Lead, South Dakota

Lead's City Hall was located in this ornate building at 215 West Main Street from 1912 until 1938. The building originally housed the mayor's and treasurer's offices, the courtroom, jail, and judge's chambers. After construction of a new City Hall at 801 West Main Street in 1937, the city offices moved out and the building was used for a time by the high school music department. With the destruction of the Hearst Mercantile Building by fire in 1942, the Homestake Mining Company lost its office space and subsequently moved their general offices to this site. (Design: architect George Morthland and Lead City Engineer L. D. Lea; Contractor Phillips and Bartlett; cost: $25,080.)

Text from a historical marker.

The Halloran Block was designed by City of Lead Architect J. A. Archibald and was completed for James Halloran in December, 1897. Mr. Halloran originally came to the Black Hills with the Custer Expedition of 1874. James Halloran was a prime mover in the consummation of the Hidden Fortune Mine, northwest of Lead. He also was part owner of the Dolphin and Comstock operations, located on Yellow Creek, south of town. The Dolphin and Comstock Group was part of the great Homestake ore trend.

The Halloran Building has been home to a variety of businesses, including restaurants, saloons, a hotel, a boarding house and a hardware store. The building survived the fire of 1904 that destroyed a quarter of the City of Lead.

During the 1920's and 1930's underground rock pillars in the Homestake Mine began to collapse resulting in surface subsidence in the center of the town of Lead. Several buildings were severely damaged and the threat of continued subsidence required that the center of the town of Lead be moved. The town was moved to the west to its present location. The subsidence area is now part of the Open Cut.

The Halloran Block survived the subsidence and now stands as one of the oldest buildings in the City of Lead. Minimal exterior work has allowed the Halloran Block to retain its character and stature as a landmark location within the community.

Text from a historical marker

Recognizing the need of miners' families for entertainment, the Homestake Mining Company constructed this $250,000 building between 1912-1914 that included an opera house with a seating capacity of 1,000, a bowling alley, swimming pool, library, social hall and billiard room. The restoration of the interior of the theater is currently underway while tours and more than 50 concerts, theatre, presentations and community events are hosted year-round.

Text courtesy of Lead Historic Preservation website.

This block of buildings was built in 1910.

The First National bank building was constructed in 1923 on the foundation of the old 1892 Miners Union Hall and Opera House.

This Post Office was completed in 1912 by Mullen and Rourke Contractors at a cost of $80,000. The building was constructed of Hot Springs sandstone on a foundation of brick and Vermont granite.

Text courtesy of Lead Historic Preservation website.

Constructed in 1928 and sponsored by the Community Hotel Company, the 40-room hotel was designed by Buettler and Arnold, architects, of Sioux City, Iowa. The facility included an attractive lobby, lounging rooms, ladies parlor, social room and coffee shop. Currently, several businesses are located on the main floor and apartments exist throughout the rest of the building.

Text courtesy of Lead Historic Preservation website.

This memorial is dedicated to the men and women whose labor built the Homestake Mine. Special recognition is given to those that lost their lives creating the largest underground mine in the western hemisphere.

1876-2001

The Homestake Mine is the single largest producer of gold in the United States. Between 1876 and 2001, over forty million ounces of gold were produced by the mine.