Kalispell to inventory historic downtown buildings
A survey of central Kalispell will begin soon to inventory historic buildings.
This is part of updating downtown's historic district - an effort that might lead to federal and state tax credits for fix-it work in that zone.
This also could contribute to improving central Kalispell as a tourism draw, said Katharine Thompson, the city's community development manager.
This effort includes a public appeal for people to supply historical documents and photos.
Kalispell recently received a $12,500 state grant to update surveys of central Kalispell done in 1980 and 1992.
The city is providing already set-aside matching money and some services to tackle the project, which has a total price tag of $27,605.
In rough terms, the historic district consists of parts of central Main Street, the Flathead County Courthouse area and neighborhoods to the east and west of downtown's Main Street.
A "historic district" is defined as having at least 50 percent of the buildings being more than 50 years old, retaining much of their original looks, and capturing a significant piece of the area's history.
Seventy-six properties are within Kalispell's historic district. Roughly two-thirds are at least 50 years old, Thompson said.
The city is hiring Dagny Krigbaum of Missoula-based Historical Discoveries to inventory the buildings, update the records, and convert the paper documents to electronic files. This is expected to take about a year.
This survey's purpose is to provide detailed electronic records of central Kalispell's historical assets so property owners can seek federal and state tax credits if they do repair work or improvements on those buildings, Thompson said.
Another purpose is that cities such as Kalispell are increasingly setting themselves up as draws for historical tourism -highlighting local buildings of historical interest, possibly with plaques -'so visitors can wander about a town to check them out.
"Kalispell has a rich history, and this is a wonderful opportunity to share that heritage," Thompson said.
A local grass-roots group - History Is Posh, or HIP - already provides maps for walking tours of the downtown, and is looking at setting up a similar driving tour of Flathead County.