Background on the Moon-Randolph Homestead

Tucked behind Missoula’s North Hills, history and culture intertwine at one of the region’s oldest intact ranches--a beloved National Register historic district known as the Moon-Randolph Homestead (MRH). The ranch is situated within the vast ancestral territories of the Séliš-Ql̓ispé whose oral histories in the region date back 14,000 years. Séliš-Ql̓ispé camped in the surrounding hills, dug for bitterroots, and tended the shortgrass prairies. During the last century, the land was cultivated by the Moon and Randolph families. Buildings and artifacts left behind illustrate a settler history of hardship and creative material reuse including a barn built from wooden railroad boxcar siding. In 1995 the last Randolph, who lived at the site, put a conservation easement on the property with Five Valleys Land Trust. In 1997, the City of Missoula purchased this land as open space, and later, a group of Missoula Northside residents worked with the North Missoula Community Development Corporation to preserve the ranch as a National Historic District.

Open on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., May through October, visitors to the site can experience the rich, layered, and complex history of Missoula. For six weeks in the summer, MRH hosts a popular summer camp in partnership with City of Missoula Parks and Recreation. Throughout the open season there are field trips, workshops, commercial photography sessions, volunteer groups, weddings, concerts, classes, dances, and more. MRH also partners with the nonprofit, OpenAir to host an annual artist-in-residence. The site is available for private tours and events for a fee and with prior arrangement.

Background on the Barn

At the heart of this beloved community historic site is an iconic barn constructed from repurposed boxcar siding. A central gambrel-roofed structure was constructed by homesteaders in the 1890s, with a milk room and brood house added onto either end in the early 20^th century. Hauled from Missoula’s North Side Railroad District to MRH one wagon load at a time, repurposed boxcar material was fashioned into a unique barn whose outline resembles a caboose.

After more than a century of service, the barn now exists in a dangerous state of partial-collapse. Constructed into a slope, an earthen wall is caving into the building along much of its 84 foot span. Many bowed 20 foot posts supporting the structure consist of scabbed together two by sixes, gravely insufficient for the load. The roof collapsed into the east-end addition this summer, further weakening the structure. Given these hazards, visitors are not permitted to access the interior of the barn. A few big snowfalls could topple the entire building. There is growing concern that the barn’s collapse could compromise future efforts to rehabilitate the barn with salvaged railroad car siding and other original materials.

The barn is currently situated on a boundary between City Conservation Lands and private lands. Neither entity wants to see the barn collapse. Negotiations continue on whether to rehabilitate the barn on-site or move the structure entirely onto City property.

Project Goals

The Montana History Foundation and the National Historic Trust has funded an engineering report for the rehabilitation of the barn which will include preliminary designs and cost estimates to prepare for future funding efforts. Designs will incorporate as much salvaged materials as possible from the existing barn: siding, sliding doors, roofing materials, windows, and character-defining features.

Project Guidance

Rehabilitation designs will be completed in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties and under supervision of the City of Missoula Historic Preservation Officer, City of Missoula Historic Preservation Commission, City of Missoula Conservation Lands Stewardship Director, Five Valleys Land Trust, North Missoula Community Development Corporation, and the Resident Caretakers.

Goals for Public Comment

This public comment period will guide the engineering design by helping us prioritize goals for uses of the rehabilitated barn that are compatible with preserving the barn’s historic, cultural, and architectural values.

Thank you for your help!