BOULDER — It’s an exciting time at Boulder Hot Springs and for the community that has watched over the property’s barn for years. They’ve been searching for a way to save the structure, and help finally came from an unexpected place.
Watch the full story below:
“He came to the Hot Springs as a guest one day and started talking with our maintenance manager, and they looked at it, and so it was a great coincidence that he came by.” Annika Hirmke, a steward at Boulder Hot Springs, said.
That guest, a restoration expert just down the road in Butte.
The barn structure is around 100 years old, give or take, and is just one part of a complex history at the Hot Springs, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.
“I mean the whole Hot Springs has a lot of history and different parts, and I think just the barn, even though in the last few years it has not been used much, it is still just he visual of it here, and having an old barn like this is really special to us and the Boulder community and us,” Hirmke added.
Up until just a few months ago, staff thought the only option would be to tear the barn down and salvage pieces of it to carry on the legacy.
“Well, the whole barn is really a structural concern,” Hirmke said.
Although they don’t currently have a full restoration plan, they have found the priority areas.
“The biggest concern with the barn right now to make sure that we can keep it and not have to tear it down is to get a new roof on it,” Hirmke added.
A new roof also means stabilizing the foundation. Those steps alone cost around $30,000. Boulder Hot Springs says they are committed to putting profits back into projects like this to preserve the property and its history, and they’re also welcoming contributions from the community to help with the work.
“We don’t know yet exactly what we want to use it for in the future or what we will do with it in the future, but I think it will just be a relief to be able to say that we can keep the building and protect the building,” Hirmke said.
The property recently installed solar to power the well pump and highway sign. Aside from the barn restoration, they are also in the planning stage for a bathhouse restoration.
The goal is to have phase one of the restoration complete by the time winter comes, but if that is not the case, they will cover the barn and return to work in the spring.
