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Eight more state properties listed on National Register of Historic Places

Eight more South Dakota properties have been added to the National Register of Historic Places, according to the South Dakota State Historical Society. 

The listed properties are the Chambers Dugout in the Belle Fourche vicinity, the Roosevelt School in Belle Fourche, the First Presbyterian Church of Groton, the Solomon and Martha Hann Homestead near Nemo, the Haakon County Courthouse in Philip, the Jackson Boulevard Historic District in Spearfish, the Perkins Congregational Church near Springfield and the Dickens Round Barn in the Worthing vicinity.

The National Register is the official federal list of properties identified as important in American history, architecture, archaeology, engineering and culture. The State Historic Preservation Office of the State Historical Society works in conjunction with the National Park Service, which oversees the National Register program, to list the properties. 

"South Dakota's history is rich in American Indian culture, pioneer life and change," said Jay D. Vogt, state historic preservation officer and director of the State Historical Society at the Cultural Heritage Center in Pierre. "The more than 1,300 state individual properties and districts listed on the National Register are important for their role in South Dakota's culture, heritage and history. And when properties get listed, it shows that their owners take pride in their role in preserving that culture, heritage and history."

Buildings, sites, structures and objects at least 50 years old possessing historical significance may qualify for the National Register, according to Vogt. Properties must also maintain their historic location, design, materials and association. Listing on the National Register does not place any limitations on private property owners by the federal government. 

Following is more information about these newly listed properties.

Chambers Dugout, Belle Fourche vicinity
The Chambers Dugout, built around 1885, is located on private property in Butte County. It is listed for its significance as a homesteading-era housing type. 

Born in Paris, France, in 1859, John Chambers came to America with his parents about 1860. The family moved to the Black Hills in the 1880s, and Chambers filed a claim on his homestead along Hay Creek not long thereafter.

Roosevelt School, Belle Fourche
The Roosevelt School was built in 1921. Located at 1010 State St., it is listed as significant for the educational role it played in Belle Fourche.

The original portion of the school was a rectangular shape. In 1929 an L-shaped addition gave the school its current T-shape. The Roosevelt School served as a high school and junior high school for 73 years. The building is currently undergoing rehabilitation to complete its transformation into the Historic Roosevelt Events Center.

First Presbyterian Church of Groton 
Located at 300 N. Main St., the First Presbyterian Church of Groton was built in 1912. It is listed for its architectural significance as an excellent example of Gothic Revival architecture adapted to fit changes in Protestant worship practices. It is also listed for its modified Akron plan with the Sunday school located adjacent to the sanctuary and separated by a movable partition.

Solomon and Martha Hann Homestead, Nemo vicinity
After emigrating from Finland around 1889, Solomon and Martha Hann established a claim on the land that would eventually become their small farm in the Black Hills Forest Reserve. Located at 21732 Hann Pl., their homestead is significant for its vernacular log architecture and as a representative of an early Finnish homestead in the Black Hills.

The Hanns provided food to the large mining industry in the northern Black Hills. Miners depended on local farmers since the delivery of supplies from the outside was limited due to the rough terrain and other logistics.

Haakon County Courthouse, Philip
Built in 1930, the Haakon County Courthouse is located at 140 Howard Ave. in Philip. It is significant for its Art Deco architecture and as a representation of Haakon County’s political and governmental past.

Originally, the courthouse leased the old wooden Philip schoolhouse. When their new building was completed, it brought hope to the citizens of Philip despite deteriorating economic conditions.

Jackson Boulevard Historic District, Spearfish
The years of significance for the Jackson Boulevard Historic District in Spearfish are 1882 to 1961. The district is significant for the variety of architectural styles it features. It is a good representation of late 19th and early 20th century residential architecture, which is a testament to the growth and prosperity of Spearfish during this period.

Perkins Congregational Church, Springfield vicinity
The Perkins Congregational Church was built in 1901. Located at 31205 409th St., this property is significant for architecture as a rural Gothic Revival wood-frame church in Bon Homme County.

The Perkins Congregational Church Society was organized in 1900 and formed by settlers of mixed ethnicities including English, German, Scandinavian (Danish) and Dutch. The frame church was the first and only church built in the hamlet of Perkins.

Dickens Round Barn, Worthing vicinity
The Dickens Round Barn, located at 27882 473rd Ave., is listed for its architecture as a rare, surviving clay tile round barn. Built in 1917, the barn is listed under the South Dakota Round and Polygonal Barns and Pavilions (1995) Multiple Property Listing.

Additionally, the Dickens Round Barn represents a unique trend of mail-order barn plans specific to Lake, Lincoln, McCook and Minnehaha counties in southeastern South Dakota around the Sioux Falls area. The building embodies the distinctive characteristics of the last stage of round barn buildings in South Dakota. Defining features of this property type include hollow clay tile construction, true round plan, round interior silo and a self-supporting roof not requiring extra supports except for the silo.

For more information on the National Register or other historic preservation programs, contact the State Historic Preservation Office at the Cultural Heritage Center, 900 Governors Drive, Pierre, SD 57501-2217; telephone 605-773-3458 or website history.sd.gov/Preservation (click on National Register of Historic Places in the right column).

About the South Dakota State Historical Society
The South Dakota State Historical Society is a division of the Department of Education. The State Historical Society, an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, is headquartered at the South Dakota Cultural Heritage Center in Pierre. The center houses the society’s world-class museum, the archives, and the historic preservation, publishing and administrative/development offices. Call 605-773-3458 or visit history.sd.gov for more information. The society also has an archaeology office in Rapid City; call 605-394-1936 for more information.