People from far and wide have called Spearfish home and that trend didn’t just begin a couple years or even a couple decades ago! Take look who’s claimed their home here back as far as the late 1800’s. This is intended to be a list of the properties in Spearfish, SD on the National Register of Historic Places. Authorized under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Register is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate and protect our historic and archeological resources. These resources contribute to an understanding of the historical and cultural foundations of the nation.
Mary Whitney House – 1883
704 8th St
In Memoriam
The Mary Whitney house was one of the oldest houses in town. It was identical to the Keets House at 344 E Illinois, just across the alley. While Mary Whitney herself is a bit of an unknown, other than the name that appears in the property records, the house is remembered by many because of all the babies that were born there.
Dr. Gordon Betts ran his doctor's office and hospital out of this house for many years. Because he was an osteopath, he was not allowed to treat his patients at the hospital in Deadwood, which was the closest hospital at the time since Spearfish did not have one. Many women chose Dr. Betts to avoid the long trip to Deadwood to give birth. It was a doctor's office and hospital from the 1940s through the 1950s. After that, it was divided into apartments and at one time used for a daycare. Its foundation failed and the house was torn down in 2022.
Henry & Emma Keets House – 1883
344 E Illinois St
Henry Keets was born in New York, came to Spearfish from Deadwood in 1878, and built his "Shotgun" style house in 1883. "Shotgun" refers to a style where there is a center hallway with all rooms opening off of it. Keets had interests in many different businesses, including mining in Deadwood, which ended badly when he was tried for the murder of another claim owner in 1877. He was acquitted.
He was also an owner of cattle ranches and fruit farms, helped start an electrical plant in the area, and was president of the American Bank in Spearfish and even mayor of the town. Henry and Emma had six children. Their daughter Emma married Dr. Bernard Bettleheim and also lived in the house.
Tasko House – 1920
644 N 8th St
Dr. Tasko built this Tudor style house in the 1920s. He was a dentist and used the living room as a waiting room and one of the bedrooms for treating patients.
Allen and Claire Evans lived here for many years. Allen's father Robert Evans was one of the founding settlers of Spearfish. He came through Spearfish in 1876 during the gold rush, but decided to use the creek for irrigation and start a farming community in the valley instead of searching for gold. Allen was a country commissioner in the 1940s, a director of the Chamber of Commerce, and a founder of the Dorsett Home.
George Favorite House – 1895
544 N 8th St
This house was built for Major George C. Favorite, the first mayor of Spearfish in 1895. Favorite was a banker and prominent figure in social, financial, and military circles. The following statement appeared in the Queen City Mail, April 27,1892: "Mayor Favorite has drawings by an expert architect. The style of architecture is modern and entirely different from anything ever built here. When finished it will be the finest and probably most costly residence in a city of the Black Hills."
Ray and Nadine Fidler and their five children lived in the house for many years. They started a funeral home in Spearfish in 1955 and operated it until 2000. The Fidlers were very active in the community. The home has four bedrooms each with walk-in closets, two baths, 10-foot ceilings, two fireplaces, hardwood floors, pocket doors, and a clawfoot tub. There is also a carriage house on the property.
Connor House – 1880
414 E Illinois St
This is one of the oldest houses in town, along with the Keets house. The Connor family owned ranches in Wyoming and South Dakota. The little house directly to the east between the house and the alley contained the original kitchen for the house as well as living quarters for the servants
John & Mollie Baird House – 1884
446 E Illinois St
John Baird was the owner of the Black Hills Telephone Exchange. It was the first telephone system in SD, established in 1878. Deadwood had phone service before most western cities. In 1925, Lynn and Bessie McCain and their family moved in. Lynn began teaching geography and history at the Normal School (eventually Black Hills State University) in 1903 and taught for 39 years.
