The hope was that a little wood filler and fresh paint would be enough to return the balustrade wrapping the balcony on the Original Governor's Mansion to its former glory.

After closer inspection, however, Ed Reed and David Patrick, both carpenters with Diamond Construction, knew it would take more than glue and paint to patch things up on the 130-year-old home.

"The railing was totally rotted out," Reed said Wednesday, walking the mansion's balcony. "You could take the old spindles, twist them, and they'd crumble in your hands. The paint was all that was holding them together."

With nearly 200 turned spindles, 60 feet of balustrade and 16 hand-carved columns, the balcony was in dire need of attention. Repairing it would cost an estimated $60,000 and challenge some of Helena's finest carpenters, while opening a window to a time when detail mattered.

"You can't buy any of these old moldings at Home Depot or Power Townsend," Reed said. "I've been working carpentry for 40 years, and this is the most detail I've ever seen. I wish some old man would come walking down the street, so I could ask him how he did it."

Completed in 1888 by William Chessman, the home is a model of its time. The Queen-Anne-style mansion, which holds the corner of Sixth and Ewing, became the state's official governor's residence in 1913, when Gov. Samuel Stewart moved in.

Nine governors and their families have lived in the house, the last being Gov. Hugo Aronson, who moved out in 1959. The monumental home remains handsomely preserved, resembling the days when political prominence and personal affluence set families apart.

Historical interpreter Bobi Harris spent Wednesday inside the parlor, peeking out at the restoration work from tine to time while awaiting the arrival of summer tourists.

"They're always doing certain things to restore the house, and this year it was the balustrade," she said. "They just finished doing the dining room. The brass tacks were coming loose. They replaced some of the leather wall panels."

Legislative tea parties once took place here amid the room's deep shadows and plush oak molding. Political parties mapped out their strategies and the state's foundation was laid firmly down.

"We have people from all over the world come into the mansion," Harris said, naming the countries -- Israel, Iceland, Scotland, Australia. "They enjoy learning about our history. They're mostly surprised at how fancy things were in Helena in the 1880s. They think of us as being the Wild West."

Beyond the patio, Reed and Patrick sit for lunch in the shade of the boulevard trees. Matching the details in the mansion's balustrade has kept the two busy for more than a week.

"We got all the lumber from Helena Hardwoods -- kiln dried and rough sawn," Reed said. "All Wood Design ran the moldings for us."

Gary Duval turned the curved drop-railings. New knives had to be made to create the meticulous edging on the columns. A dozen thin pieces of poplar were glued and pressed together, creating the balustrades, which were carved in the shop and assembled on site.

"A solid beam wouldn't be uniformly dried," Reed explained. "It would warp and twist over time. We had to study the old pieces and make new ones to match. I want this to last well beyond my retirement."

Reporter Martin Kidston

can be reached at 447-4086, or at mkidston@helenair.com.