GREAT FALLS — The Montana Department of Commerce recently awarded grant funding to several historic preservation projects - four of the sites are located in Great Falls.
In total, $340,000 will be given to the Great Falls History Museum, $400,000 to the Rocky Mountain Building, $300,979 for Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art, and $250,000 for the Great Falls Civic Center.
Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art board member Alyssa Roggow said the project will go toward mitigating the bats in the attic as well as updating windows at the square.
Roggow said, "we are going to work on getting them excluded from the attic, which just means that once they migrate away for the winter, we'll have some bat exclusion experts and fish, wildlife and parks come through and clean it up get rid of all of the bat poop and everything, and then close up some of the cracks and gaps that the bats get in through."
To learn more about the bats in the attic, click here: https://www.krtv.com/news/great-falls-news/bats-in-the-attic-causing-are-problems-at-paris-gibson-square
Also on the to-do list is updating the windows. Roggow said, "As a historic building, the paint will help protect them and keep them nice, and of course, it also makes the museum look nice and fresh from the outside. The funding was granted by the Montana Department of Commerce, and for historic sites to be eligible for funding, they must be listed on a national stage art or local historic registry."
Paris Gibson Square is one of Great Falls’ oldest landmarks. The sandstone structure was completed in 1896 and served for 34 years as Central High School and for 45 years as Paris Gibson Junior High, before closing its doors in 1975.
In 1977, community volunteers renovated and reopened the historic building as Paris Gibson Square. Since that time, the institution is called Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art and it has been providing contemporary art exhibitions, art classes, lectures, docent tours, performances and more.
Last December, we reported on the Great Falls History Museum applying for the grant due to the overflowing surplus of artifacts coupled with the need for HVAC and other environmental controls.
Original article: https://www.krtv.com/news/great-falls-news/the-history-museum-aims-for-grant-funding-to-help-preserve-archives-and-artifacts
Kristi Scott, director of the History Museum, said, "The importance of funding like this can't be overstated because projects like HVAC and electrical work, they're hard to get funding for. Honestly, it's hard to get someone to pay for a project like that. It's much easier when you're looking at educational programming versus the infrastructure of your building."
Now that they have received the funding, the museum will reach two thirds of the fundraising goal for the entire project, adding up to a total of $800,000. Insulation and HVAC is essential in ensuring proper temperatures, especially during the winter season. A major addition is to build a “visible vault” in which the public can stroll the halls of the museum and see curators documenting, cleaning, and restoring artifacts.
"I just can't stress the importance of funding like this and the vitality and just economic springboard it's going to provide for us to get matching funds and really get this project off the ground," Scott said.
Funds awarded can be used toward infrastructure, renovation, as well as security.
The Montana Historic Preservation Grant (MHPG) Program is a state-funded program created in 2019 as a result of Senate Bill 338, Sections 1 through 17.
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