Downtown Vermillion Historic District

About this property

Downtown Vermillion Historic District is a historic district in downtown Vermillion, South Dakota, consisting of 34 contributing buildings all constructed between 1880 and 1942. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003 and reflects a period of substantial economic growth in Vermillion, as well as for its representation of late 19th and early 20th century architectural styles. When Vermillion was founded in 1859, it was originally located on the banks of the Missouri River, south of the town's present-day site. However, after the Great Flood of 1881 destroyed most of the town, the citizens rebuilt atop the bluff to the north, where some buildings had already been established in the decades prior to the flooding; three buildings along West Main Street formed the foundations of the new commercial developments. Businesses along Market and Main Streets competed with one another to be considered the primary commercial road in Vermillion; however, due to city planning issues on Market Street, Main Street eventually won out as the central hub. Following fires in 1890 and 1893, wooden structures on Main and Market Streets had been banned by the city council; as a result, buildings were constructed out of sturdier materials and have survived to the present day. Development was hindered by the Panic of 1893, but by 1897, local business was slowly recovering and new buildings were being constructed by 1899. This resulted in a boom of new growth; many downtown buildings are from this first decade of the 20th century. Today, these buildings mainly host stores and restaurants, as well as movie theaters, meeting halls, and a library. The Downtown Vermillion Historic District reflects a blend of architectural styles. Earlier buildings typically reflect Classical Revival, and those built after the beginning of the 20th century often used Early Commercial style. They were constructed primarily out of red or orange bricks made from clay harvested from the Missouri River Valley. Between 1881 and 1907, Bower's Brick Yard in Vermillion provided most of the bricks used in the earlier structures. Sioux Quartzite quarried nearby was also used extensively, typically left unpolished to create a rough outer façade. Regionally-notable architects Wallace L. Dow and Joseph Schwartz contributed to the building of two district properties previously listed with the NRHP. All 34 contributing buildings to the district were constructed between 1880 and 1942, marking a period of commercial development in the city. Thirty-three buildings were included in the original nomination, and 100 East Main Street was added later, after renovations restored it to its historical appearance.

Location

Categories

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.

More in Clay County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Clay County.

More historic places in South Dakota

Browse all historic places in South Dakota.

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

South Dakota history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.