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BHistory
History · Pierre

Pierre’s post office opened in 1880, and 31 of its places are on the National Register

More historic than 64% of U.S. towns · #15 of 35 in South Dakota. What drives it

Most of Pierre was built recently: 9% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1976. 31 places in town are on the National Register, among them four historic districts with 203 buildings between them. Below: 3 old photos and papers, maps from 1884 on, and the census since 1890.

1880first post office
31on the National Register
9%homes built before 1940
3old photos & papers
13famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Pierre’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Pierre began

When was Pierre founded?

1880

The Pierre post office opened in 1880, the earliest record of the town by name. Two smaller post offices, Matto (1880) and Stanley (1890), opened inside today’s city and later closed.

First census: 3,235 in 18902020 census: 14,091146 years

How historic is Pierre?

B

More historic than 64% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: the first Pierre post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Pierre’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Pierre is more historic than 64% of U.S. towns, #15 of 35 in South Dakota. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.

B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Pierre’s overall grade.
Founding era1880, from the first post office: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 19408.9% of homes (±2.1) · typical SD town 10.4% · U.S. 8.4%C+National Register31 listings, 237 historic buildings, 170 per 10,000 residents · typical SD town 37.3 · U.S. 2.4A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 64%
NewerOlder
South Dakota towns of 2,500+ (35)Ahead of 59%

South Dakota towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical South Dakota town has 37.3 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Pierre’s 170 sits above most of its state (92% of South Dakota towns have fewer) while its 237 historic buildings outnumber those of 94% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C to A−. The pre-1940 share (±2.1 points) is firm at this size. The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.

Founding year: the first post office (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Pierre’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

Landmarks on the Register31 places on the National Register.A historic districtThe Pierre Hill Residential Historic District takes in 138 historic buildings.A history waiting to be writtenOnly 3 old photos are in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.Mapped building by building9 fire insurance maps, 1884 to 1927, drew every building in Pierre.
★ What stands out · On the National Register

31 listings protect 237 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving. Boundary changes and added documentation are counted with their listing.

places listed
31
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
237
each building in a district counts
first listed
1976
South Dakota State Capitol
South Dakota State Capitol, built 1910Stephens-Lucas House, built 1905Crawford-Pettyjohn HouseKarcher-Sahr HouseJudge C. D. Meade House, built 1882Brink-Wagner HouseSt. Charles HotelFarr HouseSoldiers & Sailors World War MemorialHyde BuildingsGeorge McMillen HouseHorner-Hyde HouseCentral BlockHenry M. McDonald House, built 1885Hughes County CourthouseKenneth R. Scurr House, built 1923Karcher BlockI. W. Goodner HouseDr. William and Elizabeth Blackburn House, built 1883Methodist Episcopal ChurchChicago and North Western Railroad BridgePeter Hansen House, built 1949Rowe House, built 1907John E. and Ruth Hipple HouseHilger BlockPringle House, built 1929Celina and Albert Goddard House, built 1908South Dakota State Capitol ComplexPierre Hill Residential Historic DistrictOahe Addition Historic DistrictUpper Pierre Street Commercial Historic District Boundary IncreasePierre American Legion Cabin
BuildingsDistrictsStructures

Architectural styles listings

Queen Anne5
Neo-Classical4
Colonial Revival3
Classical Revival2
Commercial Style2
Prairie School2
South Dakota State CapitolNeo-Classical · Built 1910
Stephens-Lucas HouseDutch Colonial · Built 1905
Crawford-Pettyjohn HouseQueen Anne
Karcher-Sahr HouseNeo-Classical
Judge C. D. Meade HouseVictorian · Built 1882
Brink-Wagner HouseQueen Anne
St. Charles HotelCommercial
Farr HouseGeorgian Revival
All 32 listings
Soldiers & Sailors World War MemorialBuilding · listed 1983Hyde BuildingsBuilding · listed 1983George McMillen HouseBuilding · listed 1983Horner-Hyde HouseBuilding · listed 1988Central BlockBuilding · listed 1989Henry M. McDonald HouseBuilding · listed 1989Hughes County CourthouseBuilding · listed 1993Kenneth R. Scurr HouseBuilding · listed 1993Karcher BlockBuilding · listed 1993I. W. Goodner HouseBuilding · listed 1995Dr. William and Elizabeth Blackburn HouseBuilding · listed 1997Methodist Episcopal ChurchBuilding · listed 1997Chicago and North Western Railroad BridgeStructure · listed 1998Peter Hansen HouseBuilding · listed 1999Rowe HouseBuilding · listed 2001John E. and Ruth Hipple HouseBuilding · listed 2001Hilger BlockBuilding · listed 2006Pringle HouseBuilding · listed 2012Celina and Albert Goddard HouseBuilding · listed 2018South Dakota State Capitol ComplexDistrictPierre Hill Residential Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1998Oahe Addition Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2000Upper Pierre Street Commercial Historic District Boundary IncreaseDistrict · listed 2000Pierre American Legion CabinBuilding · listed 2019

