The Great Falls-Cascade County Historic Preservation Advisory Commission and The History Museum are hosting a joint award ceremony for the 2024 Preservation and Legacy Awards.

The 2024 award reception is 1 p.m. May 11 at the Celtic Cowboy Dark Horse Hall.

This year’s preservation awards from HPAC are 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 President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal.

City celebrating Civic Center façade project completion

The city celebrated the building’s 84th anniversary with a ceremony in April marking the completion of the façade project.

In 2011, a façade analysis by Hessler Architects revealed severe deterioration and recommended repairs.

In 2016, the report was updated, and in 2017, the city hired CTA Architects to plan the restoration.

Commissioners approved Civic Center facade change; final payment on HR remodel [2023]

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,” according to HPAC’s award.

The 1961 O’Haire Inn was built to be the premier lodging destination in downtown, 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 mermaids were introduced in 1995, and a 2003 GQ article launched the lounge into national fame.

Business in Profile: Sandra Johnson-Thares [2021]

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’ Legacy Award will honor Owen and 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 make them accessible through The History Museum.

The History Museum receives gift for remodel; hosting Second Saturday event Dec. 9 [2023]

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 lifetime members and Owen joined the Charles M. Russell Museum board after retiring from The History Museum, according to the museum.

The Robinsons continued to support plans to create a unique Research Center at the History Museum, which is scheduled to open in September.

Local projects receive historic preservation grants [2023]

The Robinsons are “committed to preserving and sharing the heritage of Cascade County,” according to the museum.

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 and this is the first joint awards ceremony.