Glendive couple works to restore a Glendive landmark

Renovation challenges are nothing new for Jesse and Jodi Thom, so when they first pulled into Glendive in the fall of 2005 and saw the Lulhaven on Merrill Avenue, they recognized the building’s uniqueness and started asking questions about it.

They were unable to find answers to their questions until one day Jesse’s sister stopped in at Sod House Sundries and talked to Steve Moore and Cary McSweyn, who had purchased the building in early 2006. They expressed their willingness to sell, and the Thoms decided to make it the fourth renovation project of their 11 years of marriage, Jodi said.

When they buy something it is always with the idea of fixing it up, she explained. They know they are finished when the U-Haul, is loaded, pulls away and they head to a new place.

By Cindy Mullet
Ranger-Review Staff Writer

Before moving to Glendive, they lived about 30 miles out of Missoula, where Jesse was going to school at the University of Montana. The only housing they could afford was a one bedroom cabin. The couple were expecting their daughter at the time, so the first thing they did was tear off the roof and add a second story, Jodi said.

The roof was also their first concern at the Lulhaven. Major leaking had obliterated the tin on the ceiling and warped the hardwood floors. Repairing the roof while maintaining the integrity of the building was a challenge, but Jesse, with a strong background in construction, was up to it, she said.

Jodi’s father was a minister, and the family traveled a lot as he served communities from Ronan to Wolf Point.

“I’m from anywhere in Montana,” she said.

She graduated from high school in North Dakota, which is where she met Jesse, and then moved with him to Missoula. While they were living in Missoula, his parents had come to Glendive. His father was in construction, and told Jesse and Jodi there was a lot of work in town. He suggested they move east and start a business with him, Jodi said.

Along with being a contractor, Jesse has lots of years of self-study in design. Working on the Lulhaven is going to be a neat opportunity. It is a perfect setup for him, she said. Since he is also running a construction business, work on the Lulhaven is done as he has time and they have the money. Jodi estimates it will take them a year or more before they will be able to use it. While the leaking roof caused severe damage to the interior of the building, it is still structurally sound. The foundation, exterior walls and sewer lines are good, she noted.

Moore and McSweyn had done a lot of cleaning up in the building, but there is still a lot to do before they can actually begin renovation.

“I know how to haul garbage,” she said, explaining that a lot of her role in the renovation process is cleaning up.

She and Jesse will start their work at the back of the building and fix it up as living quarters for themselves and their daughter Zoe. At some time, they hope to put a business in the front part, she said. They are not sure what kind of business they will open. They only know that as long as they own it, the building will not be a bar. Possibilities they are considering include a sandwich shop with space for a live band. They would like to have a place college students or other young people could hang out, but that dream is way down the road, she said.

As they look at possibilities, their primary concern is to maintain the general appearance of the building. It is a unique and beautiful structure, and they hope that when they are finished it won’t look too different, she said, adding, “I am so glad Steve and Cary saved it.”

The building is one of Glendive’s historic treasures, McSweyn noted. Their purpose in buying it was to be sure it was not torn down. While she and Moore wish they had been able to do more with it, they are glad to have found Jesse and Jodi, who have “younger legs” and the skills to bring the building back to life.

Building has a long history

When The Lulhaven opened in October 1937, the Dawson County Review described it as the “finest, most modern and up-to-date bar and cocktail lounge possible.”

According to the Montana Historical and Architectural Inventory, the original building was constructed in 1901 by J.J. Stipek. He owned the property until 1938. In 1905, W. J. Simms put in the middle section, and a concrete block section was added at the back by Holm Construction Company in 1929.

While Stipek had the building, he operated a harness shop and saddlery. The middle section was a pool hall. Stipek sold out in 1937 and E. George Lulham opened the Lulhaven Bar, contracting with Andrew Rockne to put in the existing Art-Deco facade. A horse was given away at the grand opening.

The whole interior of the bar was done in the “modern manner,” the Dawson County Review reported. Indirect lighting was used to best advantage, and handsome neon signs over the door and in the windows created an attractive effect.

Lulham ran away from home at age 14 to work on street cars in Milwaukee. He moved to Wibaux in 1904 and came to Glendive in 1918 where he worked for the railroad. He was “cantankerous but well liked” and the Lulhaven became a fixture of the Glendive scene.

His daughter-in-law, Alice Smith Lulham, helped run the bar after he became sick. She later became the owner. The Lulhaven was known for its Tom and Jerry mix which she marketed as a take-and-make dry package mix.

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