A historic building has found a new home at the Pershing County Museum thanks to a donation from the family of Leonard Burrows.
The structure stood on the Burrows ranch for many years. After Burrows discovered the building on his property, his family donated it to the museum to preserve and share it with future generations.
Museum officials plan to incorporate the structure into a replica mining town named Marzenville, currently under development on museum grounds.
The building will serve as a recreation of LaBelle’s, a brothel that operated in Lovelock for 20 years.
Moving the aging structure required extensive preparation, specialized equipment and a skilled crew. John Portman, equipment manager for Road and Highway Builders, led the relocation effort with assistance from his wife, Blake Portman, and crew members James Serre, Danner Barrick and Brandon Dickson.
Before loading the building onto a trailer, the crew jacked up the floor and pulled sections of the walls back into place. Museum officials said the move required a tremendous amount of work, although the crew’s experience and efficiency made the process appear easy.
The museum praised the crew’s professionalism and thanked Road and Highway Builders owner Rich Buenting for providing employees, equipment and expertise. Officials said his generosity played a key role in preserving the structure.
Portman has worked for Buenting since he was 14 years old, a relationship that spans decades and reflects the community support behind the project.
According to a plaque installed on the museum grounds by the Jesse Lee Reno Chapter 1422 of E Clampus Vitus, Irene York owned La Belle, a brothel located at 140 Ninth St. from 1961 to 1981.
Judge Richard Wagner officially closed the brothel, and museum officials hope he will officiate at its reopening in Marzenville. They expect the building to become a centerpiece of the replica mining town and help visitors connect with a unique chapter of Pershing County’s past.
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