Wessington Springs in Jerauld County, South Dakota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

Jerauld County Courthouse

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 14, 2011

1. Jerauld County Courthouse Marker

Inscription. This courthouse was built in 1930 at a cost of $120,000. It had an unusual design for a courthouse at that time, being Modern American instead of Classical. The exterior is brick, trimmed with Bedford Stone. The interior has terrazzo floors, wainscoting, and balustrades of Tennessee Tavernelle marble, and much ornamental plaster. Historical displays are located on the main floor.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Notable Buildings. In addition, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1930.

Location. 44° 4.706′ N, 98° 34.243′ W. Marker is in Wessington Springs, South Dakota, in Jerauld County. It is at the intersection of Dakota Avenue South and 1st Street SW, on the right when traveling north on Dakota Avenue South. Marker is located at the courthouse parking lot entrance on the west (back) side of the courthouse. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 205 Wallace Avenue South, Wessington Springs SD 57382, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in East River

and specifically in the James River Valley.

It is also in the American Lewis & Clark Corridor,

on the prairies,

and on the Northern Plains.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once Rupert’s Land

and also the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: South Dakota Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame (within shouting distance of this marker); Wessington Springs, South Dakota Veterans Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Stratton Park

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(about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Carnegie Library (about 500 feet away); Methodist Episcopal Church of Wessington Springs (about 500 feet away); Opera House (about 600 feet away); Wessington Springs' First Home (about 600 feet away); Municipal Field House (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Wessington Springs.

More about this marker. Marker is a painted metal plaque, mounted on a waist-high post.

Regarding Jerauld County Courthouse. National Register of Historic Places (1993)

Also see . . . South Dakota MPS Jerauld County Courthouse - National Archives Catalog. From the National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet (1992):

Statement of Significance:

"Since the building's construction, it has housed virtually all of the county's administrative, operational, and judicial functions, while simultaneously serving as the official repository for county records. The courthouse is the most important single physical element in the historic and contemporary governance of Jerauld County, and is an important local visual
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 14, 2011

2. Jerauld County Courthouse Marker (wide view; parking lot, courthouse west side in background)
reminder of the importance of county government.

The Jerauld County courthouse is architecturally significant as a representative example of twentieth-century public and institutional architecture in South Dakota. The building's utilization of Art Deco design elements is typical of state courthouses constructed during the period. The building is an unusually well-crafted and executed example of Art Deco design, and is among the largest and most visually striking examples of architecture in Wessington Springs and Jerauld County."

(Submitted on January 5, 2025.)

Jerauld County Courthouse (<i>west side; view from near marker</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 14, 2011

3. Jerauld County Courthouse (west side; view from near marker)

Jerauld County Courthouse (<i>entrance detail</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 14, 2011

4. Jerauld County Courthouse (entrance detail)

Jerauld County Courthouse (<i>east/front/Wallace Avenue view</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 14, 2011

5. Jerauld County Courthouse (east/front/Wallace Avenue view)

Jerauld County Courthouse NRHP Marker image. Click for full size.

November 24, 2024

6. Jerauld County Courthouse NRHP Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on January 7, 2025. It was originally submitted on October 11, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 256 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on October 12, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 6. submitted on January 5, 2025. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.