County of courthouse: Lawrence County
Location of courthouse: 90 Sherman St., Deadwood
Year built: 1909
Restored in 1991
"After Deadwood was selected as the county seat, a county building was set up and officers selected. The first county courthouse was destroyed in the great fire of 1879, along with all the records. The courts were held in a rented building until 1889, when a two-story brick structure was completed on the corner of Sherman and Pine streets. It was demolished in 1906 and replaced with the present Lawrence County Courthouse.
"Lawrence County Courthouse - Drawing by Julie Stone An article which appeared in a local newspaper on January 1, 1908, stated: "For many years it was realized that this county was in need of a new county building, the old ramshackle structure in which the court offices were held, had gotten to be an eyesore to the community, but there were a few timid ones who dreaded that any move toward a new building by the people would be a signal for an attempt to move the county seat to some other town in the county. The movement in favor of a new building gathered headway slowly, and it was finally brought forcibly home to the people when the district court was one day obligated to adjourn in an important case on account of the rain dripping through the roof on the stenographer’s notes while the rain formed pools on the floor in front of the judges bench". At a special election, the people of Deadwood voted that $10,000 be spent on a new structure. The county election then followed, and the proposition carried by a large majority, 2,347 yeas to 543 nays.
"The county commissioners at once arranged for the issuance of the necessary bonds. The architectural plans of Belle and Detweiler, Minneapolis, were accepted on September 6, 1905, and the county offices were temporarily relocated. Mullen and Munn beganLawrence County Courthouse tearing down the rear half of the old building at once. The offices of the county auditor, treasurer, and superintendent of schools were moved to the building formerly occupied by the old American National Bank.
"The general contractor for the new structure was Mullen and Munn of Deadwood; the heating and plumbing contract was awarded to Geo. V. Ayres, of Deadwood; painting and decorations contract to O.J. Oyen Co. of Wisconsin; Art Metal Con. Co. got the steel furniture bid; A.H. Andrews Co., the wood furniture; and W.C. Vosburg Co., the light fixtures. The construction of the three story courthouse transpired during 1906 and 1907 at a cost of $109,579.26. The Lawrence County offices moved into the new structure on January 1, 1908.
"On February 8, 1908, the present courthouse was dedicated. "Like a small state capitol" was the comment made by an eastern visitor, ironic since the same architect, C.E. Belle, also designed the South Dakota State Capitol building in Pierre built in 1909. Every room, as well as the halls, were furnished with artistic brass electric light fixtures to which gas lamps can be added at any time. The floors throughout were composed of beautiful mosaic work and Greek fret borders near the walls. All of the woodwork and furnishings Judge's Benchwere of the very best quality of golden oak. On the ground floor of the new courthouse was located the sheriff’s office, the county judge’s courtroom and the superintendent of schools office, which had a large adjacent room for the examination of candidates for teacher’s certificates. A large portion of the space on the ground floor was taken up by storage vaults, which extended down from the offices on the second floor. The vaults were reached from the offices above by winding stairways with iron railings.
"The second floor was occupied by the Clerk of Courts, the Register of Deeds, the Auditor, the Treasurer and the Commissioner’s meeting room. The Commissioner’s room contained four murals painted by E.A. Soderberg, chief artist of the O.J.Oyen Company, at the company’s headquarters in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, and then shipped here. One of the murals reflected the extraordinary combination of bridges in Lead, where the railroad lines all moved by different varieties of power, and superimposed one above the other. An electric below, above it a stream, and high in the air a line operated by compressed air. Another mural reflected an old prospector, his hand shading his eyes and his gaze bent on a far-off mountain peak. The third mural depicted a bull train winding its way slowly across the prairie approaching a wooded spot that promises refreshment and rest. In the distance is another similar train Jury Boxof twenty bulls still out of the torrid sunshine. The final mural was of a party of cowboys hard at work in a herd of cattle with their broncos at full tilt and their lariats whirling in the air." ~ Lawrence County - Written By Beth Jeffrey