Address: 303 North River Street, Hot Springs, SD 57747

Date Built: 1893

First Occupant: Post Office, Fire Department, Police Dept and City Jail on 1st floor. City Hall and Court Room on 2nd floor. Also a Library Room and Opera House.

Current Occupant: City Hall

Sandstone Quarry: Burke Quarry located on the southeast flank of Battle Mountain yielding buff and white building stone. A bridge had to be built across the river for the purpose of hauling stone from the railway cars to the building site.

Architect: Jacob Wright

Contractor: A. D. McKay

Architectural Style: One of the more elaborate buildings in the downtown is the City Hall which A. D. McKay built. Influenced by the Romanesque style, the building’s front facade has all-around arched openings with large keystones. Hood molding appears around the second floor windows. Perforated stone work is used for a decorative device at all levels of the building and appears on the stringcourse that separates the two stories. A series of pilasters extends up the central bay to the roof line. An entablature covers the central entrance with checkerboard or “diaper” work above it. The cornice has a band of pointed arches and dentil decoration with a parapet wall above. A centra, decorative roof cresting with pyramidical terminations is one of the embellishments of the building. The large stone on which the words ”City Hall” stand out in bold relief was put in position above the central arched window of the second story of the building June 15, 1893. 

History: Consideration of building a City hall was begun February of 1892. The location choice finally decided on midway between the north and south parts of the city. Then it was decided to build an addition on the side to be used for a fire engine. A. D. McKay contracted the new city hall for $9374 and construction began March 1893. After considerable financial trouble, including the “crash of the First National Bank,” the city council was able to accept the new hall December 1, 1893. The building hosted multiple services and businesses over time. Initially, city council, the post office, fire department, judges office and the court room was shared with the council room.

September 1894: Electricity was installed. 

June 1895: A fireproof vault was installed.

June 1898: A library room was added upstairs and in July of ‘99 an Opera house opened n the 2nd floor in July ‘99. 

December 1900: R. M. Connor & Co. Grocery store opened in the west room of the 1st floor. 

January 1904: The 1st fire bell ($160) was installed. The bell didn’t make enough noise and was thrown in the river and was recovered during a later flood.

January 1905: Stewart’s Real Estate located over the Post Office.

September 8, 1905: Magowan store burned and City Hall lost all windows in the front.

April 30, 1909: Public library moved from the Harlou Block to Council rooms in City Hall.

February 17, 1910: Fire was discovered in the 2nd floor of City Hall. Origin is supposed to have been a pail of ashes setting in a little room back of the library. It seemed it had burned through the floor and gained headway between that and the ceiling of the post office before being discovered. A great part of the damage was caused by water and holes cut in the floor to get at the fire.  The fireman’s hall and post office were flooded.

April 1910: Post Office moved out.

June 1910: Library moved downstairs to old Post Office area.

1916: County agent has office on 2nd floor.

June 12, 1919: Open public restroom in council building next to Post Office.

January 1924: High School has Commercial Department on the large hall and Superintendent’s office move to 2nd floor.

June 1925: Public restrooms opened for tourist season with Mrs. W.E. Fonker as Matron.

1973: Council Chambers moved downstairs to the old fire garage. The women’s cellblock was located in the fire hall also before the new jail was built.

March 1973: Approved a Cultural Art Center Gallery to use the 2nd floor.

November 1987: The Fire bell was rolled to the front of the city hall roof and lowered by a crane. It was placed as a Memorial dedicated to volunteer firemen who have served on the department since it began in 1894 in front of the new fire hall across the river from City Hall.

June 1991: Patrons of the Goddard Art Gallery, located on the second floor of city hall were forced to look elsewhere to display their works. City Council voted to close the second floor due to structural and wiring problems as reported by the city engineer and the fire department.

QR Code Info: City Hall, built in 1893, is one of the more elaborate buildings downtown. An addition on the side was to be used for a fire engine. The building hosted multiple services over time, initially, city council, post office, fire department, judges' office and the court room were shared with the council room. Later, the building also hosted a library room, an Opera House, grocery store, a woman’s cell block and a Cultural Art Center Gallery.