BUTTE — In the Mining City, old buildings have a huge historical significance to the community. So, when pink slips deeming a structure dangerous end up on the facade of a building it can be pretty alarming for neighbors and other members of the community.
WATCH: From Pink Slips to Preservation: Community Efforts to Save Butte’s Historic Treasure
"It scares people, people get very ‘Oh gosh, this one’s gonna come down next, you know? But that’s not the case," says Kate McCourt, the Historic Preservation Officer for Butte-Silver Bow.
McCourt is referring to a property located at 50 East Granite Street in Uptown Butte. Part of McCourt's job is to advise people on how to keep their historic buildings up to code so that they will last into the future.
"We have a lot of buildings that are in need of a lot of work, and sometimes our landlords are not so present, but in this case, with this building, we have a landlord that has jumped to action," says McCourt.
The building dates back to the turn of the 20th century and was created as an extension of the historic Thornton building that originally operated as a hotel on Broadway Street.
According to The Story of Butte, a website that helps people navigate historic places in the Mining City, the Thornton Annex building offered unique features like “sample rooms,” which allowed for traveling salesmen who were lodging in the building to display their wares.
"Our built environment kind of defines us as a community with a very historic Uptown. So many things transpired within these walls that, you know, it’s really important to us that we keep the buildings in good shape," says McCourt.
She says the owner of the building has hired a structural engineer and is working with the county to restore the exterior where the bricks have begun to deteriorate.
