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State Historical Society awards four historic preservation grants

Historic preservation projects in St. Onge, Sioux Falls, Belle Fourche, and Mitchell recently received matching grants from the South Dakota State Historical Society.

“This historic preservation grants program is designed to encourage restoration or rehabilitation of historic properties and is one more way we can promote and protect our history and culture,” said Ted M. Spencer, State Historic Preservation Officer. “In 2020 we awarded $111,050 among seven projects which had matching funds of $374,441. The resulting total public-private investment is $485,491.” 

The grants are awarded through the State Historical Society’s Deadwood Fund grant program. Funding for the program is from Deadwood gaming revenue earmarked by state law for historic preservation projects throughout the state. The program is administered by the society’s State Historic Preservation Office at the Cultural Heritage Center in Pierre.

The following projects were the most recent to receive grants to supplement their work:

  • St. Onge (Lawrence County): Anderson-Ridley Barn, built 1902; received $11,000 to assist in mortar/wall repair of a sandstone barn
  • Sioux Falls (Minnehaha County): Porter Peck House, built around 1887; received $15,000 to assist in porch rehabilitation/stabilization
  • Mitchell (Davison County): Western National Bank, built 1906; received $20,000 to assist in repointing and window repair/replacement
  • Belle Fourche (Butte County): Belle Fourche Band Shell, built 1954; received $15,000 to assist in repair of the interior wood shell portion

These new recipients represent a total award amount of $61,000 and matching funds of $145,275. The total public-private investment is $206,275. These figures are reflected in the 2020 statistics above.

Deadwood Fund grants are awarded twice a year with grant application deadlines of Feb. 1 and Oct. 1. They are reviewed at the spring and winter meetings of the State Historical Society’s board of trustees. For more information on the Deadwood Fund grant program, 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/fundingopportunities.aspx. For information on membership in the State Historical Society, please call 605-773-6000 or visit history.sd.gov/membership.

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 since 2013, 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.