Association hopes to preserve historic building

BIG ARM — The last standing public building in Big Arm is in need of a good dose of TLC.

Built around 1915, the one-room school house has sat unused since 1995. All the other historic buildings from the homesteading days have been knocked down or drastically remodeled, Big Arm Association member Amy Meslin said.

Meslin and other members of the Big Arm Association decided that it’s too much a part of history to let the place that was once the community’s center for learning be lost too.

After working with the Montana Preservation Alliance and the federal representatives, in August 2007 the building was awarded a spot on the National Register of Historic Places, administered through the National Park Service.

The group’s effort is now officially titled the Historic Big Arm School Restoration and Preservation Project. It has 19 members who are broken into various fundraising and grant-writing committees.

The classic one-room schoolhouse the group is working to restore has classic rectangular windows lining its sides and view of Big Arm Bay that would be envied by the poshest of lake houses. The brightly-painted interior speaks more to the building’s later days. It was a working school until 1952, then a community center on and off until 1995. Meslin said the group has been collecting photographs from the area and is working on getting more of original or era-appropriate furniture.

“The one room schoolhouses, they’re so cool,” association member George Bailey said. “They’re kind of going by the wayside … I just really believe they have a place in history. That’s [the Big Arm schoolhouse’s location] such an ideal place.” 

Meslin said it’s technically still a usable space, but it doesn’t have working heat, needs extensive painting and inside repair, as well as a new roof. When the project is finished, they hope it can be used as a community center, for gatherings and learning.

Bailey said he hoped it could be a place were area students could learn about their parents or grandparents education experience, and where people could stop and get a better understanding of the past.

But the next step is to secure grants that will allow an architect who specializes in historic restoration assess the building’s needs and form a plan that will keep the building’s historic features intact through the renovation process.

Bailey has taken the job as grant writer, and in late January he mailed the groups first grant proposal, a $5,000 grant provided by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which will fund the historic restoration architect’s work. The group plans to match part of the grant by raising $2,500.

 Bailey said the initial grant will bring the historic restoration architect in is a crucial step in securing future grants that will provide money for actually improvements.

“You have to follow the guidelines for historic restoration,” Bailey said, because most grants the group seeks after this step will make sure “you’re doing historic preservation, not just going in there and tearing things out.”

After the historic renovation plan is made, Meslin and Bailey said there are plenty of community members ready to paint, clean, scrape and reroof the schoolhouse. The association will be working on securing other grants to help with the physical restoration costs.

 The schoolhouse is leased to the association by the Polson Public Schools system. The five-year renewable agreement was signed last August, Meslin said.

At a Jan. 26 special Polson Board of Trustee meeting, the trustees quickly passed a motion to allow trustee chair Mark Russell to authorize through a letter the association’s restoration plans.

“We’re getting a lot of support to get this done,” Meslin said.

Bailey said he hopes to hear back on the National Trust grant in 6-8 weeks.

The goal of this Big Arm Association is to bring the people in this community together regardless of politics, race, religion, whether they own or rent or are only among us during the summer months. The Big Arm Association will support our brave fire fighters,  create fun community events,  organize other community projects and help our neighbors in times of trouble.

 To help with the preservation project contact Paul Maurer 849-5131 or send a donation to BAA HSPC at PO Box 11, Big Arm MT. 59910.