Downtown Lincoln property now under UBVHS ownership; focus turns to reconstruction of historic Matt King House

At the beginning of September, The Upper Blackfoot Valley Historical Society officially took ownership of property along Highway 200 in Lincoln that will become the new home for the historic Matt King House and the Historical Society.

The property will allow the UBVHS to move forward with efforts to reconstruct the building, which was taken down in 2015 and moved from its original location west of Sucker Creek Road. For the last five years, the disassembled structure has been stacked behind the BVD Office while the Lincoln Heritage Alliance and the Upper Blackfoot Valley Historical Society worked to secure property for the building in Lincoln.

The UBVHS, which absorbed the Lincoln Heritage Alliance in April to streamline fundraising, improve chances for grants and to alleviate confusion between the two organizations, now faces the tasks of clearing the property, moving the Matt King house and raising funds for the building's reconstruction, which is slated for next summer.

Erin Dey, who took over as president of the UBVHS following the merger, hopes the property purchase will re-ignite community interest in the project and get the ball rolling on fundraising once again.

"I'm very excited we have the property. It's a huge step, finally," she said. "This is a large project that will take money and volunteers, but the end result is going to be fabulous. This addition to downtown Lincoln will be an added asset to get people to stop and support local businesses."

A Montana Office of Tourism and Business Development Destination Brand Research Study in 2016 showed that 34.7 percent of respondents rated historic attractions as "extremely important" to their travels, with history buffs spending more and staying longer than other tourists.

Dey hopes to work with Lincoln Schools to tie in the educational aspects of the project, such as local and Montana history, woodworking and construction.

The effort to save the Matt King House initially saw considerable community support in 2015 and 2016, and in 2017 the effort earned the LHA an Historic Preservation Award from the Lewis and Clark County Heritage Preservation and Tourism Development Council.

However, several setbacks and delays have had the project in limbo for the past couple years.

When efforts to acquire the property in the center of Lincoln just west of the BVD office proved futile, the LHA began negotiations with Andreas Hermann for purchase of the property that was once home to Floppy Rock Seeds, but fundraising had stalled. Last August, a large donation met the funding goal for the down payment on the property but concerns about insurance, a funding reserve and complications involving the financial systems and taxes related to the U.S and Hermann's home country of Germany delayed the final transaction.

With the purchase of the property complete, the UBVHS plans to set to work on both the property and on fundraising and grant writing.

This fall, the UBVHS will begin work to remove the existing house on the property, to remove the stumps and level the lot, and to move the disassembled Matt King house onto the property and secure it for the winter.

As part of the building's move, the original logs will be evaluated for soundness. At least one of the original logs was identified for replacement when the building was taken down and there is some concern that the elements may have taken a toll on others during the five years the building has been stacked in pieces. The UBVHS has already asked long-time Lincoln logger Brent Anderson to help find Ponderosa pine logs large enough to serve as replacements.

Next summer the UBVHS will focus on getting a foundation poured, new logs prepared and seeing the Matt King House reconstructed and ready for interior work.

The UBVHS plans to maintain the agreement Hermann had with Randy "The Cherry Guy" Andrews, who manages the vendors who occasionally set up on the property during the summer months.

Once the Matt King house in in place, the UBVHS will begin to work on additional improvements for the property.

The log home, built using massive, hand-hewn Ponderosa Pine logs, was originally constructed in the late 19th century by Rancher Matt King on the first bona fide homestead in the Lincoln Valley and is believed to be the oldest building in the valley. Over the years, members of many of the areas families lived in the house, which was last occupied in the late 1970's.

Anyone with family stories about living in the Matt King House, or who may have photographs of the building from the past that could help with the project are encouraged to share them. Call 362-4131 or e-mail [email protected] for more information or to share some Lincoln history.