Montana to decide soon what to do with governor’s Carson Street mansion

Montana officials ask public what to do with governor’s Carson Street mansion

Montana officials are moving toward a decision on the fate of the state’s vacant governor’s executive residence near the Capitol after a survey finished last month asked the public what should happen to the property, according to a report distributed by The Associated Press.

The Department of Administration asked residents to weigh three options for the mansion at 2 Carson St.: demolish it and convert the land into a park, remodel it for use as something else besides a home, or sell the property. The Capitol Complex Advisory Council is expected to present the survey results and cost models for consideration at its next meeting, though the meeting date was not set, the report said.

The review is prompted by the property’s deteriorating condition. The problems described include rotted ceilings, toilets that can’t flush, a shoddy electrical system, and asbestos, according to the report. The mansion has remained empty for the last five years after Gov. Greg Gianforte and his wife moved out in 2021, nine months into his first term, intending to make space for renovations that never came, the report said.

“Critical” condition and deferred maintenance

Misty Ann Giles, the director of the Montana Department of Administration, described the residence as “critical” at a December meeting of the community group Hometown Helena. Giles also said that past governors “have prioritized other state infrastructure over their own house,” the report said.

A presentation from the Capitol Complex Advisory Council listed specific maintenance work it said needed to be addressed. Those needs include roof replacement, asbestos abatement, repairs to rotting exterior fixtures, and complete demolition and replacement of the entire electrical, HVAC and plumbing systems, the report said.

Built in 1959 and designed as the “Ship of State”

The report said the Carson Street property is a 12,000-square-foot, two-level building. It was built in 1959 and designed by Billings architect Chandler C. Cohagen. The residence was designed to resemble a ship as the “Ship of State,” pointed toward the Big Belt Mountains, with a description of the design as “western, naturally,” attributed to Cohagen.

In the report, details about the mansion’s layout include six bedrooms, four bathrooms, a 350-square-foot kitchen, a ballroom, hosting and dining spaces, and a three-car garage, plus about 1.2 acres of green space.

Gianforte moved out in 2021 and later bought other Helena mansions

When Gianforte vacated the Carson Street home, he and his wife purchased a different property in Helena’s Mansion District across downtown from the Capitol, the report said. They lived there before buying the historic Samuel T. Hauser mansion in 2024, with plans to donate the property to the state after Gianforte leaves office in 2028 at the end of his second term, the report said.

The report described the Hauser mansion’s earlier history as well: it was built in 1885 by Samuel T. Hauser and later purchased by Bishop John P. Carroll in 1913, before it served as a home for succeeding bishops. The report said it was purchased in 1969 by then-Gov. Tim Babcock, who restored it to its original character.

Gianforte announced the 2024 purchase of the Hauser mansion for $4 million from former owner Gary Rapaport. The report quoted Gianforte saying, “We purchased the beautiful and historic Hauser House to call our home here in Helena, and to provide a space for the people of Montana to come together,” and also quoting him as saying, “Following my service, we will donate this home to the State and the people of Montana.”

The report said the Department of Administration plans to take over management responsibilities of the Hauser residence for future governors and their families, Janna Williams told Montana Free Press.

Other “governor’s mansion” properties in Helena

The report said there are multiple buildings in Helena that have at different times been described as the governor’s mansion. It described the “Original Governor’s Mansion” as built in 1888 by William Chessman as a private property and located at 304 N. Ewing St. The state assumed ownership of the mansion in 1913, when it became the first official governor’s residence, the report said, and it later served as the home for nine governors’ families before the Carson Street property was built. The report said the original mansion is now partially managed by the Department of Administration and the Montana Historical Society and is closed for renovations.

The report also described a separate Gianforte-owned property at 618 Madison Ave., which it said is for sale and currently listed for $1.25 million. It added that Zillow reported the property received a $100,000 price reduction earlier this month.

Montana Free Press, which the report said toured the Carson Street executive residence and gathered photos of the other mansions that have housed governors, provided additional context on the state of the properties, the report said.