Harding School Gymnasium, Buffalo SD
Description
This building was part of the Harding County High School in Buffalo, SD, until its demolition at some point between 2013 and 2016. This small school serves the entire county, for all grades, and has a total enrollment of less than 200.
A National Parks Service, National Register of Historic Places document explains the school’s New Deal history: “The stand-alone gymnasiums and auditoriums erected by the WPA as additions to schools underscored the importance of these amenities to the community schools. Gymnasiums were often added to older schools that had been constructed without one, while auditoriums, too, were a common addition that would benefit the community. Harding County High School is one such example; the auditorium, erected through WPA assistance, fairly dominates the school (it has since been divided into classrooms). The entrance is centered between the school and auditorium, giving the community convenient access to the latter for events held there.”
Source notes
Project originally submitted by Don Barrett on November 2, 2013.
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Based on Google Maps imagery, this school appears to have been recently demolished.
Thank you for that; it looks like demolition occurred between 2013 and 2016, and I’ve updated the entry accordingly.