SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — In the town of Dante, South Dakota there is a rather unique place to stay. You can spend the night in the town’s former bank. The former bank, constructed around 1920, is the oldest building in town.
“These are some original doors that we saved,” said John Blaha.
Once in danger of being torn down, John and Tracy Blaha decided to turn the building into a VRBO. The extensive remodel blends the building’s history with modern amenities. Dante is located in the southeast part of the state near Wagner.
“All these little towns, everyone moves away and there is nothing left and maybe this will keep it going,” said Tracy.
Finished in 2022, the couple rent out the building to groups.
“Each room has its own bathroom,” said John as he gives us a tour.
Guests so far include wedding parties, family get-togethers, hunters and even bikers.
“For Sturgis we had some bikers come through, they stopped and they were like what’s this building? They stayed here so that was pretty cool,” said Tracy.
The town of Dante and the city of Las Vegas have something in common. They both have a Bellagio. Well, sort of. you see Dante has the Blahagio.
“The Blahagio, we didn’t really know how to come up with the Blahagio my husband just said it and it kind of just stuck,” said Tracy.
Before the creative name and the remodel work, the Blahas worked to get recognition for the building’s age.
“It’s actually on the historical society for the state and nationally. So, they sent some engineers down right before we started to see if it was structurally sound to work on, and it was. They were really impressed with it,” said John.
The original bank didn’t last long in this former railroad town. It eventually closed and for decades it was the town’s grocery store, once run by John’s grandparents. But after the grocery store closed in the 90s the building sat empty and neglected.
“The work was a lot. There were times we were just like let’s throw in the towel. But then we just stuck with it in the end we knew it would be worth it,” said Tracy.
And it was, in 2020 the Blahagio opened and welcomed its first guests. On the second floor, It boasts 5 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms and a laundry room.
“All the rooms are in their original place when the building was a bank it looked exactly like this,” said John.
The lower-level features wide open living space, a kitchen and even a game room for the kids, located in one of the two original vaults.
The mayor, for the last 37 years says he is very happy to see the Blahas save a piece of Dante’s history.
“It means growth for one thing, a place to come visit with people it’s neat,” said Mayor Dick Rysavy.
Don Kotab has lived in Dante his whole life and says saving the building means a lot to the folks who call this small town home
“It is just great to see it come to life we’ve watched this place deteriorate and it’s good to see it come back I remember as a young person coming in here as a grocery store it closed as a bank in 1929 that’s even before my time,” said Kotab.
The Blahas say not many people know about the Airbnb. Their business is mostly by word of mouth. But they are hoping as more people learn about this one-of-a-kind experience, they’ll come and spend a night or two. From the wood floor to the tin ceiling to the carefully preserved woodwork around the windows the Blahas tried to keep or repurpose as much of the original building as possible.
“I want people to know they can save history, I know it’s a lot of work and a lot of time but if you stick with and keep going you can do something amazing,” said Tracy.
Having a great stay in Dante is now something you can bank on.
The Blahagio is available on Facebook, VRBO and Airbnb.
