COLUMBUS — Some things never change, but a longtime community landmark will soon disappear.
Built at the turn of the 21st century, the Norton House has become a hidden gem and bite of history in Stillwater County.
After its demolition announcement in the fall, many residents of Columbus said this week they regret to see the Norton House in the center of town go.
"I still feel like it's a landmark. It should be there, 'cuz it's been there for so very, very long," said Aleeva Branstetter, a long-term Columbus resident.
The Norton House was built in 1899 by William "Colonel" Norton and his wife, Eliza. At the time, the Norton House was one of the only buildings in modern-day Stillwater County, according to Penny Redli, executive director for the Museum of the Beartooths in Columbus.
Norton was a solider, correspondent for The Helena Herald, a pioneer for the future town of Columbus, and Crow Agency employee. Although he didn't found the town, Norton was a big part of Columbus's history. In fact, Norton commissioned the town's courthouse, ultimately building it right beside his property.
His Antebellum-style house found its way on the National Registry of Historic Places.
Redli told MTN Wednesday a unique feature about the Norton House is its "cavity brick wall," which prevents humidity from entering the house. The house has space between its bricks, insulating the house in the hot summer months. Redli says it's likely one of the only houses in Montana with this feature.
The house has been abandoned since the 1970s and is now owned by Stillwater County.
Due to lack of maintenance, the house is months away from tipping over into the courthouse, according to Stephanie Ray, the community planning and economic development director for the county.
"There really was no use for the building. You can't go in it. You can't tour it. It's not safe to go into, so it's really just an exterior facade that's beautiful to look at, but it's literally falling apart right in front of our eyes," Ray said.
Ray told MTN that deciding to demolish the building was a difficult decision, but a necessary one. She says the property will likely become a public community space, like a park. The demolishment is expected to occur before Christmas.
Redli with the Museum of the Beartooths wishes the house would have been maintained and would like to honor Norton by using bricks and columns from the house to build an exhibit.
"(Norton) was a mover and a shaker. It's just sad that we have to lose the house... It's sad to admit that it is the right decision," she said.
According to Ray, the house would cost over a million dollars in repairs to save.
"It would basically have to be reconstructed brick by brick, not necessarily a financially feasible option for the county to do that... It's hard. Change is hard, and nobody wants to see a structure like this go," she said.
But perhaps Branstetter is the saddest to see the structure go.
"They should preserve something of this house. 'Cuz, it's been there forever and a day. I mean it's been there for a really long time," she said.
Branstetter is 83 years young. She moved with her family to Stillwater County in the 1940s and eventually moved beside the courthouse, where she worked for almost 30 years.
"When I was a young girl, probably five or six years old, I used to go over and visit this old guy and his wife," she said.
Although sad about the decision, Branstetter says she understands why the house needs to be demolished.
Upon close inspection, the foundation is unstable, the paint is chipping, and the bricks are falling one by one. Years of abandonment have turned the original mansion into a health hazard.
"Unfortunately, over the last several decades of lack of maintenance to the Norton House has sort of exacerbated its condition, and it just continues to deteriorate," Ray said.
But, that also means losing a fundamental piece of Montana history for Redli and Branstetter.
"It's sad that it hasn't had the care and upkeep, and now we are at this stage," Redli said.
"I don't think it's as safe as it used to be," Branstetter said.
Unsafe, but a glimmer of what life used to be.
