Raise the Roof for Kalispell Community Thrift's old church

We are raising $10,000 for a new roof and to secure grant funding. Historic buildings in Montana rely on people like you and me to save them from the ravages of weather, time, developers and trends.

Help us preserve a beautiful piece of Kalispell history by donating towards a new roof!

If we could go back in time, how much would you have donated to save the Frank Lloyd Wright building that was torn down in Whitefish? A solid dry roof is the first step in preserving this Kalispell diamond in the rough.

Donate and watch your dollars preserve history!

The Scandinavian Methodist Church began in 1895, just three years after Kalispell became a town. It was a Swedish-speaking church until 1939. Then, in 1957, the Salvation Army purchased and renovated the building. Since 1957, it has been serving the community as a thrift store. And since 1989, it’s been Community Thrift.

Every day, we hear stories from customers of grandmothers married in the church, great-grandfathers who helped build it, aunts who volunteered for the Salvation Army in the ’60s, and countless memories of growing up shopping at Community Thrift. Every day, third —and fourth-generation customers say, “Thank you for keeping this place open” or “We’re just so grateful this place is still here.” The citizens of Kalispell cherish this building and its history.

So, for over 60 years it’s been a thrift shop operating on a shoestring budget serving the neighborhood.

The blessings of this legacy of frugality are that many of the original features are left intact.

The curse is that it’s now or never to preserve this building. The church needs a lot. The roof leaks, the exterior paint is failing, the electrical is antique, the insulation does not exist, the front porch is improperly built and rotting without ADA access, windows are broken, exterior doors let blowing snow in, and the lathe and plaster cathedral ceiling is falling.

It’s the last of its kind in Montana- the stick-framed, gothic-style church- the others have burned or been torn down.

When the building was for sale, Connie Valentine, the woman who quietly ran Community Thrift for over 30 years received multiple lowball offers - for just the value of the lot. We don't want to see this old church get torn down like so many other historic buildings in our valley.

John and Sarah Harding bought the building in 2023 to prevent it from being scraped by developers and to keep Community Thrift alive. Owning the church feels like a responsibility to our community, a rescue project, and a calling. We run it as a non-profit by investing all profits back into the building. By preserving the longevity of this historic building, we can safeguard it for future generations. In a time when so much is changing around us- we will be able to point to this building and say, “I helped rescue that old church”.

You can help us by donating towards a new roof!

The long-term vision for the SMC is to see it as a thriving community hub. Our Mission Statement is as follows:

Community Thrift is devoted to building a community of kindness. We are a house of respect and dignity for all humans, where treasures, both material and spiritual, can be found through good work, warmth, and care for each other. We are committed to preserving our historic building as a symbol of the thrift, generosity, and roots of our community.

In addition, we envision SMC to be warm, inviting, beautiful, and also practical, and affordable.

1. An overview of the project:

We applied for a Montana Historic Preservation grant in February of 2024, testified in front of the committee on January 15th, 2025 on behalf of our project, and will hear if we received a grant by May of 2025. To receive the grant we need 20% matching funds.

We are raising 10,000 to cover the cost of a new roof.

We have 2 reasons for choosing this amount.

1. A new roof is absolutely essential to the preservation project.

2. This amount will satisfy the 20% match requirement for the Grant. (More on the grant in section2)

The preservation project includes a new roof, exterior paint, gutters, updated electrical and insulation.

We have plans to increase this building’s value to the community, even beyond the incredible nostalgia and goodwill it currently holds. But to achieve these lofty goals, first, we need to save the old church.

2. Financial unpdates

We have applied for a Montana Historic Preservation grant to begin preservation efforts. We may receive 50,000 in grant money. We aim to invest enough in this building so it will be worth more standing than torn down. To receive this grant, we need 20% matching funds. Sarah can count her volunteered time as a portion of that match- but we need a cash match in addition.

Grant funding is crucial for the success of this project because we will need to close Community Thrift two times for at least a month to properly complete the exterior and interior preservation. This closure sets us back financially because we cannot accept donations or make sales during this time, so our income ceases. These losses, combined with the costs of construction, put a preservation project out of reach for Community Thrift. Many of our customers do not have the financial resources to donate money to SMC’s preservation, despite their love for it.

The proposed repairs are critical to the longevity of the building. Without them, it will quickly become unredeemable.

The folks who settled in this wild land were resilient, strong, and hard-working. The farmers, ranchers, and settlers donated their time and money to build the Scandinavian Methodist Church. The building we hope to save is a physical reminder of their legacy. Only Kalispell has this 130-year-old church that has operated for more than 60 years as a thrift store. Only Kalispell has the Scandinavian Methodist church. If we lose it- it’s gone forever.

Help us preserve a piece of Kalispell history by donating towards a new roof.

The Hardings and Team Community Thrift are ready to go!

Will you help us preserve this building? It's going to feel so good to hit that DONATE button and watch your dollars preserve history.

More on the History:

The SMC was built in 1895 by a congregation of Norwegian settlers. It served as a schoolhouse, community center, and religious hub. It remained a language church until 1939. The architect Robert Nordtome created a lovely design that has remained popular in every generation. The heritage of Montana is defined by people such as those who built this church with $350 and carpentry tools in their spare time. Early photos of the church show an unrecognizable landscape in the town of Kalispell. The SMC is one of the last wood-frame churches still standing in Montana. For this reason alone it is worth investing in and saving.

Montana’s history of industry, thrift, hard work, and beauty is exemplified in the SMC.

The public benefits of saving the old church include remembering our shared dignity, respect, neighborliness, kindness, and community.

And that is why we are asking for help from our friends, family, neighbors and community. This is a chance to make a difference.

This is a big project, and it’s going to take all of us working together.

Pitch in and help us RAISE THE ROOF!