The Great Falls-Cascade County Historic Preservation Advisory Commission (HPAC) and The History Museum are pleased to announce a joint award ceremony for the 2024 Preservation and Legacy Awards. The 2024 Award Reception will be held at the Celtic Cowboy Dark Horse Hall on Saturday, May 11, at 1:00 PM.
The Preservation Awards honored by HPAC will celebrate the Civic Center Façade Restoration and the O'Haire Motor Inn "Retrovation."
The Great Falls Civic Center, opened in 1940, was partially funded by the Public Works Administration as part of FDR's New Deal. It has held city offices, cultural events, conventions, and public meetings for 84 years. In 2011, a façade analysis by Hessler Architects revealed severe deterioration and recommended repairs. In 2016, the report was updated, and in 2017, CTA Architects were hired to plan the restoration. In June 2020, the City Commission directed staff to pursue a funding strategy, and Talisman Construction was awarded the $5.7 million contract in 2021. The project took extensive measures to ensure repairs matched historic materials and maintained the building's character. The restoration was finished early this year, and an official ribbon cutting was held on April 19, the anniversary of the original dedication of the building.
The 1961 O'Haire Inn was built to be the premier lodging destination in Downtown Great Falls, with clean Mid-Century Modern lines and bright neon signs out front. The Sip n' Dip Lounge opened soon after construction as a tiki bar, and has kept the theme ever since. The famous mermaids were introduced in 1995, and a 2003 GQ article launched the lounge into national fame. A 1990s renovation changed the character of the Inn to suit more "modern" tastes, but in 2022, owner Sandra Johnson-Thares began a rehabilitation project that restored the Inn's groovy Mid-Century character. While the façade work is complete, Johnson-Thares continues to add interior furnishings and finishes, including some of the original fixtures that were kept in storage.
The History Museum's Legacy Award will honor Owen & Gayle Robinson for their commitment to preservation work in Cascade County. The Robinsons took a leading role in negotiating with the newspaper chain Gannett to acquire Great Falls Tribune reporter-file records stretching back decades and making them accessible through The History Museum. Owen Robinson's service with Cascade County Historical Society began in 1979 with his first board position, and he served several times as board president. The Robsinsons have contributed significantly to the new Heritage Center building project in Helena and are life-time members and Owen joined the Charles M. Russell Museum national board after retiring from The History Museum. The Robinsons continued to support plans to create a unique Research Center at the History Museum, opening September 2024. He and his wife Gayle are committed to preserving and sharing the heritage of Cascade County and will be this year's recipients of the History Museum's award.
The Preservation Awards and Legacy Awards are held annually to honor the people and projects that keep and share Cascade County's history. In previous years, these awards were presented separately. This is the first year the awards will be jointly recognized.