South Dakota Sites

"There were nine PWA-financed courthouses constructed in South Dakota during the Depression era. Although designs were not standardized, most were three or four story buildings designed in variations of the Moderne styles. Building materials and finishes included brick, stone, concrete, terra cotta, terrazzo floors, marble, wood, steel casement windows, and cast metal ornamentation. Most courthouses from this era are distinguished by their massing and form. Typically larger, block-like buildings on elevated bases, courthouses usually display symmetry with a central entrance and uniformly placed window bays. Detailed surrounds and/or projecting bays often emphasize the central entrance. Interior character-defining features generally include large...

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) constructed this lake in Mitchell, South Dakota.

Located on North Main Street across from the Lincoln County Courthouse in Canton, SD, the WPA assisted in the construction of the county's jail and sheriff's residence.

"The McCook County Courthouse consists of a hip-roofed, rectangular, three-story building constructed of concrete clad with brick in the Art Deco style. The front and sides are symmetrical with seven bays on the front and five on each side. There is a contrasting stone base rising to the sills of the first floor windows. The ground floor is slightly projecting and topped with a contrasting stone belt course, giving the appearance that the upper two floors rest on a raised foundation or pedestal. The center bay on the facade has an entrance framed by a slightly projecting stone surround. On...

"There were nine PWA-financed courthouses constructed in South Dakota during the Depression era. Although designs were not standardized, most were three or four story buildings designed in variations of the Moderne styles. Building materials and finishes included brick, stone, concrete, terra cotta, terrazzo floors, marble, wood, steel casement windows, and cast metal ornamentation. Most courthouses from this era are distinguished by their massing and form. Typically larger, block-like buildings on elevated bases, courthouses usually display symmetry with a central entrance and uniformly placed window bays. Detailed surrounds and/or projecting bays often emphasize the central entrance. Interior character-defining features generally include large...

Aberdeen's Municipal Ballpark, a.k.a. Pheasant Park, was constructed in 1936, competed as a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project. The facility rebuilt in 1954 and demolished in 1975. The exact location of the since-demolished ballpark is unknown to Living New Deal.

The Federal Emergency Relief Administration was associated with the construction of Centerville, South Dakota's municipal building. The building, whose exact location and status is presently unknown to Living New Deal, "housed the city hall, fire station, and jail in a small one-story, concrete and brick building."

Lead, South Dakota's striking Art Deco Municipal Building was constructed as a Public Works Administration (PWA) project during the Great Depression, although construction is sometimes mis-attributed to the Works Progress Administration (WPA; see Lead Historic Preservation). The building "allowed the city to consolidate the various city offices, a courtroom and the fire department under one roof." The PWA provided a $31,909 grant toward the project, whose total cost was $79,165. Construction occurred between Nov. 1936 and Dec. 1937. PWA Docket No. S.D. 1042-R

"The South Dakota School of Mines and Technology took advantage of the New Deal program when it received a $95,000 federal grant that it combined with a $120,000 appropriation from the 1941 South Dakota state legislature to construct the OHarra Memorial Building. James C. Ewing, later known for his design of the concession building at Mount Rushmore, incorporated an Art Deco style into the OHarra structure. An Egyptian Revival pavilion dominated the front of the building, constructed of native stone. The interior of the building consisted of two floors and a full basement, showcasing terrazzo floors and faux marble walls....

CCC and WPA crews constructed this football stadium for the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology in Rapid City. From the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Quarterly: "With the help of Works Project Administration (WPA) laborers and a $50,000 WPA grant, development continued from 1932 through 1936.* The Alumni Association raised the remaining funds to finish the field by contacting the school's 750 alumni through meetings held in 26 alumni regions around the country. With the successful fundraising drive, the $132,000 O'Harra Memorial Stadium was dedicated on September 16, 1938. Black Hills businesses and government agencies also provided valuable...

