In 1875, the Hotel de Paris was founded by Frenchman Louis Dupuy (born Adolph François Gerard), former cook, journalist, and miner. Today, this Museum stands as a nod to the finer things in life and the colorful character who willed the elegant hotel and restaurant to life.
Dupuy’s life was a hodge-podge of jobs and locations, but he never forgot the skills he learned as a chef’s apprentice in Paris. However, his path wouldn’t be easy. He started as a translator and journalist in New York City, but was accused of plagiarism. In 1868, Dupuy enlisted in the U.S. Army as a clerk and headed west. In about a year, he deserted his post, moved to Colorado and the silver boom… and began living under the new name of Louis Dupuy. A secret he kept until his deathbed champagne revelation.
From there he once again became a journalist for The Rocky Mountain News as a roving reporter. In 1872, he resigned and became a miner. After an accident that almost killed him, he dreamed of having his own hotel with the best wines and food. And he made the dream come true.
Set in picturesque Clear Creek Canyon against the high peaks of the rugged Rocky Mountains, Dupuy’s fine establishment provided accommodations for regular boarders and a first-class French restaurant to visitors and the population of Georgetown. Stylistically, the building is high Victorian eclectic with a mix of Greek revival, French Second Empire, and Italianate, and when it was finished posed a striking contrast to Colorado’s wilderness.