State Committee Votes to Replace Iconic ‘Montana’ Statue

A new statue will replace the state Capitol’s iconic copper “Montana” as part of an extensive renovation of the building’s exterior, according to state officials.

Montana Free Press recently reported on the ongoing renovations to the Capitol building, including work on its copper dome and the expected refurbishment of the statue atop the building.

However, during a Tuesday meeting with the Department of Administration Capitol Complex Advisory Council, state staff informed council members that bringing back the Montana statue is “infeasible.”

“Unfortunately, structurally, as we had feared, she is in really bad shape,” DOA Architecture & Engineering Division Administrator Russell Katherman said during the committee meeting. 

The statue, standing 15 feet 6 inches tall and weighing over a ton, has sustained major cracking, one of her hands has been crushed, and her copper is crumbling with dents covering her body, Katherman reported.

Once the statue was removed from the dome, a review also revealed that there is no internal frame, making any renovations or structural reinforcement difficult. The statue was erected in December 1900, according to the state.

The best option, Katherman said, is to scan the original and create a mold that can be used to replicate it, at a cost of about $790,000.

“Can she be repaired?” Katherman said. “The team quickly came to the conclusion that that is infeasible; we can not repair the current interior structure and ensure that the life of the statue is extended.” 

The CCAC unanimously approved the replacement option.

The Montana Historical Society will take possession of the original statue, said Molly Kruckenberg, the society’s director.

“It would come to us as part of our permanent collections,” Kruckenberg said during the meeting. “We are considering ways to exhibit it, at least short-term, so that folks can come see Lady Liberty up close.” 

Replacing the statue is estimated to take about a year.

This story originally appeared in the Montana Free Press, which can be found online at montanafreepress.org.