Butte Citizens for Preservation and Revitalization help to save the Dumas Brothel

(Photo from front page of the MT Standard of me standing in a brothel, I'm sure my mother is proud.)

CPR members Dick Gibson, left, and Robert Edwards tour the historic Dumas brothel on East Mercury Street in Uptown Butte Thursday morning. The Citizens for Preservation and Revitalization have been making repairs to the roof to stop water damage in the 117-year-old building. Walter Hinick photos / The Montana Standard .

link to article
http://www.montanastandard.com/articles/2007/02/02/butte/hjjcjhjhjiibjd.txt


The Dumas revisited
By Justin Post, of The Montana Standard - 02/02/2007

A Butte landmark built for sex recently had some tender loving care of its own.

A team of volunteers from the Citizens for Preservation and Revitalization recently converged on the 117-year-old Dumas Brothel to make temporary repairs on its roof.

Armed with blow torches and 45 gallons of roof patch, the group sealed cracks where water was entering the historic bordello and destroying its interior.

“It’s a job getting up there,” joked Robert Edwards of CPR during a Thursday tour of the brothel, 45 E. Mercury St. “It’s one of the scariest things I have done.” The brothel closed in 1982 and was turned into a museum to preserve the bawdy history of the city’s busy red light district.

Rudy Giecek owned the building for 15 years before closing it in the spring of 2005 because of safety concerns. He said he also suffered two strokes and could no longer conduct routine maintenance.

“It just broke my heart that I couldn’t keep it going,” he said.

Edwards toured the building at the time and noticed water seeping through the roof. He returned the next year to find the building rapidly deteriorating.

“The water was really bad,” he said. “You could see where it was tearing out all the plaster on the inside. Water was just gushing into it.” CPR agreed to earmark about $500 from its grant program, and seven volunteers participated in the repairs, Edwards said.

This spring or summer, the group plans to complete additional roof repairs to protect the building until Giecek or a new owner can begin restoration.

“I think it’s an amazing piece of history,” Edwards said. “I think it’s one of the more important buildings in Uptown Butte.” The building nearly fell into the county’s hands after Giecek said he fell behind on his property taxes. A majority of the bill was recently paid, however, and Giecek said he wants to restore the Dumas.

Giecek, who purchased the building 17 years ago, said he is seeking investors to assist in the project.

“We’re going to fix it up,” he said.

The project may also qualify for grant money through the county’s urban revitalization program after the remaining taxes, $768, are paid, said Karen Byrnes, director of community development.

The renovation will be an effort of major undertaking, but Giecek said the building is an integral part of Butte.

“It’s too important of a piece of history to lose,” he said. “It can be fixed.” — Reporter Justin Post may be reached via e-mail at justin.post@lee.net or by telephone, 496-5572

link to Butte CPR website detailing our work.
http://www.buttecpr.org/threat.htm