King House one step closer to a home

For a little more than three years, the Matt King House has been home to several cats who have taken up residence among the stacked timbers of the building.

The disassembled building has been stored behind the Blackfoot Valley Dispatch office since 2015, after Heritage Timber disassembled and moved the structure from its original location east of Sucker Creek Road. Since then the Lincoln Heritage Alliance, which formed as part of the effort to save the historic building, has been working to find a new home for the historic building.

Last weekend, LHA Chairperson Erin Dey and Vice Chair Bill Frisbee took a step toward bringing that search to a close by signing a buy/sell agreement for the purchase of nearly two acres along Highway 200, just west of Lincoln School.

After first raising the funds to pay for the purchase of the building itself, the organization began working to purchase property in town. After efforts to secure a different property near the center of town fell through, the LHA Andreas Herrmann about the land he owns across from the Methodist Church. Herrmann agreed to work with the LHA as they raised money for a down payment on the land.

Fundraising and pledges had earned the LHA about half the required down payment by the middle of last summer, and in July a donation by Steve and Ginger Stocks put them over the top. With the down payment covered, Herrmann had to determine how best to move ahead with the sale. As a German citizen he had to consider tax implications related to two countries.

“We really have to tip our hat to Andreas, because he’s willing to work with us,” Frisbee said.

“He is making it very attractive as far as his financing goes, and not a lot of people would do that.”

Neither Dey nor Frisbee see any obstacles to closing on the property, which should happen sometime within the next couple months. After that, the can get to work creating a new home for the Matt King.

The project has been a particular passion for Dey, ever since she learned the historic building was going to be taken down and possibly moved out of Lincoln. Not only was she concerned with preserving it as a piece of Lincoln history, she also had an eye on the local economy, which she believes will benefit from having the historic home serve as a focal point for local history.

According to a 2016 Destination Brand Research Study by the Montana Office of Tourism and Business Development, 34.7 percent of respondents rated historic attractions as “extremely important” to their travels, and history buffs tend to spend more and stay longer than other tourists.

“I’m very excited about it. Scared, but excited and relieved that we’ll finally have a spot,” Dey said.

The forward momentum on the project brings with it new challenges, however.

“On one hand, it's exciting because we are seeing some movement. We now have a site,” Frisbee said. “But on the other hand it's scary because it’s $400 and some odd dollars a month, without taxes and insurance, we have to come up with.”

An unexpected donation of $2000 from the Horsky Foundation that arrived last week should help provide a buffer, and with work unlikely to begin before spring, they have some time to raise funds for cleaning up the property and reconstructing the old home.

“That’s the hard part. That’s why we’re still looking for donations,” Frisbee said, adding they’re hoping to find companies willing to help out with materials.

Finding volunteers to help with the labor may also be a challenge, but several people have already offered to lend a hand. Dey said they even have people with experience in reconstructing old log buildings willing to help out.

“People have come out of nowhere to say ‘hey, whenever you’re ready to do this, we can do this,’” Frisbee said

Once the purchase is final, one of the first priorities will be to remove the existing house on the lot, which may help defray some of the cost of the cleanup.

“The plan would be to try and salvage it and repurpose the building; not necessarily for the LHA, but it would be a way to barter for some work,” Frisbee said.

A site plan is also a high priority.

“There are a few ideas on where to put the Matt King,” he said.

The LHA continues to work with the Upper Blackfoot Valley Historical Society, which serves as their fiscal sponsor. While a plan to use the property as a consolidated site for both organizations is still under consideration, Frisbee said the LHA’s focus will have to be on getting the Matt King House rebuilt.

“The longer it sits, the more it will deteriorate,” Frisbee said. “Once its up and in its final place, it can be oiled to preserve the logs.”

After the Matt King House is back together, the LHA and UBVHS will work together to contemplate their next steps.

“(The LHA) will always be open to figuring out how to move in some of the other historic buildings in the valley, such as those behind the jerky plant,” Frisbee said.

For more information on the project contact Erin Dey, Julie Zarske, or Bill Frisbee

Tax deductible donations can be made to the Upper Blackfoot Valley Historical Society by mail (put ‘Save the King in the memo line of checks) or online at gofundme.com/save-the-king or by sending a check to PO Box 922, Lincoln, MT. 59639.