St. Helena School on list of state's most endangered sites.

The past

History of the school

St. Helena School was contracted in 1908 by Bishop John Carroll and designed by architect Von Herbulis, who also designed St. Helena Cathedral.

Monsignor Victor Day, rector of the cathedral, dedicated the school on Sept. 7, 1909. The Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth staffed the school and classes began the next day.

The building served as a grade school until 1936. At the time, girls attended high school at St. Vincent's Academy while boys attended Mount St. Charles High School.

But a 1935 earthquake damaged St. Vincent's Academy beyond repair. The Rev. James Tougas, the rector of the cathedral, made room at St. Helena School for the displaced students.

At a 1936 Carroll College commencement, Bishop Joseph Gilmore announced that a co-educational high school would move into St. Helena School. The grade school was remodeled and Cathedral High School opened.

For the next 18 years the grade school and high school students shared the same building. But in 1954, as high school students outgrew the building, construction began on Helena Central High School -- the building that now lines 11th Avenue and stands attached to St. Helena School.

The name St. Helena School was changed in the 1960s to Bishop Gilmore School. But in 1969, Bishop Raymond Hunthausen announced that both Helena Central High School and Bishop Gilmore School would close at the end of the 1969 school year.

Hunthausen cited increasing financial difficulties as the major reason. Helena Central High School now houses the Cathedral of St. Helena Parish, while the Bishop Gilmore School has sat empty for more than 20 years, its future riding on a decision by the parish.

One possible future

Cathedral Square concept

The Cathedral of St. Helena Parish has identified the need for more space for religious education, community gathering and youth recreation areas. The parish feels that additional space could also benefit local ministries.

As part of the "Cathedral Square" concept, the church could meet its needs by constructing two buildings where the parking lot and Bishop Gilmore School now stand north of the cathedral. One building would offer 33,000 square feet for parish and religious education offices. The second building would offer 23,000 square feet for diocese and parish offices. Both buildings would be two stories tall.

The parish also feels that historic archives owned by the diocese could serve as a draw for parishioners and visitors alike. But room is needed for the display. If combined with a coffee shop and library, Cathedral Square, overall, could serve as a parish outreach center. While not an immediate priority, long-range planning may also relocate the rectory.

The parish has also stated a need for more parking. The master plan says that roughly 150 spaces could be provided on two levels of underground parking, with 20 more spaces providing handicap and quick stop parking at grade on the cathedral's north side.

With its Romanesque columns, open auditorium and cornices carved by workman nearly a century ago, an old Helena school is facing a new problem, and it's up to the Cathedral of St. Helena Parish to decide what to do about it.

The question: build for the future or preserve the past? At issue: St. Helena School and its 93 years of history.

Constructed in 1909, the school's association with the Cathedral of St. Helena is hard to ignore. It tells a story of the prominent role the Roman Catholic Church has played in Montana over the past 150 years. But the school, despite its storied history, has now sat empty for more than two decades, leaving the church facing a tough decision regarding its future.

"It was actually designed by the same architect that designed St. Helena Cathedral," said Louie Gloege, business manager of the Cathedral of St. Helena Parish. "The cathedral was originally going to look like that school. Somewhere along the way that plan got scrapped and we got the cathedral we have today."

While the cathedral remains structurally sound, the school stands in disrepair. Among the problems is a green mold feared to be toxic. The building's plumbing was ripped out years ago and water damage plagues portions of the structure. Seismic improvements are desperately needed, while the internal walls -- those that remain in place -- are load bearing and can't easily be reconfigured.

According to a seismic study requested by the diocese and conducted by Morrison Maierle, Inc., the three-story school is built of masonry walls, and steel beams support hefty concrete floors.

"The building is extremely heavy in proportion to its overall strength to resist seismic loading," the Dec. 2000 report said. "Since the building is of non-reinforced masonry, it lacks the (ability) to absorb seismic energy and deformation during an earthquake."

Because of the findings, which put the cost of retrofitting the building at roughly $2.8 million, the study suggested the church lock the school and secure its perimeter to protect the public. While the church found it easy to follow the suggestion, deciding the school's future may prove to be a more difficult matter.

In Aug. 2001, the Pastoral Council organized a visioning committee to begin discussing the school's ultimate fate. DT Architecture was hired to investigate remedies. Four parish-wide meetings were held. A fifth meeting is planned for January.

"Some people want to save the school at any cost and some don't want to," Gloege said. "There was a small contingent that came to those parish meetings that wanted to save it, but there wasn't a huge outcry to save the building."

Chere Jiusto, the executive director of the Montana Preservation Alliance, said many still hope to see the school preserved as part of the city and the church's history. Despite the structure's problems, she believes renovation is possible.

Jiusto said the building is one of the finest examples of neoclassical architecture in the state, standing testimony to a time when the Roman Catholic Church provided many of the state's social services in place of government.

"The school has been a candidate for demolition for a number of years now," Jiusto said. "It's just a terrible loss each time a building like that goes down, and we'd like to see it given more consideration."

The MPA has succeeded in saving numerous sites from certain demise. Last year, five of the six sites that made the preservation's list were saved. MPA isn't ready to let the old school slip between its fingers.

As a result, MPA has already sent engineering reports to prominent Northwest architects Jim McDonald, who helped restore the Capitol and the Old Faithful Inn, and Lorne McConachie, who specializes in restoring old schools in Seattle.

"Both said there are innovative ways to achieve seismic stability that can likely address the needs of that building," Jiusto said. "That building, located where it is, is a valuable structure. It's worth far more than the land it stands on."

Value is one of the questions facing the parish where the school and its property are concerned. While the church admits it has a responsibility to the community, along with the core of Helena, it also has visions for the future. The school's role in that future remains undecided.

One vision being explored by the church, dubbed "Cathedral Square," would see the school razed, allowing the diocese to construct a super plaza. The new plaza would include underground parking, two two-story buildings, and a garden courtyard, linked by a skywalk with the north entrance of the cathedral.

"Cathedral Square is a grand vision," Gloege admitted. "I don't know how practical it would be to do it."

Any action the church might take, whether its preserving the old school or razing it and building new, is still years away. Selling the old school to a third party isn't an option for the diocese, either. The cathedral and surrounding property, which includes St. Helena School, is encircled by private homes, limiting any plans the church might have to expand. It also makes the property that much more valuable.

"We need the space," Gloege said. "To sell it to a third party -- that would probably not work for us."

Gloege said that maintaining St. Helena Cathedral is now the priority and renovation work there is ongoing. As for the school, despite its neglected state, Gloege said, it does have historical value. It's one point on which the parish and MPA agree.

"People really do love their history here," Jiusto said. "Sometimes it's just a matter of helping them find the solutions and to look for options."

Jiusto said the parish has invited MPA to its fifth visioning committee meeting, planned for a date to be announced in January. With any luck, Jiusto said, the church and MPA will find a way to save the old school.

Reporter Martin Kidston can be reached at 447-4086, or by e-mail at mkidston@helenair.com