Distinctly Montana Magazine

w w w. d i s t i n c t l y m o n t a n a . c o m 53 Macgregor wrote a developer's packet and bought the entire duplex from the city for $250 in 2004 when the local government proposed demolishing the property due to its severe façade deg- radation. In 2005, Macgregor founded a nonprofit to support the restoration and interpretation of the house. His partners in this endeavor were Mark Reavis, former Butte-Silver Bow histor- ic preservation officer, and Ellen Crain, retired director of the Butte-Silver Bow Public Archives. Since purchasing the proper- ty, Macgregor has paid out of his own pocket for most of the res- toration work. In-kind and grant assistance from Montana Tech students and local nonprofit Butte Citizens for Preservation and Revitalization (Butte CPR) have supplemented Macgregor's personal investments over the years. RESTORATION PROGRESS The MacLane home's current condition reflects how far the project has come and how far it has yet to go. Butte CPR has over the years contributed considerable resources to the building's appearance and structural integrity. The nonprofit's Building Improvement Fund (BIF) put $7,000 towards the $14,000 roof re- pair project in 2012. The roof repair helped to secure the build- ing's envelope, preventing further water damage and making interior work more productive. The Residential Metals Abatement Program (RMAP), a miti- gation program funded by Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO), helped with reconstruction of the crumbling retaining wall along North Excelsior Avenue in front of MacLane's home and the duplex next door. Soil testing revealed high lead levels in the front yard, a common situation in properties all over Butte, especially those adjacent to former mineyards. RMAP funds helped to remove the existing soil and replace it with a sod lawn. These two steps helped to improve the street-facing appearance of the property. Finally, the yellow brick veneer was repainted in red to more closely mimic its original color. RESTORATION GOALS Restoration goals for the immediate future focus on rehab- bing exterior elements to improve the appearance of the façade. Restoring the building's façade to its 1890s appearance will bring the building that much closer to a usable condition and contribute to the revitalization of the North Excelsior corridor, evident in the re-opening of the historic Excelsior Meat Mar- ket across the street. On a related note, Missoula filmmaker Su- zanne Shope is producing a short narrative film based on Mary MacLane's first memoir. The film Copper Horizon will be filmed in Butte, including several scenes at the MacLane home. Macgregor applied for funds last year from the Superfund Advisory & Redevelopment Trust Authority (SARTA). Priorities to be addressed include rebuilding the front porch to match its historic appearance and meet Secretary of Interior accessibility standards; stabilizing the main floor bearing wall and anchoring the brick veneer to wood sheathing board to remediate the visi- ble buckling of the bricks; repairing all the east- and south-fac- UGLINESS" B E S T O F M O N TA N A B M D I S T I N C T L Y M O N T A N A ' S 2023 Nominate Us! TRAVEL & ADVENTURE Your Base Camp 218 W. PARK ST. ANACONDA, MT www.pintlersportal.com Story of Butte is a website and free mobile app that puts Butte history at your fingertips. www.StoryofButte.org

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