Superior School - Superior, MT - Bell Towers on Waymarking.com

In 1996 Liz and George Gupton formed Old School Enterprises, for the purpose of preserving an important part of Superior's past. Liz and George are general partners and in the beginning there were five limited partners who contributed funds to purchase the historic old school block which was scheduled for demolition. After several efforts to purchase the property failed, the contributions to the limited partners were refunded leaving Liz and George as the only partners.

In 1998 the property was auctioned and an opportunity was seen to purchase it.

The partnership purchased the property and began work to halt deterioration and bring the property back to a condition of beneficial use... Over the next eight years we repaired and remodeled the property to the extent that over half the buildings were under lease and the project was breaking even financially. This was at a cost of eight years of full time work for one partner and one quarter time work for the other partner along with over $250,000 cash contributions from the partners.

In 2006 we were approached by a purchaser who wanted to buy the property with intentions of pursuing the same mission statement as ours... The property was sold in December, 2006 with the partnership financing a major portion of the purchase price.

The purchaser's plans and financing didn't materialize and the property was returned to the partnership in January, 2009. At this time only four of the nine tenants remained and the property had suffered a lack of maintenance in the two years.

In 2011 the Town of Superior purchased the Eastern third of the block and subsequently built a new fire hall to house the local town and rural fire departments.

There are now 11 businesses hosted at the old school, as well as various events on the grounds and in the gym.
From Old School Enterprises

SUPERIOR SCHOOL
Travelers along the Mullan Road and prospectors lured by the 1869 discovery of gold on Cedar Creek opened the way for settlement of this area. After the placer gold played out and other mining camps became ghost towns, the town of Superior continued to grow. In 1891, the community organized a school district and elementary classes were held in a small log cabin. By 1892, there were ninety school-age children in the vicinity. Into the 1900s, several rural schools accommodated local children but none offered a high school curriculum. Older students had to leave home to advance beyond the primary grades. Mineral County was organized in 1914 and a year later bonds for the construction of a high school passed. A secondary curriculum was offered for the first time that fall with classes held in the Methodist Church basement; students from all over the county attended. The new high school, constructed by local builder Charles Augustine at a cost of $10,000, was dedicated on January 28, 1916. Additions in 1925 and 1947 eased overcrowding and the school remained in use until June 1995. It is today one of Montana’s few examples of Colonial Revival style school architecture. Along with the Mineral County courthouse, this impressive landmark with its three-stage bell tower, flanking dormers, and strict classical symmetry has always drawn visitors to the center of town. Despites its closure, the Superior School maintains a strong visual presence at the heart of the community where, for eighty years, it served the county and its children.
From the NRHP plaque at the building