Governor Gianforte Celebrates the Preservation of Montana History at Stonewall Hall

• August 25 2022

VIRGINIA CITY, Mont. – Governor Greg Gianforte today joined local leaders, residents, and members of the LaFever family to mark the beginning of the restoration of Stonewall Hall.

Constructed in 1864, Stonewall Hall is Montana’s oldest standing capitol building which hosted the Territorial Legislature between 1865 and 1875.

“Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of many, in particular the LaFever family, Montana history will be preserved here at Stonewall Hall for generations to come,” Gov. Gianforte said. “The significance of this historical restoration project to Montana can’t be overstated.”

Gov. Gianforte joins officials, partners, and members of the LaFever family to cut a ribbon marking the beginning of the restoration of Stonewall Hall

The restoration of the historic site will use private funds that were raised recently and will come at no expense to taxpayers.

Representative Jim Keane (D-Butte), who attended today’s ribbon cutting, celebrated the restoration.

“For the past 30 years, various groups have tried to renovate Stonewall Hall where the first legislature in Montana was held, and no one has been able to do it. Last October, Governor Gianforte took the helm, and one year later, renovations will begin with private donations,” Rep. Keane said.

In September 2020, the Madisonian reported that Stonewall Hall was “running out of time” for restorations.

Last year, Gov. Gianforte met with the Montana Heritage Commission in Virginia City to discuss the status of the restoration project, along with economic development plans for the area.

On March 21, 2022, the Montana Land Board, of which Gov. Gianforte is the chair, approved the Neal C. LaFever Trust’s donation of Stonewall Hall to the State of Montana.

Elijah Allen, who leads the Montana Heritage Commission, underscored the importance of the restoration to Virginia City and Montana. “The Montana Heritage Commission acquired ownership of Stonewall Hall that served as Montana’s Territorial Capital in the 1860s in June of this year,” Allen said. “Through private donations, we were able to raise close to $1 million to preserve and restore this important piece of history.”

He continued, “This building is the most important building in Montana from a historical perspective. We have just finished phase one engineering and expect to begin upon approval from the State Historic preservation office and the town of Virginia City. We anticipate the completion in 2024. Virginia City is Montana’s number one tourist destination with over a million visitors coming annually. We have an economic footprint of $75 million that contributes to 1200 jobs. Our mission is to preserve and promote Montana’s history, but we have proven to be an economic driver as well.”

###