Situated in the center of a lot east of the original commercial core in Spearfish, South Dakota, the Homestake Workers House is a one and one-half story Craftsman/Bungalow dwelling. Rising from a modern concrete foundation, the wood frame building is clad with clapboard siding. Wood shingles cover the gable ends and the sidewalls of the dormer. The house is capped by a broken side-gabled roof. The lower gable begins about one-third of the distance from the peak of the roof and extends over the front (west side) full-width porch. A large gabled dormer projects from the center of the lower roof, and a shed roof covers the rear (east) single-story section of the house. All roof surfaces are covered with wood shingles. A wooden lattice encloses the north opening of the porch. Fenestration includes groupings of one, two, and three wood one-over-one double-hung windows, six-over-six double-hung windows in the living room, and two picture windows with stained glass transoms flanking the main entrance. Two modern casement windows have been installed in the kitchen/breakfast room at the rear of the house. All of the windows have wooden storms. A wood paneled door with a single light and a wood storm door is located at each of the three entrances...
The dwelling was erected by the Homestake Mining Company in 1912 near its hydroelectric plant at the east end of Spearfish Park for use as workers' housing. It was one of four identical houses that the company built for this purpose. Local reports claim that these houses were ordered from Sears, Roebuck and Company. Although at the present time no makers marks or plans have been uncovered, it is very likely that these houses were indeed catalog pre-cut or standard plan dwellings and that they were purchased from Sears. In fact, in form, plan, fenestration, and exterior and interior detail, the nominated property is strikingly similar to the Sears Model 144 (1911-1913, akin to "The Westly," 1913-1929). Only the roof line and the one-story shed-roofed section on the rear of the house reveal variation from the advertised Sears plan.
Three of the original dwellings, including this one, were moved from the hydroelectric plant location in 1972, when all four of the buildings were sold by Homestake Mining Company. Two of the dwellings were moved to the north edge of Spearfish and only one of those was partially rebuilt. The dwelling that remained at the original site has suffered some recent alteration; however, the house at 830 State Street, [this house] has retained most of its architectural integrity and lies in the midst of a residential neighborhood with dwellings of the same size and scale.