Butte Brothel Gets New Owners

BUTTE, Mont. (AP) — Two Butte men have purchased the building that housed city's last brothel.

The Dumas Brothel is on the National Register of Historic Places, but it has been slipping into disrepair. An interior wall is crumbling, a chimney has collapsed and there is water damage throughout the building.

The Montana Standard reports that 28-year-old Michael Piche and 32-year-old Travis Eskelsen bought the Dumas Brothel a few weeks ago from Rudy Giecek.

Piche said he would like to turn the 42-room building into a hotel. They first plan to stabilize the building, look for financing and preserve the artifacts inside.

The Dumas was built in 1890 for use as a brothel.

It ran until 1982, just before Butte's last madam, Ruby Garrett, went to prison for tax evasion.