National Register of Historic Places

Butte County Courthouse amd Historic Jail Building

Belle Fourche, Butte County, South Dakota
Listed
December 3, 1998
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
98001398

About this property

The Butte County Courthouse and Historic Jail Building is a historic site in Belle Fourche, South Dakota. The buildings were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998, with its significance being its association with the growth of local government in western plains communities, local figure Seth Bullock, and for making use of Classical architecture, representative of contemporary South Dakota public buildings. The Butte County Courthouse is a two-story building with a raised basement, built in 1911. The building's foundation was built with local sandstone from the quarry at Hot Springs. The design exhibits Classical Revival and Beaux-Arts elements. The building's architect was Charles A. Randall of Newcastle, Wyoming, whose design for the building is very similar the courthouses he designed for Natrona and Weston Counties, Wyoming. The building's most imposing elements are its massive cupola and Ionic portico. In 1964, modernist additions were built on both the north and souths sides of the building. The interior public spaces have largely remained in original condition. The jail, built in 1901, is located east of the courthouse on 6th Avenue. It is a small Romanesque Revival building designed by an unknown architect. The builder was stonemason John A. Scotney, who built the building out of native red sandstone. The building originally housed the county jail as well as a residence for the sheriff and his family. Today, the original building serves as the County Dispatch Center while a modern addition houses the sheriff's office and staff.

Location

839 5th Ave.
Belle Fourche, Butte County, South Dakota
44.67000, -103.81540

Categories

SOCIAL HISTORYLAWPOLITICS/GOVERNMENTARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Bolles, Charles, House
Industrial
1.5 mi
Harris, Fred S., House
Industrial
1.6 mi
South Dakota Dept. of Transportation Bridge No. 10-109-360
Industrial
1.7 mi
Scotney, John Aaron, House
Industrial
1.7 mi
Tri State Bakery
Industrial
1.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Butte County Courthouse amd Historic Jail Building listed on the National Register?

Butte County Courthouse amd Historic Jail Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 3, 1998.

What type of historic resource is Butte County Courthouse amd Historic Jail Building?

Butte County Courthouse amd Historic Jail Building is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Butte County Courthouse amd Historic Jail Building?

The period of significance for Butte County Courthouse amd Historic Jail Building is recorded as the industrial era.

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