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Big plans for Bates Hall

Support comes together for renovation of historic site

By Terri Castelaz 11 min read

IRON RIVER -- Five years after launching an effort to preserve the Bates Township Hall, the Bates Hall Preservation Society is moving forward with plans to save the century-old building.

The BHPS has officially secured a $250,000 federal grant through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development program, providing a significant boost to the long-running project.

The grant was submitted through the office of U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman, R-Watersmeet, in early 2025. Although approval was announced early this spring, the preservation society still needed to complete the process and authorize the release of the funds.

The society was able to reach its $300,000 in matching funds required for the grant, bringing the total to more than $500,000 combined.

Now the society is looking toward its next major steps.

Bid packets are expected to go out in September, with the goal of breaking ground in April, BHPS Secretary/Treasurer Sue Passamani said.

Final plans have been completed and submitted through Rural Development, although some details could change as the project moves through the bidding and construction process. "Everything is subject to change," she said.

Passamani acknowledges it seems like a substantial amount, but hopes the bids come in at a reasonable cost. She added that the original estimates have tripled since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The grant efforts were spearheaded by Bates Hall Preservation Society president and founder Margee Brennan, Passamani said.

For Brennan and Passamani, preserving the hall is more than restoring an old building -- it is about keeping the memories connected to it alive.

"There's so many stories, if walls could talk, going from generation to generation," Passamani said.

At almost every event, someone approaches members of the preservation society with a story about the hall.

"People recall the weddings, celebrations of life, baby showers and reunions at the hall -- just so many memories," Passamani said.

"Those memories help keep the project moving," Brennan added.

"It's not just a building," Passamani said. "Sure, we could tear it down and make something new, but what did we gain? Now we have lost history -- that's being lost so quickly nowadays."

Once work begins, the hall will be moved from its existing fieldstone foundation onto a new foundation with a fully functioning basement.

The historic hall will essentially be "rolled over into position," Passamani said.

The building was constructed in 1907 on a fieldstone basement, when horse-and-buggy travel or small light vehicle transportation was common.

"The existing basement is in very poor condition. The interior and exterior walls are crumbling," Brennan said.

Today, the building is alongside U.S. 2, where heavy trucks hauling logs and other loads regularly travel.

"Now we have semi-trucks hauling logs and pups (trailers) that have to stop, and all that moves the ground and shifting everything," Passamani said.

Replacing the basement alone, however, would not solve all of the building's problems. Because of its proximity to the U.S. 2 right-of-way, the project also has to account for potential future highway improvements.

The building will be relocated farther back on the property and positioned on an angle.

Once the structure is secured on its new foundation, renovation will begin for new siding, windows, insulation, a porch and steps. The floors will be refinished, and the restrooms will be remodeled with new fixtures donated by Kohler.

There will be few major design changes to the historic structure. "One door will be removed and a window lowered to create a more symmetrical appearance," Brennan said, adding, "Why not do it so it looks nice."

A corridor will connect the hall to the Bates Township offices and will include a mini-museum dedicated to Bates history.

"We will have rotating displays of memorabilia and artifacts collected from residents," Passamani said.

Some framed photographs will also be displayed in the hall.

"The society plans to establish a formal process for accepting historical artifacts from residents once they are set in the space," she said, adding that the basement spaces will be used by the Bates Hall Preservation Society.

The hardwood floors and new trimwork will be finished once all interior renovations have been completed.

West Iron County High School students will contribute to the project by painting a mural on the end wall. The artwork will honor the area's history of mining, logging and farming.

New rockers will be placed on the porch, while one donor has already contributed toward the new steps because of a personal connection to the building.

"The donor remembers sitting and watching traffic go by," Passamani said.

The completed facility will also include camera security and will be available to rent for special occasions.

"We have a lot of plans -- it's exciting," Passamani said.

The society’s vision extends beyond the hall itself.

Phase 2 of the project will include Legacy Park, named after the Bates Centennial book, that is also slated for next year.

Engraved bricks will be incorporated into the park, with proceeds from their sale going toward its development. The public can purchase engraved bricks for $50 each.

Passamani said the society has sold 253 bricks so far.

"We thought if we did a park, we could bring back family functions," she said.

The society hopes the park eventually can host music, family days, games and other community events.

"We are trying to bring back community spirit," Brennan said.

Passamani said the concept is simple: Build the park and people will come.

BHPS will continue fundraising to make Legacy Park a reality. They believe the township will transform the former hall location into additional parking.

Bigari Ace Hardware has been a major corporate supporter of the project and recently donated a gazebo. The business has also backed the effort through round-ups, raffles and bake sales.

"He has been so wonderful," Passamani said.

The preservation society continues to find creative ways to raise money. They hosted its annual rummage sale around the Fourth of July, raising about $5,000.

"The event has become one that many people look forward to each year, and additional rummage items will continue to be sold through Facebook," Passamani said.

After the recent death of Brennan's husband, funeral contributions were directed to the Bates Hall project.

