📚 Carnegie Library (Currently Hustead Law)

Address: 145 North Chicago Street, Hot Springs, SD

Built: 1913

First Occupant: Hot Springs Public Library

Current Occupant (2025): Hustead Law Office (Attorneys Willie Hustead, Cole Romey, Austin Shafer; Business Manager Lacey Rapp)

Sandstone Quarry: Burke Quarry (based on confirmed use in other Carnegie libraries across SD, Iowa, and Nebraska; still seeking direct confirmation)

Architect: John P. Eisentraut (Fall River Company)

Contractor: O.E. Goodhand of Ord, Nebraska

Architectural Style: Neo-Classical Carnegie Library with local sandstone facing

🏛 Historical Overview

Funded by Andrew Carnegie’s nationwide library program, the Hot Springs Carnegie Library was built in 1913 and formally opened in July 1914. It served the community for nearly 70 years, becoming both an educational resource and a symbol of civic pride.

The library’s neo-classical design was elevated by the use of locally quarried sandstone, cut and laid by skilled masons under O.E. Goodhand. Tufted bands of rock-faced stone separated courses of smooth-cut ashlar, producing a striking contrast. The Doric columns flanking the main entrance each took three full days for stone cutters to complete. Other distinctive features include a divided transom and sidelights at the entry, a high basement, parapet wall, and diagonally divided upper window panes.

Architect John P. Eisentraut, whose Fall River Company was responsible for other prominent Hot Springs landmarks, designed the building. The library also benefited from a 1930s WPA project, which added the low stone wall still visible around the lawn.

By the 1980s, structural issues emerged, traced to the building’s site on a filled gully with underground springs. Despite stabilization attempts, the structure was condemned in 1995 after inspectors found the rear wall splaying outward and roof trusses dangerously unstable.

The building was purchased and repaired by Steve Suminek, who mud-jacked the foundation and saved the structure. It later served as offices for Southern Hills General Hospital before being purchased in 2023 by Hustead Law, which continues to occupy the restored building today.

🖼 Architectural Significance

• Neo-classical Carnegie library design with local stone facing
• Doric columns carved by John W. Coleman, three days per column
• Combination of smooth-faced and rock-faced Burke Quarry sandstone courses
• High basement and parapet wall typical of Carnegie architecture
• Interior retains original woodwork, reflecting early 20th-century craftsmanship

📍 Later Uses & Current Status

• 1913–1980s: Public Library (served nearly 70 years)
• 1980s–1995: Ongoing structural repairs; condemned by State Engineer in 1995
• 1995–2003: Purchased and repaired by Steve Suminek
• 2003–2010s: Converted into offices, including use by Southern Hills General Hospital
• 2023–Present: Hustead Law Office

🔍  Things SOS Is Still Looking For

 Research Requests & Notes:

• Exact architect and builder information for this library
• Date when the building was declared unsafe
• More details on the transition period from library to hospital offices
• Confirmation of Burke Quarry’s direct involvement in this specific build

QR Code Info:   Funded by Andrew Carnegie, this 1913 neo-classical library served Hot Springs for nearly 70 years. Designed by John P. Eisentraut and faced in Burke Quarry sandstone, its Doric columns each took three days to carve. After structural settling led to condemnation in 1995, the building was saved by mud-jacking and later housed hospital offices. Today it endures as Hustead Law, preserving one of the community’s most finely crafted civic landmarks.