Virginia City and Nevada City, Montana are home to over one million Americana artifacts housed in 248 historic buildings. Curatorial Staff research, catalog and manage the collection with the assistance of volunteers. It is the responsibility of the Curatorial Staff to manage the objects long-term physical well-being and safety. Care is taken to preserve the artifacts in their current environment but active use of objects has adverse effects, so some are moved to a secure storage area at the McFarland Curatorial Center. Each object must be identified, documented, and actively stabilized using current museum standards of care. Dirt, debris, and damage are not "patina" or "historic character" and we are removing these dangers, but it takes time, money, and people. It is a slow but very important process that connects the artifacts not only to the general history of the sites and the Bovey family's involvement, but also identifies their national significance.

The Montana Heritage Commission's Archaeological Program is responsible for overseeing all ground disturbing activities on state property in Virginia City and Nevada City. The Archaeological Program identifies, monitors, and excavates cultural heritage sites, which are threatened by needed construction, repair, or improvement projects. The cultural heritage sites in those cities come in many more forms than just standing historic structures, actually the most valuable cultural resources still remain mostly unknown as they lie beneath the back roads and now empty city blocks.

  The history of the early days of Montana's richest gold placer town still has a lot to tell and the rest of the story can be told through the archaeological record. This usually gives us a better understanding of people's every day lives, which is often not present in historical records. The archaeological record can also give us important information about the prehistory of the sites before the gold rush swept through the gulch.

  As stewards to an important part of our history, the Archaeological Program, through excavations in the summer time, reaches out to the general public about what lies beneath our feet.

  The program is currently staffed with seasonal contracted help when needed. However, the program mostly relies on volunteer help. The Archaeological Program is guided by the Archaeological Management Plan, which details the various steps and procedures. The plan was drafted in accordance with federal and state laws in regards to the protection of Cultural Heritage Resources and other agreements.

  Find out how you can help preserve these precious artifacts by visiting our volunteer page.

Construction of the McFarland Curatorial Center was completed in 1999 as a major step toward caring for artifacts in Virginia City and Nevada City. This is a year-round facility for the storage, research, conservation, and interpretation of the extensive collection owned by the state of Montana. The building was made possible by a grant from Ruth McFarland in memory of her husband Lee (1920 - 1994). The commissioner's curatorial staff and volunteers are based in this building.

The center operates under a Collections Management Plan that articulates the purpose of the collection and methods of achieving this purpose. It includes the following topics: scope of collections; acquisition policy; loan policies; access to artifacts; de-accession policies; conservation of artifacts; a housekeeping plan for the furnished building displays and other exhibits; inventory and record keeping procedures; access policies; insurance; reproduction and copyright; Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act and other laws; education or research collection; and public disclosure.