It's more than a shelter, it's a work of art

As the snow began to fall last week, Bigfork metalworker Jeffrey Funk put the finishing touches on a new steel gazebo in the Hungry Horse town square.

The structure is part of the Gateway to Glacier Trail, but is as much a work of art as it is functional. Funk is a talented ironworker and through most of his career has done commission work across the United States. In 2015, trail organizers approached him about creating a shelter for bicyclists. Funk bid on the project and was awarded the work by Flathead County for $28,000.

He started the work in earnest in October when funding became available. The supports are wrought iron, salvaged from the Old Steel Bridge that used to span the Flathead River near Kalispell.

Funk bought one-third of the bridge when it was taken down. The iron dates back to 1895, when the bridge was first built.

Wrought iron is particularly desirable for blacksmithing, Funk noted. The roof of the structure is 10-gauge steel. It’s held together by a system of locking tabs, which allow it to expand and contract as it heats and cools in the sun.

Funk said every job has its challenges and rewards.

“I go from job to job and try to find a challenge,” he said.

He first built the gazebo at his shop, disassembled it and then put it back together in Hungry Horse.

It should last for years.

“I tried to make something that honored the character of the bridge and be a design in its own right,” he said.

The floor of the gazebo is paving brick. Funk said his next project is to create and design agricultural and woodworking tools from the wrought iron he has from the bridge, including axes and chisels.

You can view more of his work at jeffreyfunkmetalworker.com.