Brookings Historic Preservation Commission

10/05/2026

News Release: The Brookings Historic Preservation Commission (BHPC) will host staff from the South Dakota State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) for a SHPO Survey Workshop on Saturday, Oct. 10.

The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Children’s Museum of South Dakota, in the upstairs Community Room. The workshop is free and open to the public.

SHPO staff will lead a presentation and training session for BHPC members and interested public attendees for historic preservation survey training.

Following the sit-down presentation and discussion, BHPC members will lead a walking tour through the Central Residential Historic District and the area immediately east of the Central Residential Historic District.

All members of the public are welcome to attend. There are no age restrictions. There is no designated parking for the event, but on-street parking is available in the area.

Attendees are encouraged to check in with the Children’s Museum front desk staff for directions to the Community Room. The Children’s Museum is located at 521 Fourth St. in downtown Brookings.

Questions about the event can be directed to BHPC Chair Matthew Weiss at 605-691-1611 or [email protected].

Read full news release at https://www.cityofbrookings-sd.gov/m/newsflash/home/detail/5707

08/25/2026

News Release: Back by popular demand, the Brookings Historic Preservation Commission (BHPC) will host the Central Residential Historic District Trolley Rides on Thursday, Aug. 27, from 5 to 7 p.m. in conjunction with Downtown at Sundown that evening.

The free trolley rides will start at the southwest corner of Fifth Street and Fifth Avenue (northwest corner of the Children’s Museum of South Dakota) and proceed clockwise through the Central Residential Historic District.

Participants will be led by horse and trolley provided by the South Dakota State University Equine Club with Mike Olson. BHPC members will narrate and share commentary.

Trolley rides will run continuous with departures every 20 to 30 minutes. All members of the public are welcome to attend. There are no age restrictions. Roughly 10 people can ride safely at a time.

A designated departure area will be blocked off with cones before and during the event. People are encouraged to wait at the southeast corner of Fifth Street and Fifth Avenue between departures.

Read full news release at https://ow.ly/ECLc50ZFnxy

07/26/2026

It’s been a busy few days for us at National Alliance of Preservation Commissions Forum 2026 learning more about historic preservation and how we can better support our historic properties and owners.

06/25/2026

News Release: The Brookings Historic Preservation Commission is seeking nominations for the 2026 Mayor’s Awards for outstanding achievements in historic preservation. The nomination deadline is 5 p.m. Friday, July 31.

The nomination form and additional information can be found at https://ow.ly/ceJj50ZhkIH, or by contacting Associate Planner Bailey Maca at 605-697-8631 or [email protected].

The awards recognize significant achievements in historic preservation in the City of Brookings and seek to inspire others to preserve, protect and promote historic resources.

Read full news release at https://ow.ly/jN8850ZhkII

05/30/2026

As we close out Archeology and Historic Preservation month, we have a combination architectural term and question for you!
The term is "Cornerstone."
Definition: The cornerstone is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation. It was typically set where two walls met and was engraved with the date to commemorate when the building was constructed.
Do you know what building was built in Brookings in 1894 and has the cornerstone shown in the photo below?

05/28/2026

Let's talk building materials. "Back in the day" it was more feasible to construct buildings out of materials that were local to the area. This building was first constructed in 1900 as the Bank of Brookings. It now houses George's Pizza where you can take a seat in the old bank vault. The building's facade includes a type of stone that is local to southeastern South Dakota. Do you know the name of this stone?

05/26/2026

It's the last week of Archaeology and Historic Preservation Month. Don't forget to stop by the Brookings Public Library to see our display of a map of the Brookings historic downtown as it was in 1928 and historic pictures of buildings that were built before 1930. These buildings are part of the Brookings Commercial Historic District and the Brookings Central Historic District and helped "Build Brookings' History."

05/20/2026

It's still Archeology and Historic Preservation Month - so it's time for another architecture term: Cast Stone.
Definition: Cast stone is a building material made of fine to coarse aggregates, Portland cement, sand, mineral oxide color pigments, chemical admixtures and water. It is used to to simulate natural-cut masonry. It is distinguished by its fine surface texture and is available in virtually any color.
Cast stone is comparable to precast concrete, in that it arrives to the building site already in the exact shape you expect it to, whereas in the past, real stone would have been site-hewn to the shape necessary. Cast stone, like that shown on the Brookings Furniture Co building (long-time formerly Rude’s), is easy to spot, and is possibly the quirkiest example of cast stone in town.

05/18/2026

Do you know what downtown building has this architectural detail?
Hint: It's not on the main drag but used to be the center of the city government.

05/15/2026

Did you know that the South Dakota State Historical Society has a webpage with information on grants, tax incentives, and other funding opportunities that might help you with your restoration project on your historic property? Check it out:

Funded by a portion of the gambling revenue generated in Deadwood, South Dakota. Grants ranging from $1,000 to $25,000 given to projects that retain, restore, or rehabilitate historic buildings, structures, and archaeology sites in South Dakota for commercial, residential, or public purposes.