After 5 years in storage, Cavern Club owner Nick Easton re-erected Humpty Dumpty on his downtown building.
Joseph Tobianski | AnnArbor.com
But to Nick Easton, the maize-and-blue Humpty Dumpty at his downtown Ann Arbor entertainment complex signifies nearly 20 years of memories.
And after spending five years in storage, Humpty Dumpty has resurfaced on the roof of Cavern Club.
“Humpty is just one of those things that I think helps to make a town unique and special, in its own tiny little way,” Easton said. “It’s a fun diversion and something that kids can relate to, especially if they’ve heard nursery rhymes.”
Humpty Dumpty at downtown Ann Arbor's Cavern Club.
Joseph Tobianski | AnnArbor.com
Easton, also a former antique dealer, purchased the building at 120 S. First St. in 1994. Formerly the old Ann Arbor Implement Co., Easton transformed it into four nightclubs and his own antique-filled apartment.
But in the 1980s, when Cavern Club still was just an idea, Easton purchased the six-foot-tall, 150-pound Humpty Dumpty at a Michigan “tourist trap” for $250.
“I’m not quite sure why (I bought him),” Easton said. “I just thought it was a neat thing.”
“When I bought the building, we put Humpty up a couple years later,” he said. “I painted him maize and blue so he’s totally fitting with the community.”
In 1998, a group of people, armed with ladders and ropes, maneuvered Humpty off the roof and stole him. Easton offered a $300 reward for his return, which came three months later when a pickup truck pulled up outside the club, dropped Humpty on the sidewalk and drove away.
“He was back safe and I couldn’t even see a scratch on him,” Easton said.
Humpty was removed from the roof again five years ago and placed in storage while Easton constructed an upper-level deck on the building. Six weeks ago, Easton decided to re-erect the sculpture.
“It’s just fun to see children walk by, especially groups from summer camp or daycare, and they all point up to the roof,” he said.
Easton said he plans to install lights around Humpty so people can see him at night. But this time around, he said, it’s going to take a lot more effort to steal him.
“We put a barbed wire fence around the roof so that if anybody is going to attempt this again, it’s going to take some work,” he said.
Lizzy Alfs is a business reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at 734-623-2584 or email her at lizzyalfs@annarbor.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lizzyalfs.