Mainstreet Uptown Butte, Inc., is a 501 (c)(3) not-for-profit corporation incorporated in June 1999 and affiliated with The National Main Street Center. and the Montana State Main Street program.
In 1977, in response to the flight of businesses from historic town centers, the National Trust for Historic Preservation created pilot Main Street programs to use historic preservation as an economic development tool. Since then, the approach has proven successful in small towns and urban neighborhoods from Washington State to New York City. The program has a track record in more than 1,200 communities across the country. Mainstreet Uptown Butte is the oldest such program in the state of Montana.
The key to the success of the Main Street program is that community revitalization does not rely on any single action, be it an anchor store, a new streetscape, or that one special event that will draw thousands of visitors. The program uses a sustained approach guided by four major points to guide preservation and economic rejuvenation efforts.