Residents of Franklin Township, MN are banding together to save the Quincy Smelter. The township received the compound as a settlement for back taxes owed from a company that owned parts of the former Quincy Mine. But the buildings on the property are in dire need of repair and residents want to preserve the smelter.

The structure was built in 1898 and is the only one of its kind in the world. So they're forming a non-profit organization called Save Quincy Smelter to raise money.

"We want to save the historical integrity of these buildings, is what we want to ultimately do, because the history of this area is in its mining," says Mary Sears of the organization Save Quincy Smelter.

By law, the buildings need to be stabilized and asbestos must be removed before the township can sell the property. The hope is that the Keweenaw National Historic Park will buy it.