(Content submitted by Stacy Watters, PE, South Dakota State Engineer) Isn’t it amazing that you can look at a brick building and narrow down the decade in which it was constructed based on the color of brick? I often find myself thinking, “well isn’t that a 1970’s gem!” or “that was definitely an early 2000…
Liz Almlie, Historic Preservation Specialist, SD State Historical Society Federal historic preservation work has had a 100+ year evolution with key pieces of legislation being the Antiquities Act in 1906 that created National Monuments, and the Historic Sites Act of 1935 that formalized the Historic American Buildings Survey and created National Historic Landmarks. The legislation…
(Sponsored content by Fiegen Construction) When it’s done well, historic preservation on college campuses is a perfect balance between where a university has been and where it’s going. Historic buildings are keepers of culture. They bring alumni back and future students coming in. That’s the challenge of historic preservation, then. Combining what’s classic and what’s…
January 6th, 2021 will forever be remembered as a dark day in our American history. I stood, paced, and cried in horror as I watched the events of this day unfold on the screen in front of me. As the AIA South Dakota Advocacy committee chair, and a member of the Daughters of the American…
This post was written and submitted by Koch Hazard Architects. McVicker Plaza The Vermillion Chamber & Development Corporation needed their own office space after years of leasing around downtown. When a prominent location on a corner of Main Street became available, they leapt at the chance to create a meaningful improvement to the historic streetscape…
I brought donuts to work this morning. I’m not supposed to because COVID, but that just means I’ll eat them all myself. I’m celebrating, because it is one of my favorite days, as someone who loves obscure and esoteric things. It the feast day of St. Bernward of Hildesheim, a more obscure patron of architects…
Now for something completely different! We have some iconic buildings, be them good or bad, scattered throughout our State. To feature some of these buildings, I created a scavenger hunt with the assistance of some colleagues. The images below feature details/close-ups from some buildings with iconic or perhaps “unique” detailing or style. Take a look…
Happy November! The cold temps are truly upon is as we’ve seen this past week, and for me that gets me inwardly focused on my house as I get it buttoned up and ready for winter. Fall is my favorite time to look through one of my favorite magazines – This Old House. Recently I…
SHPO Staff The South Dakota State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) in Pierre is preparing for its federal fiscal year 2020 grant application and invites public input on the state’s preservation needs and projects. In other words: we need your help to allocate our budget effectively! For those who are unfamiliar with the SHPO, we are…
The Black Hills are home to several historic buildings, each with their own unique story to share with visitors and residents. Badger Hole in Custer State Park is one of these buildings that is still around today, despite the hail, snow, and passing time. Badger Hole was home to South Dakota’s first poet laureate,…