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) maintained a camp at Pactola Lake SD from 1933 to 1940.  It was designated Camp F-4 and worked under the supervision of the US Forest Service.  Recruits at Camp F-4 worked chiefly in the Black Hills National Forest of western South Dakota. "Camp F-4 was part of a national CCC program to renovate forests and build more recreation areas. Work projects, supervised by the USDA Forest Service, included tree thinning, pruning and planting, fire prevention and suppression; rodent, insect and disease control, grazing land improvement and recreation area development. Enrollees removed dead, diseased, suppressed and excess...

Constructed in 1939 with federal funding.

The historic post office in Custer, South Dakota was constructed with federal Treasury Department funds in 1940. The building is still in use today.

The historic Flandreau post office was constructed in 1938. It houses Matthew Ziegler's 1940 mural, "Wheat in the Shock."

The historic post office in Mobridge, South Dakota was constructed with federal Treasury Department funds. The building, which houses an example of New Deal artwork inside, is still in use today.

In 1940 this post office opened for the use of the citizens of Spearfish. It was built in an architectural style that was used in many small towns. There were also offices in the basement to house federal programs such as the Extension Service. From 1930 to to 1942 the federal government greatly expanded its public building programs. The style of the Spearfish post office was described as Class C, for a "second class city," which was defined by the volume of postal receipts. The Class C post offices were brick buildings with wood doors and windows and very simple...

Constructed by the Treasury in 1934. The building now houses the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum. A New Deal mural painted for the post office has been moved to the new post office: https://livingnewdeal.org/projects/post-office-mural-sturgis-sd/

The historic former post office building in Spearfish, South Dakota houses examples of New Deal artwork: wooden reliefs entitled "Fish Story," installed by Marion Overby in 1943. Historic marker: Programs to employ artists were part of the national recovery effort during the depression. Marion Overby of Los Angeles was commissioned to do a sculpture for the interior of the building. After consulting the mayor for ideas, she titled her work "Fish Story." The sculpture still hangs on the wall of the lobby.

New Deal mural entitled "Spirit of Beresford" painted by David McCosh in 1942.

This 1940 oil-on-canvas mural, "Wheat in the Shock," by Matthew Ziegler, was created for the then-new Flandreau post office. The artwork was a winner of the Treasury Section's 48-State Post Office Mural Competition.

The oil-on-canvas mural entitled "Return from the Fields" was painted by Elof Wedin in 1938. Wedin also completed a post office mural in Litchfield, Minnesota. "If a picture is worth a thousand words, the six-foot by 12-foot oil on canvas mural on the north wall of the lobby of the Mobridge Post Office, “Return From The Fields” by Elof Wedin, speaks volumes. Dakota bluffs comprise the backdrop, and the muted images transport us back in time to a gentler era. You can hear the muffled footfalls of the big roan draft horse and the jangle of the harness as he is...

"New Deal mural entitled "The Fate of a Mail Carrier--Charlie Nolin--1876" painted in 1939 by JK Ralston. It was moved to the new, current post office in 1998."

This mural entitled "The First White Man in South Dakota" was painted by Irvin Shope in 1939 under the auspices of the Treasury Section of Fine Arts.

A power system-improvement construction project in Bryant, South Dakota was undertaken during the Great Depression with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The PWA supplied a $19,890 grant for the project, whose total cost was $50,891. Work occurred between December 1938 and June 1939. (PWA Docket No. SD 1046)

A power system-improvement construction project in Tyndall, South Dakota was undertaken during the Great Depression with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The PWA supplied a $16,875 grant for the project, whose total cost was $35,870. Work occurred between November 1938 and June 1939. (PWA Docket No. SD 1222-1)

"In an effort to preserve the rich history of Rapid City and the surrounding area, WPA Project 1112 began in 1937 in an effort to construct a massive, native-stone edifice to house various collections of historical artifacts. Early in 1936, several city commissioners began to meet with architect Waldo Winter to discuss the construction of a local museum. Talks came to a standstill when Winter vehemently opposed locating the museum in Halley Park, purchased by the city from several individuals in 1916 and 1917, as the intended location of a future museum. Negotiations resumed in late 1936 when George Mansfield,...

