege that VanHoose skimmed cash from his business, Highwood Creek Outfitters, and underreported sales to the IRS over five years. The 2023 raid of the business by IRS agents prompted political reactions about government overreach and the seizure of documents that could have contained customer information.A grand jury indictment said that investigators seized sales documents in order to compare firearm sales prices with the revenue that VanHoose reported to the IRS. The next court hearing hasn’t been scheduled.The post Last-standing smelter structure on shaky footing  appeared first on Montana Free Press.