State Historical Society awards five historic preservation grants

Historic preservation projects in Faith, De Smet, Lake Preston, Dell Rapids and Lake Andes 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.

The grants are awarded through the State Historical Society’s Deadwood Fund grant program. Funding for the program is from a portion of the 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:

• Faith (Meade County): Minneapolis Brewing Company Warehouse, built 1911; received $20,000 to assist in replacing wood siding and roof shingles
• De Smet (Kingsbury County): Kingsbury County Courthouse, built 1889; received $20,000 to assist with tuckpointing work and masonry repairs
• Lake Preston (Kingsbury County): Lake Preston Museum, built 1908; received $6,000 to assist in replacing unstable wood, painting, and tuckpointing work
• Dell Rapids (Minnehaha County): Rose Stone Inn, built 1908; received $20,000 to assist in repointing work, repairing a wood porch, repairing cement basement stairs, and window restoration
• Lake Andes (Charles Mix County): Lake Andes Carnegie Library, built 1911; received $12,000 to assist in repointing work, repairs to cement stairs, and the replacement of the front door and frame

These new recipients represent a total award amount of $78,000.

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, call 605-773-6000 or visit history.sd.gov/membership.