He wrote a book about those subjects during the flu pandemic in 1918 when the school was closed, which was eventually used in elementary schools in SD. At the time of his death, he was the Vice President of the school. After his passing, his fellow teacher Evelyn Hesseltine said of him, "He was a man small in body but large in his teaching power, his good judgment, and us his quiet friendship for us all and for our school." The McCains raised seven children in the house and lost one in infancy. Bessie lived in the house until 1956. The O'Neils lived in the house in the 1970s.
Ernest & Lorraine Lown House – 1913
709 N 8th St
Ernie's father, W.B. Lown, owner of Lown Mercantile on 5th Street, had this Craftsman style house built as a wedding present for his son and his bride Lorraine Ainsworth. (The Ainsworth House is at 340 E Kansas) Ernie owned and operated the Lown Mercantile with his brother, Brownie, until it closed in 1963. Lorraine passed away in 1933. Ernie married Mildred Kamman, the Registrar at Black Hills Teacher's College (BHSU), in 1939. She owned the Frank Bryant House before she was married, at 240 E Kansas St.
The O'Neil family lived in many houses, this being one of them, during the 1960s. It is one of the houses in town that has been long rumored to be a "kit" house or possibly a Sears House, along with the Homestake House. No one has been able to confirm this. A similar Craftsman style house, also possibly a kit house, was built for Ernie's brother that originally stood on the corner of Main and Jackson Blvd. It was moved to 715 E. Harding Street in the 1970s.
Frank Bryant House – 1892
240 E Kansas St
David and Julia Daggett bought 6 lots and built their stylish house around 1892. The Daggetts came to Spearfish in 1881 and had four children. In 1998, David died and the house was sold. Frank and Ellen Bryant were the second owners. Frank is a famous pioneer in the story of the Deadwood gold rush. in 1875, hearing rumors of the gold in the Black Hills, he left Nebraska with six other men. Avoiding U.S. Soldiers and getting a map from a Lakota friend in Ft Pierre, they arrived at Deadwood Gulch in August.
They were the first prospectors to arrive. They found small amounts of gold but not as much as they had hoped, so continued exploring the area until they found themselves at the mouth of what is now called Spearfish Canyon. They camped where the city campground is now and climbed a hill to get a look around, the hill that is now Rose Hill Cemetery. Frank filed the first claim in the Hills, Claim #1, in Bobtail Gulch in November. It was after that the Bryant family moved to Spearfish.
Frank and Ellen had eleven children. Unfortunately, soon after moving in Frank made a trip to Cuba where he contracted yellow fever and became involved in a business deal where he lost most of his money. He died in 1910. He is buried at Rose Hills, where he first stood and looked over the valley that would become Spearfish. Many other families have owned the house including the Beardhears. the Kellys, the Youngs (both the Kellys and the Youngs also lived at 730 8th St.), and the Ruddells.
James & Katherine Estes House – 1940
730 Main N 8th St
This Cape Cod style home was built for the Estes family in 1940. Jim Estes, despite losing his right hand in a sawmill accident, became vice president of the Homestake Company and was in charge of timber operations. The house was sold to the Kelly family in 1949.
They were a prominent family in town and owned the Matthews Block downtown and the Spearfish Hotel which eventually was known as the Kelly Motor Inn on the corner of Main St and Hudson. They moved into this house from the Frank Bryant House at 240 Kansas St.
Don and Darleen Young bought it in 1962. They had also lived in the Bryant House before moving into this one. The Youngs were both teachers at Black Hills State University, and Don was mayor of Spearfish in the 1970s. The Donald E. Young Center on the Black Hill State University campus is named after him.
Baker Bungalow – 1921
740 N 8th St
Frank and Gertrude Baker had this Craftsman style bungalow built in 1921. It retains its original floor plan and almost all of its features including Douglas fir woodwork, windows, oak floors, original kitchen cabinets, a native stone fireplace, and its pebble dash exterior. Its two-car garage was built with three doors so that Frank could pull in his Model T from the south side and drive out the north without having to put his car in reverse.
