A rare tour of the historic Old Main
Members of the Columbia Falls Historical Society gave a rare tour of the Montana Veterans Home’s Old Main building last week in hopes of attracting attention to its plight and possible rehabilitation.
The Montana Soldier’s Home, as the facility was called at the time, was established by an act of the Montana Legislature in 1895. The Northern International Improvement Co. donated 146.9 acres of land near Columbia Falls for the campus, according to a report compiled by former Hungry Horse News editor Mel Ruder and then superintendent Dick Walsh in 1970.
Citizens of Columbia Falls donated $10,000 for construction, and the Old Main, with its brick structure and 16-inch thick walls, was finished in May 1896. Its first resident was admitted on June 21, 1897.
The Old Main featured a dining room, reading room, kitchen, ward, and dormitory, which was located in the second floor. A steep staircase led to a cupola on the top floor, which affords expansive views overlooking the North Valley and the Flathead River.
About a dozen years ago, a campaign to restore the Old Main was launched by one of the Vets Home residents, Mary Felder. About $250,000 was raised to make structural reinforcements and repair the roof about 10 years ago, but that’s as far as any rehabilitation efforts have gone to date.
Today, the Columbia Falls Historical Society and its nine-member board would like to see the building restored and at least part of it become a local museum, with exhibits on early-days logging, Glacier National Park, mining, the railroad and other items important to the history of the community.
They’d also like to see part of the historic building used as a community room. Historical Society members Jill Taber and Dorothy Downen said they’d also like to attract businesses, such as a veterans medical clinic, to help offset operation costs at the Old Main.
“The building itself is very strong,” said Ron Beard, a consultant who has specialized in inspection and restoration of historic structures.
The interior needs plenty of work. Paint and wallpaper are peeling off the walls, the heating and electrical systems are all antiquated, and while the roof has been fixed, the work wasn’t completed in time to prevent significant water damage to the ceilings in some areas.
The paint probably contains lead and would have to be professionally removed, Beard noted. Still, the floors are in excellent shape for their age, as are the doors and the woodwork throughout the structure.
“We’ve been told it’s the second most important building (historically) in Montana,” Beard said.
The Old Main is part of the Soldier’s Home Historic District, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.
People who are interested in the project or would like to know more are encouraged to contact the Columbia Falls Historical Society at 892-3722 or online at www.columbiafallshistoricalsociety.org.