Photo courtesy of Keweenaw Community Foundation The Ruppe Building in downtown Calumet.

CALUMET – After revitalization efforts were placed on hold last month due to lack of funding, the Bring Back Calumet Taskforce has received a $10,000 donation from a Ruppe family member with ties to the area.

A Friday release from the Keweenaw Economic Development Alliance (KEDA) says the donation has helped to push total fundraising for the Ruppe Building renovation project over $58,000. The goal is $200,000. The building, located on Fifth Street, has been the focus of stabilization for more than a year.

“This gift reflects the deep roots the Ruppe family still has in Calumet and the connection so many people have to this community,” Jeff Ratcliffe, executive director of KEDA, and member of the Bring Back Calumet Taskforce, said in the Friday release. “Their support affirms that these buildings are worth saving and that Calumet’s story continues to inspire across generations.”

In April, the building, also known as the Ruppe Block, was selected for revitalization, as part of the Bring Back Calumet Initiative, according to the Keweenaw Community Foundation (KCF). Since then, rextensive stabilization work has been done to the structure, including covering the 4,400 square-foot roof with silicone, screened ventilation on the second and third floors, to improve airflow and reduce moisture accumulation, said Ratcliffe, all of which has been done for about $50,000.

Ratcliffe said while the building has been prevented from collapsing, additional work is required, which includes stabilizing the interior area where the mezzanine collapsed. The rear of the building has suffered extensive damage from years of water infiltration due to a failing roof, Ratcliffe said.

Other issues include structural failures in at least 11 beams supporting the second and third floors; a collapsed mezzanine in the rear; and significant water damage affecting over a third of the structure. The mezzanine is a small floor built between two main floors.

Supporters belieive the building is significant for several reasons. It was among the first buildings constructed after a fire destroyed most of the village in 1870. KCF states the building’s iconic architecture, including an arched terracotta façade and ornate metal cornice, exemplifies Calumet’s rich history and craftsmanship. Peter Ruppe, who was the original owner of the building, is significant to not only Calumet Village’s history, but to the Copper Country overall.

The Bring Back Calumet Initiative is a community-led effort dedicated to stabilizing, preserving, and redeveloping historic structures in downtown Calumet, according to the KCF website. The initiative protects Calumet’s National Historic Landmark District designation by restoring key landmarks, strengthening the local economy, and fostering community growth.

Like the building he constructed, Peter Ruppe holds a significant role not only in Calumet’s history, but the Copper Country overall.

Ruppe was born in Slovenia in 1823 and immigrated to the U.S. arriving in Hancock in 1864. Subsequently, he entered into a retail business with fellow Slovenian Joseph Vertin. In 1866, they dissolved their association and Ruppe opened a store in Hancock. He opened his second store in Calumet in 1869, and a third in L’Anse, in 1873. He was also a director of the First National Bank of Hancock, as well as a director of the Mineral Range Railroad and one of the organizers of the Grand Portage mine, in Houghton. In 1875, after the village of Calumet was incorporated, Ruppe was elected as its first president.

“The Ruppe Block is a powerful symbol of Calumet’s rich heritage and its designation as a National Historic Landmark District,” KCF says. “It highlights the town’s critical growth in America’s industrial growth as a hub of the copper industry.”