"More than $2,000 had already been received, with additional donations expected," Brennan said. "There's all kinds of ways to raise money."

Shirley Pifke donated more than 300 Beanie Babies to the rummage sale. Brennan said the donor was pleased to see children enjoying her collection.

"I was so thrilled she was thinking of us," Passamani said. The society presented the unsold items to the Iron County Medical Care Facility and nursing homes.

After the sale, other nonprofit organizations were also invited to select from the remaining items.

"We are fighting for every dollar, but you also have to help others," Passamani said. "That has rewarded us time and time again."

The society plans to conduct a "Buy a Window" fundraiser, with donors receiving a plaque on the window they help purchase. "Several people have already expressed interest," Passamani said.

The organization will continue to raise funds from bake sales, a Dina Mia Pizza sale, 50-50 raffles, a firewood raffle, along with scrap iron collection. This year's firewood raffle will be a full cord.

The society also received a $2,000 Lowe's Community Impact Grant after being contacted by a former Bates resident who is now a manager at Lowe's in Marquette.

"It was unbelievable what we walked out of there with," Passamani said.

The donation included a 36-inch Blackstone grill with accessories and cover, three benches, five picnic tables, a cooler cart, two large Igloo coolers, two rockers, a canopy, four whiskey-barrel planters and two oblong planters.

While the manager was calculating the value of the donation, they noticed a decorative Christmas tree.

"I could picture it in the hall, because we want to bring back the Christmas parties," Passamani said.

The group had already reached its spending limit, so Brennan made the suggestion the society would pay the difference.

"He said, 'I'm throwing it in' -- I think he used new math," Passamani said with a laugh.

"With this project, whenever we stumbled, something better always came," she added.

Support has come from businesses, organizations and individuals throughout the community. Enbridge and UPPCO have provided grants, while CoVantage Credit Union and Miners State Bank have supported the effort, along with countless individual donors.

"Everyone has just been so generous," Brennan said.

The BHPS recently received donated vests embroidered with the Bates Historical Society logo, which members wear during community events.

Perhaps most meaningful to the group are the donations that come from people who simply want to be part of the effort.

Linda Hauser created a fundraising thermometer to allow the community to follow the campaign's progress. The thermometer does not include the recently secured federal grant.

Passamani recalled one contribution that particularly touched her.

With tears in her eyes, she described a handicapped gentleman who donated 40 cents to the project at the U.P. Championship Rodeo in Iron River.

"We have had such great support for this project -- that's what keeps us going," she said. "That's what this project is all about -- from the 40 cents to the $10,000."

Some of the project's largest donors have chosen to remain anonymous.

The project manager is volunteering his services, a contribution that could save the organization as much as $80,000.

"A lot of people really want to help us," Brennan said. "It's not just our project."

The renovation is the culmination of five years of work that began in 2020, when four Bates Township women formed a committee to explore options for saving the hall.

At the time, there had been discussion about possibly selling the building, although it was never placed on the market.

That December, Brennan began researching how to place the building on the historic registry, which could open additional opportunities for grant funding.

In 2021, the group became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and began raising money for improvements and the larger renovation project.

The Bates Township Board of Trustees allowed the preservation society to form, and members began tackling some of the building's most immediate needs.

Connors Sports donated more than $35,000 in flooring and labor, while volunteers worked on new interior paint and woodwork. Materials were donated as well.

"We did it to show what could be done with the hall," Passamani said, who joined the group in November of 2021. "That was a start."

"We felt that since this is our only historic building in Bates, we should try to save it," Brennan said, adding they had previously lost the Carnegie Library in Bates to demolition.

"We have put our heart and soul into the BHPS," she added. "It's so important to fight to save our historical buildings."

The organization's first major fundraising boost came in 2022 through the CoVantage Cares Grant program. The society secured $61,000 in matching funds after conducting a 10-day donation drive that raised a total of $122,000.

"That was the big kick-off of our fundraising efforts -- we knew we were on the right path," Passamani said.

The society also expanded its leadership to seven members. In addition to Brennan and Passamani, the board includes Vice President Sharon Ryden and Directors Fay Frailing, Waunetta Seymour, Dale Holm and Anita Berno.

They both agreed they have a great team.

The BHPS's goal now is to complete the work properly so the building can serve the community for another century.

The restored hall could once again become a visible symbol of Bates Township's history.

"As people go by on U.S. 2, they can say, 'What a feather in Bates' cap,'" Passamani said.

The preservation society's work is not finished. Fundraising will continue for Legacy Park and other improvements.

"We are excited and really proud of what we accomplished with the project, and many have extend their appreciation," Passamani said.

They acknowledge the project can sometimes feel overwhelming. "Then great things happen and you're sparked back up," they said.

The effort, Brennan said, continues to be driven by one simple motto: "We don't give up."

For information about the Bates Hall Preservation Society, the project and ways to support the effort, go to savebateshall.com.

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Terri Castelaz can be reached at 906-774-2772, ext. 85241, or tcastelaz@ironmountaindailynews.com.

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