Anytime music rises from the Main Hall clock tower, there is a real person inside making it. Nancy Cooper, UM’s official carillonneur, has played the tower bells since 1992.

If a strong earthquake ever shakes campus, the University’s signature building, Main Hall (aka University Hall), will keep standing as tall as it has since 1899.

That’s after a renovation project inserted steel reinforcing crossbeams into Main Hall’s clock tower to protect against seismic tremors. Workers also replaced the roof on the tower and main structure and did masonry repair. In addition, the tower bricks look new after a thorough cleaning removed a century of grime.

“Nothing lasts forever – even one of Montana’s most beloved buildings,” says Hugh Jesse, director of UM Facilities Services. “What we have now is a roof structure that should protect the building for another 50 or 60 years.”

Main Hall is UM’s oldest building. Constructed in the Richardson Romanesque style, it is the masterwork of renowned architect A.J. Gibson. The structure is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, so renovation work was approved by both the Montana and Missoula historic preservation commissions.

“We went with a look that was historically consistent, but we upgraded the materials,” Jesse says. “The original coated steel shingles on the tower roof were replaced with pre-painted metal roofing sheets. We also replaced the three layers of wooden shingles on the roof – the most recent dating from the ’70s – with polymeric synthetic shingles that have a 50-year warranty. They are basically a composite plastic.”

Main Hall is an office building these days – the president, provost and other executive officers are housed there – but the ol’ girl has several classrooms still in use. Jesse says renovating such a campus treasure while it was occupied presented special challenges.

“But people like the final result,” he says. “It was the building’s first major renovation, and it was needed. We had to protect our icon.”

Project at a Glance:

Cost: $1.34 Million
Start Date: June 2009
Completion: January 2010
Funding: 100% State
Unique Feature: Tower Bells and Carillon