Montana Heritage Commission
Commission Description
On April 23, 1997, the Montana legislature passed House Bills 5 and 14 authorizing the purchase of the Bovey Restoration properties in Virginia City and Nevada City for $6.5 million ($5 for the artifacts and $1.5 million for the buildings and land). The purchase was accomplished on May 16, 1997, and as a result the state became the owner of what may be the most complicated business in the entire state of Montana. Another $2.9 million was allotted to start the project. Thus, the state now owns about half the historic structures in Virginia City (one-quarter or fewer of all the buildings in the town) and all of the historic community of Nevada City, plus buildings moved in or constructed at both sites by Charlie and Sue Bovey.
The Legislature also created the Montana Heritage Commission to manage these properties and, possibly, other historic sites within Montana. The Commission's mandates are to protect the buildings and the artifacts and to make the sites economically self-sufficient. The governor and the legislature appointed commissioners, and there is some ex-officio representation from state agencies. Operations are run by an Executive Director and a site manager in Virginia City. The Montana Historical Society has been closely involved with developing preservation and curatorial policies. Currently, the Virginia City and Nevada City properties are the only ones managed by the Commission.
The State of Montana now owns the great majority of the buildings, land, and artifacts in Virginia City and Nevada City that were formerly owned by Bovey Restorations. Its role includes acting as an advocate for these resources to the Commission, the public, and the state legislature. By law, regulation, and intent, the Commission is responsible for ensuring that the treatment of all historic buildings meets the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Historic Preservation, that treatment of all artifacts meets treatment and curation standards established by the American Association of Museums, and that interpretation is conducted according to standards established by the National Association for Interpretation.
The State of Montana owns a total of 160 acres in 42 unconnected parcels. Besides lots in the town of Virginia City, the state owns approximately ten acres in the Nevada City townsite and approximately ninety acres of mining claims between the two sites. The historical society also owns most of the artifacts acquired from Bovey Restorations, although artifacts acquired after 1997 are owned by the Commission.
The properties that belonged to the Historic Landmark Society of Montana, notably the trains and the contract for locomotive No. 12, were donated by the Landmark Society to the Montana Historical Society Foundation in 1997, which then donated them to the State of Montana. When the state purchased the Bovey Restoration properties, included with the purchase was a contract already in place with the Escanaba Railroad to rebuild the 1910 Baldwin steam locomotive and rebuild the track in exchange for three Soo Line railroad cars, a chapel car, and a Shay locomotive.
When acquired by the state, most of Virginia City and Nevada City’s historic buildings and artifacts were at serious risk. The State of Montana acquired these historic resources to ensure their preservation into an indefinite future for educational and economic benefit. The Commission, together with partners such as the National Park Service and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, has already taken critical steps to ensure professional care of these historic resources and is now building on this foundation.
The Commission can point to "brick and mortar" work as tangible accomplishments. The U.S. Congress has provided two appropriations for a total of $2.8 million for historic preservation work in Virginia City. Work has been on some of the highest-priority stabilization needs for buildings in both communities, based on a professional analysis of those needs. The Commission had overseen repair work on 98 of the buildings it manages, and many sewer and water lines have been repaired or replaced, and electrical rewiring has been accomplished on several buildings. A $1.1 million curatorial center was built as a result of a private donation. Inventory of hundreds of thousands of artifacts is complete and cataloguing will be ongoing.
Since 1997, the Commission has administered Virginia City and Nevada City as public attractions for visitors, primarily following the practices already established by Bovey Restorations. Several interpretive brochures keyed to historic buildings in Virginia City and Nevada City have been printed and distributed. A visitor center has been established in the Virginia City railroad depot, and a new entrance gate has been built at Nevada City. An annotated bibliography of all known documents about Alder Gulch, a summary of historical themes, a visitor survey, and a marketing study have been completed by consultants. A restored steam locomotive has been obtained, and this and a gasoline-powered engine carry visitors on a regular schedule between Virginia City and Nevada City during the summer season. The Commission oversees twenty-five concessions, including hotels in Virginia City and Nevada City, restaurants, and two theaters, and operates seven businesses. A thirteen-minute orientation video has been produced.
Commission staff includes an executive director, Virginia City site manager, business and marketing manager, curators of history and of collections, a historic preservation specialist and preservation team, maintenance workers, visitor services manager, Nevada City gatekeepers, train operators, visitor center staff, and other seasonal or specialized staff, some on an as-needed basis.
The Commission is administratively attached to the Montana Department of Commerce. The Commission pays the Dept. of Commerce 15 percent of personnel costs for management support services. Services provided by the Dept. of Commerce include accounting, personnel, payroll, legal, information technology support and marketing assistance.
The Commission is a partner with the town of Virginia City, the Virginia City Preservation Alliance, and the Virginia City Chamber of Commerce.
