Distinctly Montana Magazine
Issue link: https://digital.distinctlymontana.com/i/1479010
D I S T I N C T L Y M O N T A N A M A G A Z I N E • F A L L 2 0 2 2 22 Brown says you also need more than just money to save a building, too. "If you don't have local interest in the commu- nity, money often isn't enough to save a historic landmark," Brown says. "You need people interested in putting that money to use, too." Just being added to the National Register of Historic Places also doesn't guarantee preservation either. And in- terestingly, despite what some may think, "There are no re- quirements people must do or anything special to maintain a historical property in the Register. The Register is an honor roll of historically significant places worthy of preservation, but there is nothing that prevents the owner of the property from making changes to the building or changing its use," he says. "Unless of course a local government has its own rules and requirements. Otherwise, there are no rules or require- ments once a building is added to the National Register of Historic Places." Other than Mother Nature, Brown added that there are other reasons why historic landmarks disappear. In down- town Bozeman, for example, it may be development pres- sure. In more rural parts, changes in farming make certain buildings obsolete. Barns, for example, were once designed to be filled with small square bales of hay. Large round bales have replaced them, however, and they are stored outside, thus making it easier for the building to sag and become a victim to the elements over time. Consolidation of farming and ranching properties also has an impact and is seldom the result of deliberate neglect. Especially in rural Montana, there's only so many funds to go around. Though the State Historical Preservation Officer conducts some education and outreach, his time and funding is lim- ited. Other organizations must fill the gap and help real- ly spread the word. One of the most active and important groups in the state of Montana is Preserve Montana, a group TODD PIX THE COMMUNITY OF COTTONWOOD LOCATED NORTH OF HAVRE, MONTANA, WAS FOUNDED IN 1910. SHORTLY THEREAFTER THEY CONSTRUCTED THIS BUILDING, WHICH BECAME THE SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY HALL. IT WOULD LATER BECOME FIRST A PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, THEN A LUTHERAN CHURCH, AND FINALLY A CATHOLIC CHURCH.