Saving Historic Cabin in East Helena

EAST HELENA, MT (October 9, 2024) – The effort to save the oldest building in East Helena achieved a milestone this week as crews dismantled the historic Manlove Cabin as part of plans to relocate, reconstruct, and preserve it on nearby private land and eventually open it to the public.

Volunteers from the Lewis and Clark County Historical Society and Helena Area Habitat for Humanity (Habitat) tagged the pieces of the cabin last week (see photos). Yesterday, Heritage Timber began taking apart the cabin at its current location near the intersection of Highway 12 and Route 518 on property owned by Prickly Pear Estates (see photos).

The de-constructed cabin pieces will be moved to and stored on property Habitat acquired from the Montana Environmental Trust Group, LLC (METG), Trustee of the Montana Environmental Custodial Trust. Once funds are raised to rebuild and restore the cabin, plans call for reconstructing it on property Habitat intends to acquire from METG and develop as a park with trails as part of Habitat’s Rose Hills development.

Habitat and METG have collaborated with the Lewis and Clark County Historical Society, Prickly Pear Estates, the City of East Helena, and, before his death in 2023, the philanthropist Rick Pyfer to find a new home for the 160-year-old cabin where it can be preserved for the benefit of the East Helena community and the public.

Habitat agreed to provide land to host the cabin and has accepted ownership of the structure, which was donated by Prickly Pear Estates. METG worked with stakeholders and contributed funds needed to move the cabin. The Lewis and Clark County Historical Society and preservation professionals will help seek grants to reconstruct and restore the structure, which was built in 1864 by Jonathan and Elmira Manlove.

Cindy Brooks, METG managing principal, said, “We at METG are so grateful to our project partners—Habitat, the City, the County historic preservation staff and volunteers, and our beneficiaries (U.S. EPA and the State of Montana)—for participating in helping to save this historic structure and honor East Helena’s special history.”

Landy Leep, manager of the Prickly Pear Estates development, said, “Prickly Pear Estates is thrilled the Manlove Cabin is being preserved. We thank all those involved with the preservation of this historic structure.”

The cabin’s move will make way for remediation of the structure’s current site by Prickly Pear Estates (PPE) to support commercial uses as part of the larger, mixed-use PPE development.

Marty Folio, East Helena Historical Society president, said he is “so pleased and honestly relieved that the Manlove Cabin will continue to be a part of this wonderful community.”

Prickly Pear Estates (PPE) acquired 731 acres from METG and plans to develop more than 3,000 dwellings, including single-family homes, townhomes, assisted-living facilities, workforce housing, and multi-family homes, as well as a 70-acre commercial development (expected to include grocery stores, restaurants, banks, gas stations, retailers, and potential offices), light industrial uses, parks, and trails.

Helena Area Habitat for Humanity (Habitat) has acquired 72 acres from METG, and it plans to purchase an additional 136 acres to create more than 1,500 diverse, mixed-income homes in East Helena.

Montana Environmental Trust Group, LLC (METG), as the court-appointed Trustee of the Montana Environmental Custodial Trust, is charged with remediating former ASARCO lands in East Helena and facilitating their safe reuse, under U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) oversight and for the benefit of the United States and the State of Montana. Visit https://www.mtenvironmentaltrust.org for more information.