The Karcher Block is a historic commercial building located at 366 S. Pierre St. in

Pierre Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French form of the name Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). It is a translation ...

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota people, Lakota and Dakota peo ...

. Businessman Henry Karcher commissioned the

Italianate The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style drew its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian R ...

building in 1884. It was an early work of architects

Proudfoot & Bird Proudfoot & Bird was an American architectural firm that designed many buildings throughout the Midwest region of the United States. Originally established in 1882, it remains active through its several successors, and since 2017 has been known as ...

, then of Pierre but better known for their work elsewhere. Before Karcher constructed his building, Pierre did not have an established commercial center. An East Pierre landowner offered Karcher $6,000 to build his commercial block there, but Karcher turned down the offer and built in West Pierre. Due to the Karcher Block and the

Central Block Central Bloc () is the name given in Portugal to the grand coalition of the Socialist Party and the Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries ar ...

, another major commercial building, West Pierre became Pierre's main business district. The block has continuously housed businesses since its construction. The building was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

on August 17, 1993.

References

Commercial buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in South Dakota Buildings designated early commercial in the National Register of Historic Places Buildings and structures in Pierre, South Dakota National Register of Historic Places in Pierre, South Dakota {{SouthDakota-NRHP-stub