historic preservation

WHAT DOES SHPO DO?

The South Dakota State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) manages a wide range of Historic Preservation matters throughout the state of South Dakota.  Some of the tasks our office performs include:

• - Surveying and maintaining inventories of historic properties throughout the state. Take a look at our CRGRID for surveyed architectural properties in the state.
• - Nominating eligible properties to the State and National Register of Historic Places.
• - Providing public information, education, training, and technical assistance relating to historic preservation. Our 'Documents and Forms' page has a wide variety of materials regarding the different type of properties in South Dakota.
• - Working with local governments across the state in creating local historic preservation programs and Certified Local Governments.
• - Administering grant and tax incentive funding programs to assist in the stabilization, rehabilitation, and restoration of historic properties. These programs include the Deadwood Fund Grant, the State Property Tax Moratorium, and the Federal Tax Incentive. 
• - Administering a state historical marker program.  A current list of historical markers can be found here.
• - Working with federal and state agencies and local governments in carrying out their historic preservation responsibilities, especially on projects that might affect historic properties, under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, and SDCL 1-19A-11.1.
• - Hosting an archaeology camp with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that teaches students about the field of archaeology, why archaeological digs are done, and what we can learn from the artifacts found. 
• - Administering a Student Essay Contest open to all 4^th grade students in South Dakota. The topic for the essay contest is 'This Place Matters' where students write about a place in South Dakota that's at least 50 years old and explains us why that place matters to them.