Hanging on to History

Saving the Sandstone

Absarokee

Written by Cyd Hoefle 

“The most important thing we can do for our children is to give them a sense of their history,” Clara Borland said. “A sense of belonging and a reason to be proud of their heritage.”

Clara was speaking from her home outside of Absarokee where she, her husband Gary and a handful of other “Save the Sandstone” supporters gathered, reminisced and shared stories about what the Sandstone School in Absarokee has meant to them. Clara and Gary attended Sandstone as did their children and one grandchild attended daycare. 

Julie Sanders, another supporter in attendance, was a classmate of Clara and Gary and later taught at the school. The three, all in their 80’s, and several others spent a recent afternoon looking over the Borland’s collection of Sandstone annuals dating back to the 1940’s.

“Ah, those were good days,” Julie exclaimed. “So many memories!”

To help support the Sandstone Preservation Community Send donations to:

Sandstone Preservation Community, PO Box 472, Absarokee, MT 59001

For more information or to purchase a raffle ticket for a $500 gas card:

Shari DeSaveur 406.321.2331

Janel Brunckhorst 406.321.1018

Afton Lamoreaux 406.579.3857

Jackie Walker 406.321.0773

The Sandstone School, a stately limestone building, was built in 1910. It lies just behind the familiar Cobblestone School and next to the current elementary school, on the main street through Absarokee. Local rancher, PH Hawkins donated the land that the school is on and had two requests: that it always be used for continued education and that it be built on a North/South/East/West axis, because as he said, “It needs to sit true with the world.”

The first school in the community was a small one-room log building which opened in 1905. But within years the rapidly growing community outgrew it, and it was replaced by the two-room stone building that was the start of Sandstone School.

Old photos are evidence that the school was built when the town was just beginning to flourish. According to local history, in 1909, seven local women set out to raise enough funds to build the much-needed school. They worked diligently holding a bazaar, dance and a minstrel show and relied heavily on donations to raise the $1500 needed to construct the school. 

Montana Sandstone Company of Columbus began construction in the spring of 1910 and finished in time for first through eighth grade students to begin the new school year. Printed in the Columbus News was this announcement; “The new school building at the upper end of town is the pride of the village, and may well be, for it is a monument to the loyalty, devotion and the intellectual advancement of the people who live there.” 

It wasn’t long, however, before more classroom space was needed and an addition with two more classrooms was added, doubling the size to four classrooms. 

By 1920, as hundreds of settler families continued to migrate to Stillwater County, the county soon needed a high school, and the nearby Cobblestone School was built. To satisfy those that preferred to see the new building parallel to the county road, (S Woodard Ave), the new building departed from the cardinal points adhered to in the construction of the Sandstone. 

Sandstone continued as the elementary school in Absarokee for decades, educating three and four generations of Stillwater County families, many still residing in the community. In the 1950’s the current elementary school was built to accommodate the high school and in 1990 when the new high school was built, that building became Absarokee Elementary School and the Sandstone School became a community daycare and preschool facility offering much-needed childcare for the residents of Absarokee. 

In 2019, the Sandstone was vacated due to concerns about the condition of the roof. The building was declared condemned and has remained vacant since then. What to do with the building is a concern and it’s divided the community. The two choices are simple. Fix it or tear it down.

It’s that simplicity that has the opposition believing that tearing it down would be the best solution. But as news that the school might be demolished rippled through the community, residents opposed to its demolition joined forces. 

Janel Brunckhorst, Afton Lamoreaux, Jackie Walker and Shari DeSaveur started the committee they call, “Save the Sandstone.” They have been working diligently with engineers, architects and grant writers to ensure viability and move forward with a plan. They all believe that their project of saving the historic 114-year-old Sandstone School is essential for preserving the history of Absarokee and for the future of the youngest generation living in the community.

A feasibility study from High Plains Architects revealed that the building is structurally sound except for the roof, which needs to be replaced. The bid for the replacement of the roof came in at $355,000.

Since then, the women have successfully raised over thirty percent of the amount needed and more community members have stepped up with support. 

Shari and Afton headed to Helena in January to testify before the legislature on behalf of “Save the Sandstone.” Their project, along with sixty others, was brought before the Montana Historic Preservation Grant committee in hopes that they would be selected to receive funds to help with the roofing.

“We just hate to see historic buildings torn down,” Shari said. “As communities, we need to take care of them before it gets to the point that the only option is to tear them down. We can save them if we take care of them.”   

“It would be such a shame to see it torn down,” Afton said. “We just can’t see that happen.” 

They, along with fellow board members are doing what they can to educate the community about the history of the school and have become a common sight at community events to share their vision. They are currently selling raffle tickets for a $500 gas card to be awarded this spring. 

Janel Brunckhorst along with Julie Sanders both taught at the Sandstone School and have fond memories of their time there. 

“It’s unique to the town,” Janel said. “It’s touched so many lives of the people that live here. We need to preserve that. We need to do it for the students and for the future of Absarokee.”

As the only daycare in town, the community has felt a tremendous loss since its closing.  Many families have been forced to move because of lack of childcare and others have had to drive to nearby Columbus for childcare. 

“That’s just wrong for our community,” Janel said. “Families should have the confidence that we have childcare for them. If we don’t, more families will move, and we’ll lose students.”

With that plan in mind, it seems only natural that a community daycare should inhabit the building. 

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986, the Sandstone School is named as one of Montana’s earliest historic properties and deserving preservation. It retains an exceptional degree of integrity, reflecting its historical significance and character. The school holds educational importance for Absarokee and the surrounding region and symbolizes the proud rural heritage of Montana and the impact of education in small communities.