Dumas Brothel
Encyclopedia
Butte, Montana
Butte is a city in Montana and the county seat of Silver Bow County, United States. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the sole entity of Butte-Silver Bow. As of the 2010 census, Butte's population was 34,200...
, Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Located in the heart of uptown Butte, the brothel has been proclaimed America’s longest running house of prostitution
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
. In fact, the Dumas operated legally as such from 1890 until 1982 and was the largest, grandest and most widely-known bordello among many located in Butte’s thriving red-light district
Red-light district
A red-light district is a part of an urban area where there is a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, adult theaters, etc...
. The building is one of many Butte edifices listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, a testament to its lasting historical and cultural significance.
A vast wealth of copper and other metals was extracted from the Butte Hill, giving the town its appropriate and proud title, “The Richest Hill on Earth”. The miners of Butte and others of all classes frequented both the saloons and brothels after a hard day or night of work. The motto of “Work hard, live hard, and die hard” rang true in Butte, and the Dumas helped the men of Butte live up to its motto. In its first half-century, 1890–1942, the Dumas used all 43 of its rooms. Since miners worked round the clock so, too, did the staff of the brothel; during busy times, weekends and paydays, the brothel ran three shifts of girls.
Building structure
The hotel was built in 1890 in a Victorian Brothel style and is thought to be the last example of that type of architecture known to exist in the United States. Its three stories feature skylights and several large parlor rooms, and the basement holds several “cribs”, smaller rooms with just enough space for a bed. The rear entrance of the hotel was in a small brick-lined alley off Wyoming Street known as Venus AlleyVenus Alley
Venus Alley was a famous red-light district once located in Butte, Montana in the United States. It flourished from the late 19th century through the early 20th century and was one of the last openly tolerated urban prostitution districts in the American West, along with the one in Reno, Nevada...
, where many more "cribs" were located. Underground tunnels led to various other buildings in the town, allowing certain well-to-do patrons some privacy while conducting their "business".