The Bakers owned a clothing and shoe store downtown. Thanks to the Baker's interest in fashion, the house has a large walk-in closet and dressing area off the main bedroom. John and Edith Stannus bought the house when they retired in 1950. They owned a ranch on the Redwater River north of Spearfish. John's grandfather came to the Hills in 1876, and he grew up on a ranch near the one he and Edith bought in Redwater. Edith came to Deadwood with her family in 1895 in a covered wagon. She repeatedly ran away from home as a little girl living in a mining camp to visit Calamity Jane of whom she was very fond. The house has remained in the family since 1950.
Fayette & Wenona Cook House – 1893
840 8th St
Fayette and Wenona Cook bought two lots, next to their good friend John Wolzmuth, after they were married in 1892 and built their home soon after. Fayette came to Spearfish from Nebraska in 1885, to take on the job of principal at the Dakota Territory Normal School, which would eventually become Black Hills State University. He had planned to go to Harvard to continue his education, but was convinced of the desperate situation in Spearfish and came here instead.
The Normal School had opened in 1883 but the first year had gone badly. The first principal had depleted the funds at the school and then been arrested and convicted of murdering his wife and mother in law in Pennsylvania. Without a new principal, the school would close. Cook brought with him his personal library, the only books that would be available at the school the first semester. He was also the only employee so he taught all the classes, and was the janitor.
The school grew rapidly, and in 1887 a new much larger building was added. Payette met Wenona when she was the art teacher at the school. He continued as principal until 1919. In the 1970s, the house was feeling its years but Randy and Pat Christensen, who had planned to remodel it into apartments, saw that it was worth saving and bought it back to what it was originally, a family home.
Ainsworth House – 1894
340 E Kansas
Dr. Oliver Ainsworth was born in Illinois in 1850 and moved to Spearfish in 1893 where he practiced medicine and stayed for the rest of his life. He had married Ellen Ellis in 1880, and they had six children which they raised in this house. He was also a member of many local organizations and was also invested in mining and ranching. He and his wife were buried at Rose Hill Cemetery.
Their descendants are still residents of Spearfish. As with many of the oldest houses in town, this one stood on several lots and had room for a barn to house a cow and horses. The small garage was built in the 1920s, and the new garage and workshop were built in recent years. At the time the new garage was built, the present owners also found the remnants of the spot where the Ainsworth family had thrown out their refuse. China, doll parts, lamp chimney parts, lots of bottles, parts of shoes, and a spittoon were found.
Eleazer C. Dickey House -1905
735 N 8th Street
Lee and Nettie Dickey owned a store in Deadwood and moved to Spearfish in 1905. Their son Walter, who lived here as a young man, later built the house at 815 State St. They sold the house in 1915 and it became a boarding house, and then during WWII, it was remodeled into apartments.
The O'Neil family moved into the house in 1967 and turned it back into a family residence. The Thompson family lived in it during the 1980s. They owned the Sluice Restaurant which was very well known and popular at the time. It has had many owners in its history and became a Bed and Breakfast in 1991. Eleazer and Nettie are both buried at Rose Hill Cemetery.
Homestake House – 1912
830 State St
The Homestake House, originally built for the workers at the Hydroelectric Plant in Spearfish, is a bit of a newcomer to the neighborhood. Built in 1912 near the city campground, it was moved by the Tysdal family to its present location in 1972. Of the four houses built near the park, only one is still in its original spot. It has been rumored to be a "Sears" or "kit" house and resembled #144 from the Sears catalog.
Although, it seems unlikely that a company that owned a sawmill would have bought all the materials for a house from another source. No proof has ever been found to confirm the origins of the house. Wherever the plans came from, it was a generous house to be built for employees by an employer.
Halloran Matthews Brady House – 1906
214 E Jackson Blvd
James T. Hallorand was born in Ireland. He was with the Custer Expedition of 1874. and owned several gold claims. He and his wife Elizabeth moved to Spearfish in 1906. The home was built by Olaf Christofferson, and was made of poured concrete that was formed to appear like blocks.
