HAVRE, Mont. (NMB) – The Fort Assiniboine Preservation Association has received a $10,000 grant from the Montana History Foundation.
Association Chairman Ron VandenBoom says this grant will help repair critical leaks to the roof of the Officer’s Amusement Hall.
“I was in the building during a rain storm and watched water just pouring through that portion of the building. This was about two years ago. And it wasn’t just one leak, it was like a dozen leaks. It’s been going on for a long time and it’s ruining the floor and it’s placed several things in jeopardy. But most importantly, a painting that stood right above the stage in the Amusement Hall. It’s a one-of-a-kind painting and it was one of our first preservation projects. But this water is coming at it from the rear, and if it gets to the drywall that this is painted on, it’s going to ruin the painting.”
The Amusement Hall was built in 1886-87 by enlisted men out of materials gathered from the Missouri River Breaks, and VandenBoom says they are continuing to work on obtaining funds for other critical repairs.
“The chimney in that area needs to be repaired, the floor has been severely damaged by the moisture, the protection of that back wall that houses the painting, and the stage in front of the painting are all projects we would like to be able to work on if we can get all the funding. The $10,000 we got from the grant is important and it’s a good step forward, but we’re not quite there yet. The cost of lumber has increased tremendously since we got our first bid on that project, and I would estimate that the project, just the roof project, would run at about $50,000 today.”
The Amusement Hall was used by the Northern Ag Research Center (NARC) as a garage before the Fort Assiniboine Preservation Association turned it into a tourist attraction.
“We use that for all of our functions, what we have of them, and there’s so much history tied into that one building. It was used by the officers and their wives as the basic entertainment structure on the Fort. It was at its time, the most elegant structure on the Fort – brightly colored walls, chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, a hardwood dance floor, there was a regimental band at the Fort that played hops on Saturday night. The ladies at the Fort gave dance lessons there on Wednesday afternoons. Any holiday – Christmas, 4th of July – the wives and ladies of the Fort would bake the meals. And if they had plays they wanted to put on, the plays were done by the Officers and their wives. They could hold speeches, lectures, banquets there. It was the place to be at Fort Assiniboine if you were an Officer in that day and age. So it’s an extremely important building. Not just then, but today. So we would certainly hate to see anymore damage come to it.”
Fort Assiniboine has been closed to public tours for over a year due to the pandemic, but Vandenboom says they are planning on opening for smaller groups on June 7th. They will be accepting walk-ins.
“There’s nothing like an actual tour. We have 13 original structures remaining at the Fort, and many of them we can go into and explain what these buildings were meant for and how they were used…And of course the historical relevance of the Fort and the tours is tremendous. Many things happened out there that even local people don’t really know a lot about. Everything from ‘Black Jack’ Pershing being stationed there to the influence of the Real Rebellion, the influx of Cree natives after the rebellion, there’s a lot of stories to be told. We hope the tourists, after actually hearing the stories and viewing the buildings, walk away very pleased with new insight into the importance of that Fort and its ties to the development of Havre itself.”
There will be no Living History Day event this summer at Fort Assiniboine.
All buildings on Fort Assiniboine are the property of MSU-Boseman, and VandenBoom says he appreciates the work of NARC Superintendent Darrin Boss and Becky Miller of the Hill County Preservation Commission for their help applying for grants.
