A relative newcomer to Kalispell has set his sights on restoring one of the city’s historic crown jewels: the 1896 McIntosh Opera House.

Stewart See, who moved from Idaho to Kalispell about eight months ago, acknowledges it’s an ambitious, far-reaching project to restore the former performance hall that has languished for decades as storage space above Western Outdoor. It’s an expensive proposition, too. See tossed out a conservative $3 million price tag to restore the opera house to its former grandeur.

If passion and outright zeal for such a restoration are prerequisites for organizing such a feat, though, then See may be well-suited to lead the effort.

“I love the history of this town,” he said excitedly. “It’s all still here and you can put your hands on it. I didn’t grow up here, but home is where you hang your hat.”

See was raised on a horse ranch in Colorado and spent 26 years of his career in middle management positions. Most recently he built hot-rod cars at his business near Coeur d’ Alene.

“I sold that business and I’m debt-free and have the time to dive in” to local history, he said.

Not everyone understands his unbridled love of Kalispell history. He admitted some folks don’t know what to make of him when he stops at local businesses.

“Everyone asks the same questions — ‘Who are you?’ and ‘What’s in it for you?’” See said. “It is very odd, I agree, but this town has such an amazing history and it’s still being used.”

Undaunted by what the townspeople may think of him, See intends to set up a nonprofit organization that can be the conduit for the fundraising it will take to restore the McIntosh Opera House. He already has business cards for the organization, See Your History, with a photo of the opera house building in the background. He’s looking for board members.

See is attending classes through the University of Montana to receive certification in nonprofit management. He also volunteers at the Museum at Central School and already has accrued an encyclopedic knowledge of Kalispell history.

Another of his projects has been writing and providing free “history gram” plaques for local businesses that give the history of the building.

Mark Pirrie, who along with his sister Susan Munsinger owns the opera house building at 48 Main St., said he has visited with See about his vision for the restoration.

“We’re all taking it with a grain of salt,” Pirrie said of See’s plans. “If someone wants to take and run with it, that’s fine. We’re cautiously letting him do that part of it. He has a passion for trying to do something, but it’s not on the front of our list.”

Pirrie said he and his family have met with city officials a couple of times and at one point also connected with the Kalispell Convention and Visitor Bureau.

“Ideally they’re interested in helping do what they could to bring conventions and meetings here,” Pirrie said.

But time and money are obstacles. The Pirries are busy running their business, and spending millions on the restoration of the opera house just isn’t in the cards.

Built by John McIntosh just five years after Kalispell was platted in 1891, the McIntosh Opera House was the epitome of grandeur in Kalispell’s early years. It “confirmed Kalispell’s growing regional importance,” the description filed with the National Register of Historical Places states.

Columbia Falls historian Kathy McKay completed the application for the building’s historic status in 1993 and it was placed on the register in 1994.

Traveling theatrical groups brought elaborate scenery for their performances. One early performance of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” drew a record crowd of 1,132 people who stood on benches, in the gallery and even in the window sills to watch the show.

The upstairs opera house served as a community meeting hall and ballroom for decades. Eugene Debs, the Socialist candidate for president, spoke there in 1902.

But the need for large halls diminished as local schools built gymnasiums and movie theaters replaced most live theater productions, McKay’s narrative points out.

The last event held in the opera house was in 1947. Though glimpses of its former elegance are there, it’s in a dilapidated state but is still used for storage. The second-floor space — roughly 48 feet wide and close to 100 feet long — has a domed ceiling and a mezzanine on the east end.

“This was the crown gem of the city in its day,” See said.

See has searched around for historic photographs of the interior of the opera house but has come up empty.

Gil Jordan, executive director of the Museum at Central School, said he would love to have some interior photos, too.

“Those photos are like gold,” Jordan said. “It would be wonderful to have access and scan photos for our collection.”

Anyone who has historic photographs of the opera house may contact the Museum at Central School, Jordan said.

It’s not the first time there’s been an attempt to restore the opera house. In the early 1990s a group of downtown businessmen saw the potential of bringing more business to town if the opera house were restored and available for large gatherings.

Gordon Pirrie, Mark Pirrie’s father, owned the historic building at that time. Gordon and Beth Pirrie currently run Norm’s News next door to the opera house building. There was talk in 1991 of creating a nonprofit organization that could perhaps lease the space on a long-term basis.

Despite enthusiasm for the project, it never got off the ground.

Katharine Thompson, community development director for the city of Kalispell, said she has spoken with the Pirries a number of times over a number of years and recognizes the potential for the opera house space. She also acknowledges the challenges of such a project.

“There’s a tremendous amount of work to be done,” Thompson said. “They [the Pirries] have seen many well-meaning people come and go.”

She said if there were a directive from the city to get involved with such a restoration project, it would be in concert with the property owner “in a manner that would set it up for success.”

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.