There will be a “hot time in the old town” of Cripple Creek as patrons and supporters gather for Pearl’s Follies, a fundraiser benefitting the Old Homestead Parlour House and Museum.

The event is slated for Saturday, March 7 and will be held at the Chamonix Hotel and Casino Grande Salon Ballroom.

Now in its 27th year, Pearl’s Follies celebrates the life and passing of Madam Pearl DeVere and raises funds for the country’s very first brothel museum for ongoing historic preservation efforts and operating costs.

Each year, the highly anticipated gala sells out, accommodating 250 attendees. The cost is $35 and includes hors’ devours, desserts, entertainment, dance and auction. This year’s entertainment features Denver singer Peter Fischer, a “silky, musky baritone” singing songs of yesteryear including Frank Sinatra tunes and songs from the 1940’s through today.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. beginning with a social hour, cash bar, entertainment, silent and live auction and DJ to play dance music into the evening.

To order tickets, become a sponsor or donate items for the auction call 719-689-2485 or visit https://www.oldhomesteadhouse.com/ to purchase tickets online. Seating is limited, all tickets are sold on a first-come, first-serve basis; it is highly recommended to purchase tickets as soon as possible.

This year’s sponsors include: City of Cripple Creek Historic Preservation Commission, Maudies Emporium, Evergreen Station, Dirty Deeds Dirtwork Excavation, 2 Mile High Club, Teller Tire, Rawson Roofing, and Larimer Landworks.

“It isn’t too late to become a sponsor, and donation items for the auction are still being accepted,” says Museum Manager and organizer Charlotte Baumgarner.

THE HISTORIC OLD HOMESTEAD PARLOUR HOUSE

Located at 353 Myers Ave., the Old Homestead Parlour House and Museum allows visitors a glimpse back to the golden era of Cripple Creek and insight into life during the 1890s gold rush.

The Homestead House became a museum in 1958 to preserve this rare piece of Colorado history for future generations; lovingly restored with historically accurate furniture, artifacts and wall coverings, all curated by volunteers and dedicated board members.

As with any 130 year-old building, maintenance and repairs can be costly, according to Baumgarner. This year, the museum’s foundation must be addressed at a cost of $12,000.

“It’s an old building and it needs repairs. There is always something that needs done. Our priority is safety. Our goal is to keep the building standing and strong, keep it open for people to visit, and share our history,” Baumgarner said.

Upcoming projects include resurfacing the wooden floors and restoration of the “viewing room”, a room where brothel patrons would look at, and choose their companion for the evening.

MADAM PEARL DEVERE

Pearl DeVere gained notoriety as a “soiled dove of Cripple Creek.” Born in 1859, she was the owner / operator of one of the most famed and exclusive brothels in America’s wild west. Built in 1896, the Old Homestead Parlour House was the city’s most expensive and finest building featuring indoor plumbing, electric lights and opulent decor.

The parlour bustled with activity and became known for impeccable service to high-powered customers and glamorous ladies of the evening. At a time when $3 a day was considered a good wage for a miner, Pearl charged $250 a night for the girls in her house.

Following the 1896 fires that burned the city to the ground, DeVere was known for her generosity to the less fortunate.

When she died tragically in 1897, her funeral was the largest ever attended in Cripple Creek. The entire mining district community paraded from Bennett Ave. out to the Mount Pisgah Cemetery, where DeVere was laid to rest in the gorgeous French-made, pink gown she wore the night she died.

The procession became a spectacle, complete with a band playing “Hot Time In the Old Town Tonight.” This well-known melody was written by Theodore M. Metz and was a ragtime song, popular throughout the country during that time period:

“When you hear those bells go ding-a-ling,

All join ’round and sweetly you must sing.

And when the verse is through, in the chorus all join in:

“There’ll be a hot time in the old town tonight!”