The Rapid City Historic Commercial District, sometimes called the Rapid City Downtown Historic District, is a , multi-block historic district in downtown Rapid City, South Dakota, United States. It includes 47 commercial buildings dating from the late 19th to early 20th centuries that formed the core of Rapid City's early economy. It was first listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 and then expanded to its current size in 1998.
Description The historic district spans across multiple blocks in the center of downtown Rapid City. of Main, Saint Joseph, 6th, and 7th Streets formed the rough boundaries of the original 1974 listing, with 38 properties on both sides of the streets included, although some buildings on 5th Street were also included. These buildings were constructed between 1881 and 1924. The district expanded by in 1998 to encompass 50 contributing and 22 non-contributing properties and pushed the western and eastern boundaries out to Mount Rushmore Road and 5th Street, respectively. The years of significance were also increased to between 1876 and 1948. With
The district was again surveyed in 2017, which updated its total contributing properties to 47 and non-contributing properties to 21. It also removed several noncontributing properties included in the 1998 boundary increase.
On the corners of many intersections in the district, there are bronze statues of U.S. Presidents. These are part of a Rapid City art exhibit known as the City of Presidents.
Architecture The buildings in the Rapid City Historic Commercial District represent a broad range of purposes and architectural styles. Most properties historically served—and continue to serve—a commercial purpose, but some have been used for governmental, civic, agricultural, industrial, or entertainment functions. The first buildings were typically first constructed out of timber frames before later being replaced by more permanent stone and brick structures. Between 1880 and 1900, non-wooden buildings were usually done in the Renaissance Revival, Italianate, Romanesque Revival, and Queen Anne architectural styles. After the turn of the 20th century, fashions gave way to Neoclassical, Beaux Arts, Chicago School, and American Craftsman. Buildings from the interwar period favored more utilitarian Art Deco, International, or Moderne architecture styles. Buildings from any era might display eclectic or vernacular features.
History As white American settlers moved west into the Black Hills in the 1870s, entrepreneurs began looking to build settlements that would serve as hubs of commerce and transport. Rapid City was founded in 1876 on the banks of Rapid Creek, today located a few blocks north of the modern historic district. The arrival of railroads over the next two decades caused a population boom and created a rapidly growing economy. Banks, grocers, lawyers, pharmacies, and many other retail and commercial ventures started up in the downtown core to meet the needs of the growing population. With Other properties served as hotels, lodges, or apartments. As the county seat, Rapid City also required multiple government and civic buildings; the first city hall was located at 616 6th Street. The old fire hall also served as a police headquarters; today it is a restaurant, the theming of which calls back to its firehouse roots.
Contributing properties Significant contributing properties Hotel Alex Johnson
The Hotel Alex Johnson is a centerpiece contributing property to the district. The eight-story hotel was one of the tallest buildings in the state when constructed in 1927.
Buell Building Located at 630 Saint Joseph Street, The Buell Building was finished in 1888 by the Lakota Banking & Investment Co. Its namesake, Charles Buell, purchased it in 1901 to establish his law offices. It was further expanded in 1925 to its present size. The Buell Building is considered one of the best examples of architecture in the district. Much of the original building has been preserved, although renovations on the first floor have replaced much of the original brick and windows. Most notably, the building features an oriel window topped with an onion dome inspired by architecture in Eastern Europe. The rest of its architecture is classed as an eclectic mix of Italianate, Romanesque Revival, and Queen Anne.
Windsor Block This trio of buildings at 625, 627, and 629 St. Joseph Street, called the Windor Block, was created by businessman Robert Flormann in 1886. All three buildings are mostly identical and reflect Italianate and Commercial architectural styles. They would eventually become the Donaldson's Store, Rapid City's first department store and a core of its retail infrastructure. In the 1950s, the block was broken up into three separate compartments for retail space. Only 625 was included in the original listing; the other two addresses were ineligible due to remodeling works that had obscured much of the front facades. The original style was restored in the late 2000s and early 2010s and the last two addresses were subsequently added to the listing.
Elks Building
The Elks Building, located at 512 6th Street, was designed by J.P. Eisentraut in 1911 for use as a meetinghouse by the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. The opening ceremony was held on August 30, 1911. The Elks also built a theater inside, which opened on June 6, 1912, with a showing of "The Flirting Princess"; this also led to the building itself being referred to as the Elks Theatre, by which name it is still known today. Later, it hosted various businesses, including the United National Bank and the Bible and Book Store on its ground floor. The Elks sold it to a private developer in 1972, who continued to use it as a social club. Today, it still operates as a theater.