"The Rapid City Carnegie Library was constructed in 1915 at what is now 700 Kansas City Street. The library became part of the WPA legacy when workers carefully constructed matching extensions on each side of the central portion. Completed in 1938, the slightly recessed additions used the same yellow limestone that constituted the original structure and two window bays were added to each side. Pilasters and columns completed the corners of the extensions and complimented the rows of small windows that were located above the bookcases on the inside walls. Vacated after the completion of a new public library in...

Located behind the Roberts County Courthouse, Sisseton South Dakota's former Roberts County Jail was constructed during the Great Depression with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The PWA supplied a $11,200 grant; the total cost of the project was $42,800. Construction occurred between January and July 1934. (PWA Docket No. SD 2370)

A sanitary sewer construction project in Eureka, South Dakota was undertaken during the Great Depression with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. Work occurred between May and July 1935. (PWA Docket No. SD 4797)

A sanitary sewer construction project in Hot Springs, South Dakota was undertaken during the Great Depression with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The PWA provided a $30,267 loan and $12,825 grant for the project, whose total cost was $46,637. Work occurred between July and October 1934. (PWA Docket Nos. SD 2549)

A sanitary sewer construction project in Marion , South Dakota was undertaken during the Great Depression with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The PWA supplied a $17,500 loan and $6,228 grant for the project, whose total cost was $23,754. Work occurred between November 1934 and May 1935. (PWA Docket No. SD 2307)

Multiple sewer construction projects in Watertown, South Dakota were undertaken during the Great Depression with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. Storm sewers and sanitary sewers were constructed as part of two separate PWA grants. (PWA Docket No. SD 1045, 1076)

The Lake of the Pines (now known as Sheridan Lake) on Spring Creek was constructed as a joint project by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) from 1938 to 1940.  It was the largest earth dam built by the CCC or WPA in South Dakota. "...some of the most significant structures built by the CCC were the dams that created recreational lakes in the Black Hills. Most of these dams were either 'earth fill with core trench' or 'earth fill on bentonite base.' Occasionally, concrete dams were constructed. Earth fill on bentonite dams created Lakes Mitchell, Major, Dalton, Roubaix,...

In 1940, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) received funding for a $66,000 project to build a high school athletic field and stadium for the Watertown school district. The construction was completed in 1941, and the site included a baseball field, football field, running track, and seats for up to 5000 spectators. After completion, the stadium hosted the majority of football games played by the Watertown Arrows. The site is still used today by the Watertown Arrows. The site has also been used for hosting musical concerts, and for launching fireworks for Fourth of July celebrations. In 2000, the site was registered...

A storm sewer construction project in Mitchell, South Dakota was undertaken during the Great Depression with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The PWA supplied a $53,000 loan and $21,946 grant for the project, whose total cost was $75,110. Work occurred between August 1934 and May 1935. (PWA Docket No. SD 2311)

A storm sewer construction project in Mobridge, South Dakota was undertaken during the Great Depression with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The PWA supplied a $14,000 loan and $5,267 grant for the project, whose total cost was $19,254. Work occurred between August and October 1935. (PWA Docket No. SD 6549)

A storm sewer construction project in Sioux Falls, South Dakota was undertaken during the Great Depression with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The PWA supplied a $24,100 loan and $7,400 grant; the total cost of the project was $30,453. Work occurred between December 1934 and July 1935. (PWA Docket No. SD 1608)

A street improvement project in Armour, South Dakota was undertaken during the Great Depression with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The PWA supplied a $12,000 loan and $9,818 grant for the project, whose total cost was $24,449. Work occurred between January and July 1937. (PWA Docket No. SD 1160)

A substantial road improvement project in Brookings, South Dakota was undertaken during the Great Depression with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The PWA supplied a $41,800 grant for the project, whose total cost was $84,735. Work occurred between September 1938 and October 1939. (PWA Docket No. SD 1150)

A street improvement project in Howard, South Dakota was undertaken during the Great Depression with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The PWA supplied a $12,039 grant for the project, whose total cost was $26,800. Work occurred between September and October 1938. (PWA Docket No. SD 1190)