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Historic Resources Board backs corner placement for Phoebe Hearst statue; library trustees urge Main Street site
Summary
Anaconda-Deer Lodge County’s Historic Resources Board favored placing the Phoebe Hearst statue at the corner near Main Street sidewalk for visibility and access, while the Hearst Free Library trustees asked that it be sited adjacent to the library’s Main Street handicap ramp to preserve the clock and reduce concrete needs.
The Historic Resources Board unanimously moved forward with logistical plans for the Phoebe Hearst statue while continuing to debate its placement on April 2, 2026.
Chair Bob Wren called for additional visual mockups and new concrete bids after members said they preferred a corner installation closer to the sidewalk. "I would like to show corner mockup to demonstrate the enhanced view of the clock," Wren said. Board members Lynette Foulger and Terry LaValley agreed that the corner location would better showcase the clock and setting.
Board member Rose Nyman raised concerns about safety and sightlines if the statue were placed adjacent to a black railing, saying she worried about proximity to skateboarders and the need for a robust concrete base. "The statue being placed so closely to the black railing" could encourage risky activity, Nyman said, and she noted that concrete would need about a month to fully cure before the dedication. Tammy Mattson echoed that the statue "would be tempting for kids and skateboarders to use the railing to jump on the statue," and questioned whether the proposed location would offer good visibility.
The Hearst Free Library Board of Trustees, in a March 27 letter signed by Chairman Kurt Wyant, urged the HRB and Anaconda-Deer Lodge County commissioners to place the statue on the Main Street side of the library next to the handicap ramp. The letter said that locating the statue beside the ramp "would require less concrete for the base thus freeing up funding for areas where overages have occurred" and would avoid removing a lilac bush planted by city employees more than a century ago. The trustees also argued that siting at the library would keep the statue's connection to the building clear and preserve the visibility of the library clock.
The HRB discussed those points and requested additional images, including a vantage from the opposite corner looking southeast, so members could evaluate how the clock and statue would appear from multiple sightlines. Wren volunteered to attend a library board meeting if needed to discuss the placement; Rose Nyman offered to request the item be added to the Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Commission agenda for April 21. Wren also agreed to obtain updated concrete quotes; the board noted a prior bid had come from a contractor who is no longer in business.
On ancillary event logistics, the HRB approved production of a commemorative postcard featuring the statue and asked for a quick turnaround so a photograph of the installed work could be used. Tammy Mattson made the motion to produce the postcard and the motion passed 5-0. The board reviewed drape options for the unveiling and settled on a plan to install the drape on Thursday, June 11, ahead of the June 13 dedication, and Rose said she would order a brass plate identifying the artist from Prison Industries. Tammy Mattson said she would introduce the Phoebe Hearst speaker at the June 13 ceremony and the artist will speak before the unveiling; the event was set to begin at 2:00 PM.
The board did not take a final binding vote in this meeting on the statue's permanent placement; members agreed to gather more visual material and updated cost estimates before a decision. The library trustees' letter and the HRB's preference for the corner location remain on the record and the HRB will pursue follow-up discussion with the county commission and the library as part of the installation timeline.
