WELCOME TO HISTORIC PRESERVATION
The South Dakota State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) works to advocate for the preservation of historic properties and archaeological sites across South Dakota through providing access to funding opportunities, education, consultation, research, and promotion of heritage tourism. SHPO also manages the National Register of Historic Places program in South Dakota and reviews federal, state, and local government activities to understand their affects on cultural and historic resources. Below you will find SHPO's most recent news and deadlines, as well as a more comprehensive list on what the office works on. For any questions, comments, or concerns, please click the contact page and reach out!
SHPO NEWS AND DEADLINES:
Welcome to our new SHPO employee Maddie Ferrell! Maddie is our new Northern Region Historic Preservation Specialist.
Congratulations to Ava Ireland, Tiana Suurmeier, and Jackson Lee, our three winners of the 2025 4th Grade Student Essay Contest! Click Here to read their essays!
Archaeology Camp 2025 will be held on June 10th, 11th, and 12th! Please visit our Archaeology Camp page for more details and how to register.
The theme for our 2025 Archaeology and Historic Preservation Month will be 'Journeys into History'! Please visit our AHP Month page for more information (to be updated closer to May!).
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 4th 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 explain to us why that place matters to them.