Pershing Hall featured as historic ornament from preservation commission

The Havre/Hill County Preservation Commission is selling its 2023 Christmas ornaments of Pershing Hall at Montana State University-Northern, presenting the first of the ornaments to Northern Chancellor Greg Kegel Wednesday afternoon.

Every year, the commission honors a historic building or location in the area, having a Christmas ornament designed to commemorate it and its historic and cultural importance to the area, and this year the recipient was Pershing Hall, which they have been waiting for a chance to honor.

Pershing Hall was the second building built on the campus, and as the Northern Montana College, as it was called at the time, grew increasingly popular, more and more classroom space was needed, necessitating more classroom space.

The building was named for Gen. John J. "Black Jack" Pershing, the commander of all American Expeditionary Forces in Europe during World War I, who was stationed as a lieutenant at the fort in 1895 before rising through the ranks of the military.

However, with the country in a depression at the time, the purchase of new building materials was not an option and materials were salvaged from Fort Assinniboine.

At the time, there was practically no money to facilitate an architect, provide a skilled workforce or pay for building materials at the time, but Dr. G.H. Vande Bogart, president of the college, and Earl J. Bronson, secretary of the Chamber of Commerce, devised a plan for construction and presented it to the Chamber in March of 1933.

Frank F. Bossout, a local architect and NMC executive board member, contributed his services to design the building and despite the difficulties of the time construction began in February 1933 with the hauling of 200,000 bricks from Fort Assinniboine along with other items salvaged from the fort including sandstone portals, slate, timbers, flooring and plumbing and heating equipment.

The city of Havre donated gravel for the mortar.

Work happened in spurts whenever funds were available and some workers showed up voluntarily or on their days off.

By September of 1933, work came to a standstill until NMC students organized a parade and fund drive and collected $1,300 which was able to sustain construction until November. When more relief funds became available, the Chemistry and Physics laboratories were moved into the unfinished building and by January of 1934, the building was completely occupied.

In 1953, the stage was enclosed to make room for biology laboratories and in 1969, after the construction of the Hagener Science Center, the interior was remodeled to accompany music rooms, practice rooms, art classrooms and an art gallery.

Engleman ivy was donated by the members of the local Daughters of the American Revolution Chapter to decorate the walls of the building.

The ivy carried symbolic reference to institutions of higher learning and some still remains on the west rear wall, although there is visible damage that it has caused to the fascia.

In 1961, the total cost of the building was listed at $33,090.78, including the enclosure of the west side amphitheater in 1953.

And work on the hall is poised to continue even now, with a major renovation funded by Montana House Bill 5 still in the works.

Kegel said Pershing Hall isn't very handicap accessible and is somewhat difficult to navigate, so in addition to normal renovations they are looking to install an elevator as well, which he hopes will revitalize the structure.