In 1911, the home was sold to Tommy Matthews, a member of the State Police Officer Core. Tommy was the son of prominent Spearfish resident, T.W. Matthews. His wife Angela and their two children were the victims of tragedy when Tommy was called out one night in 1946 to track down a man accused of stealing gas. At the intersection of Old Belle Road and Highway 14, the man, who was an escaped prisoner, George Sitts, shot and killed both Tommy Matthews and the Butte County Sheriff. Sitts was convicted of the double murder and sentenced to death.
Angela and her children continued to live here until 1959 when the house was sold to Frank Brady, another prominent citizen, and owner of Brady Engineering. When he passed in 1967, his wife Mary stayed in their home and raised her children as Angela Matthews had done before her.
Walter & Margaret Dickey House – 1931
815 State St
Walter and Margaret built this Spanish style house during the Great Depression. They were inspired by a house they had seen while in Minneapolis. It was one of very few such grand houses built in the state during that time. And although one might expect the people of a small town to feel resentment toward the vice president of a bank who built a mansion while so many were struggling, one would be wrong.
Walter Dickey was so highly thought of in the community that people only felt a shared pride in his beautiful home. Walter was the son of Eleazer and Nettie Dickey, owners of the house at 735 N 8th St. He went to school here and attended the Spearfish Normal School. He served in Europe during World War I, and when he returned to Spearfish, he married Margaret Cooper and began working at the American National Bank. When his bank acquired the Bank of Spearfish, he helped manage it. He eventually became vice president and manager of the First National Bank of the Black Hills, and managed several other banks at the same time.
When he was interviewed for a newspaper article in 1981, he said, "My father and mother taught us kids not to hurt anybody or anything. I don't know of a person I dislike. I love everybody." He and Margaret did much for the town during their lifetimes, as generous citizens to those in need, as promoters of the Black Hills Passion Play, Black Hills State University, and founders of several scholarships. Walter died in 1982 and is buried at Rose Hill Cemetery. The Dickeys left the house to BHSU and the college president lived in it for many years until a new residence was built on campus and the house was sold.
Howard & Grace Platt House – 1939
931 8th St
Howard and Grace started this Colonial style home in 1939 and completed it in 1942. They had one son, Rusty, who grew up in the house.
The Platts were related to the Lowns, who lived down 8th St from them. They were very involved in the community and did a lot of entertaining. In 2007, the present owner was able to buy the neighboring lot and give the house its lovely outdoor space.
Otto & Grace Uhlig House – 1918
230 E Jackson Blvd
Otto was with the very earliest settlers in the Spearfish area, being named in two of the original "parties" that came into the valley in 1876; the Centennial Party and the Montana Party.
The townsite was platted in May of 1876, and Otto purchased a tract of land adjoining the townsite. His land is now known as the "Uhlig Addition" of Spearfish, which includes his house. Otto and Grace were married in 1916. Otto owned a pharmacy downtown and a grocery store in Whitewood in the early 1900s. After Otto died in 1938, Grace ran the home as a boarding house.
John & Margaret Wolzmuth House – 1884
814 N 8th St
John and Margaret Wolzmuth moved from Deadwood to Spearfish in 1880, and they lived here for the rest of their lives. He owned a very successful hardware business, on the corner of Main and Hudson, which is the large sandstone building that still stands today. John was elected to the state legislature in 1886 and served at least 9 terms. He also served several terms as mayor of Spearfish, was a member of the city council, was one of the first country commissioners, and served on the board of education.
As a legislator, he was instrumental in the start of Black Hills State University, then known as the Spearfish Normal School. He worked tirelessly to get the funding for the 1887 Main Classroom Building. In 1889 when the state considered closing down the school, and using the building for a prison, he used his influence to turn the tide of negative pressure from the eastern part of the state and the school was saved. The Wolzmuth House has had many owners and is one of the oldest remaining houses in town.
