BUTTE — A miniature version of the Clark Chateau that is now a little free library may or may not be haunted like the historic building that it resembles, but it definitely has books inside of it.
"We love this guy. It’s a wonderful replication of its big brother here," says Roy Ivy, a staff member at the historic Clark Chateau. "It’s a delightful addition to the neighborhood that will hopefully inspire more people to come in and out of our gates here and swap books, maybe find some books that they haven’t read before."
Ivy is the program director at the Chateau, which operates as a community event space hosting gallery shows, musicians, and young artists. Chateau staff also offer tours of the historic building that was built in the late 1800s, but most of that activity is done during summer months. Now, with the addition of the mini-chateau bookshelf, Ivy and Chateau Curator Christine Martin say the free library is a way to engage with the community year-round.
"This just encourages people to share books and share ideas and be more neighborly. It’s just another way of showing how important the arts are to building a strong community. You know, reading is one of the most important things you can do with your time, I think," says Martin.
The miniature Clark Chateau library was made by Kari Workman, a local artist. She added details to the facade that echo elements of the larger building.
"There are so many little things that show that she’s paid a lot of attention to the Chateau. The brickwork is really close to authentic and that roof is adorable. And again I think this part’s haunted, very haunted. Also, if you look inside there’s miniature versions of me and Christine in here, and eventually we hope to be hosting shows up here in this part," says Ivy with a laugh.
The little free library is located in the courtyard of the historic Clark Chateau located on West Broadway Street in Uptown Butte.
