Gianforte’s Sizable Acquisition: The Samuel T. Hauser House

Montana's Governor, Greg Gianforte, Has Made National News Again

Governor Gianforte bought another chunk of Montana, this time, promising to give it to the state when he's finished with it.

Get our free mobile app

The Governor and his wife have purchased the Samuel T. Hauser House in Helena.  29 rooms, 9 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms. The home was purchased for right around 4 million.  (Said to be worth over 6 million, and priceless in regards to Montana history.) Not a bad tax write-off for the billionaire governor.

Who is Samuel T. Hauser? To make a short story shorter, Hauser was the Montana Territorial Governor from 1885-1886.

Read more on the Samuel T. Hauser House here (Fun fact: This home has had 3 private owners, all governors of Montana.)

Why Is The Governor Buying A Home In Helena?

The Governor's Mansion in Montana is in dire need of repair, and has been for quite some time.  According to The Independent Record, the 2019 legislature appropriated 1.9 million dollars to fix the residence. It became clear that wasn't enough money for the repairs, so another 440 thousand dollars was allocated.  There is no expiration date for the over 2 million dollars that have been appropriated for the project.

Bids made in September 2021 and October 2022 fell short of the money by over a million, so nothing was done to repair the residence.

It looks like there is a hefty price tag on deferred maintenance issues with the mansion.  The Independent Record cites :

abating asbestos, replacing the non-code compliant electrical system and replacing the dysfunctional HVAC and plumbing systems are among the line items.

These problems have been known to the citizens and legislatures in Montana for decades.  How embarrassing that we, as a state, have not taken care of the home for our governor.

This home is MUCH more expensive than the one Gianforte bought  👀👀👀