It was included in the historic district's initial establishment in 1974. It is a three-story brick structure, and is both Neoclassical and Spanish Colonial Revival in style, although the windows are Chicago School-based.
Italianate Trio This block of three Italianate-style buildings on St. Joseph Street was built in 1886. The three buildings are the Lambert and Frease Building, at 608–610 St. Joseph; the Flormann Building at 612–614 St. Joseph; and 616–618 St. Joseph. Like the Windsor Block, these buildings are all identical.
Other contributing properties Properties below are listed in a clockwise direction, beginning at the intersection of Main and 5th Streets in the northeast corner of the district.
AddressHistoric NameImageYear BuiltAddedStyle Description 406 5th 1936 July 9, 1998 Utilitarian, Colonial Revival Five contributing buildings, all built between 1911 and 1944, consisting of a shed, warehouse, grain elevator, offices, and a retail block; a sixth non-contributing building was finished in 1973. 412 5th 1939 July 9, 1998 Vernacular 430 Main Gambles 1947 July 9, 1998 Utilitarian, Art Deco 510 St. Joseph Salvation Army 1931 July 9, 1998 Commercial 522–530 6th Duhamel Building 1908 July 9, 1998 Chicago School Founded by Peter Duhamel for use as Rapid City's first department store 518 6th 1904 July 9, 1998 Italianate 516 6th 1889 July 9, 1998 Italianate 616 6th City Hall 1903 July 9, 1998 Colonial Revival Rapid City's first city hall building, which also hosted its fire and police departments. 609 St. Joseph Hall Building 1884, 1930s October 1, 1974 Art Deco 619 St. Joseph Bennett Building 1918 October 1, 1974 Commercial, Arts and Crafts 623 St. Joseph Hall Building 1886 October 1, 1974 Italianate Now the Black Hills Beauty College 704 St. Joseph Security Building 1929 October 1, 1974 Commercial, Art Deco 515–517 7th 1905 October 1, 1974 Romanesque Revival 517–519 7th Security Savings Bank 1907 October 1, 1974 Romanesque Revival 710 St. Joseph Bennett Building Addition 1929 July 9, 1998 Utilitarian 725 St. Joseph 1918 July 9, 1998 Utilitarian 731 St. Joseph Federal Building 1912 July 9, 1998 Neoclassical, Beaux Arts 801 St. Joseph Art Rose Building 1930 July 9, 1998 Commercial 802–808 St. Joseph Rapid City Business College 1919 July 9, 1998 Art Deco 814–816 St. Joseph Hill Apartments 1918 July 9, 1998 American Craftsman 507 7th 1886 October 1, 1974 631 Main First National Bank 1915 October 1, 1974 Neoclassical 619 Main Rise Building 1926 October 1, 1974 Commercial, Chicago School 616–622 Main 1926 October 1, 1974 Vernacular, Utilitarian, Revival 617 Main 1930 October 1, 1974 Chicago School, Commercial 615 Main McNamara Brothers Building 1914 October 1, 1974 Commercial, Neoclassical 613 Main 1891, 1930s October 1, 1974 Art Deco 611 Main 1891 October 1, 1974 Romanesque Revival 610–612 Main Rapid City Fire Hall 1915 October 1, 1974 Chicago School Now the Firehouse Brewing Company. Designed by W.W. Beach and Co. 609 Main Coolidge Brothers Building 1886 March 20, 1997 Romanesque Revival 606 Main Clower Building, Evans–Poznonsky–Morris Block 1886 October 1, 1974 Italianate Originally served as Clower's Saloon. 605–607 Main Penny–Haines Building 1915 March 20, 1997 Commercial Designed by H. E. Waldron 507 6th Haines Block 1918 October 1, 1974 Utilitarian, Art Deco 602 Main 1898–1900 October 1, 1974 Italianate 401–413 6th Chicago Northwestern Railway Warehouse 1932 July 9, 1998 Utilitarian 601 Main Pennington County Bank 1915 October 1, 1974 Neoclassical 523 Main 1930 July 9, 1998 Utilitarian 521 Main 1930 July 9, 1998 Utilitarian 513–519 Main 1925 July 9, 1998 Utilitarian 508 Main 1906 July 9, 1998 Italianate
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