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Help out

Start Pierre’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Pierre’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewFlag of: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
The story

How Pierre came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Pierre.

Read it all →

Pierre was founded in 1880 on the east bank of the Missouri River opposite Fort Pierre, a former trading post that developed as a community. It was designated as the state capital when South Dakota gained statehood on November 2, 1889.

Numerous cities, namely Huron, Sioux Falls, Mitchell, and Watertown, challenged the city to be selected as the capital, but Pierre was selected for its geographic centrality in the state. Fort Pierre had developed earlier, with a permanent settlement since c. 1817 around a fur trading post. Fort Pierre Chouteau, preceding the city, was named after Pierre Chouteau, Jr., an American fur trader from St. Louis, Missouri, who was of colonial French origin.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Pierre, 1880 to 2002

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1880Post officeThe Matto post office opens
  3. 1880Post officeThe Matto post office closes
  4. 1880Post officeThe Pierre post office opens
  5. 1882BuiltJudge C. D. Meade House is built
  6. 1883In the archiveFlag of
  7. 1885BuiltHenry M. McDonald House is built
  8. 1890Post officeThe Stanley post office opens
  9. 1892Post officeThe Stanley post office closes
  10. 20th century
  11. 1902In the archiveSt. Charles Hotel, at South Dakota's State Capital
  12. 1905BuiltStephens-Lucas House is built
  13. 1910BuiltSouth Dakota State Capitol is built
  14. 1924On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  15. 1956Born hereAngela Aames is born here
  16. 1961Born hereJohn Thune is born here
  17. 1976Born hereDusty Johnson is born here
  18. 21st century
  19. 2002Born hereGrey Zabel is born here
By decade

Pierre, decade by decade

2 decades in the archive, from the 1880s to the 1900s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1880s–1900s3 items
Flag of1883Flag ofSt. Charles Hotel, at South Dakota's State Capital1902St. Charles Hotel, at South Dakota's State CapitalFort Sully1905Fort Sully
1910s–1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
On the map

Pierre on the map, 1924 to 1973

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Pierre. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Pierre on the 1924 USGS mapPierre on the 1973 USGS map1924Pierre sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Pierre.

Every building

Pierre, building by building, 1884–1927

Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.

Pierre fire insurance map, 1884, sheet 11884Sheet 1 of 3
Edition
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Flag of
Retake this viewFlag of, 1883

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Pierre’s page.

Retake this view · +15
People over time

Pierre, census by census

02,0004,0006,0008,00010,00012,00014,000190019201940196019802000202014,091

Grew from 3,235 people in 1890 to 14,091 in 2020, 4 times over.

14 censuses, 1890–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Pierre’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

13 famous people were born in Pierre

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
John ThuneAmerican politician · b. 1961
Dusty JohnsonAmerican politician · b. 1976
A
Angela AamesAmerican actress · b. 1956
Grey ZabelAmerican football player · b. 2002
Marilyn HagertyJournalist · b. 1926
Matt MichelsAmerican politician · b. 1960
Places that used to be

Lost post offices, places now gone and burying grounds

Pierre’s post office has been open since 1880. Two other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.

Matto
1880–1880
Pierre
1880–today
Stanley
1890–1892
18801950today
Gone or out of use
Pierre Army Air FieldmilitaryStanleylocale
3cemeteries and burying grounds inside Pierre
Fighting Stallions MemorialRiversideSaint Peter and Paul Catholic Church

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Questions about Pierre’s history

What year was Pierre founded?

The Pierre post office opened in 1880, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

How does Pierre rank for history?

Pierre is more historic than 64% of U.S. towns, #15 of 35 in South Dakota. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Pierre?

31 listings: 27 buildings, among them the South Dakota State Capitol (listed 1976, the first), 4 historic districts with 203 contributing buildings, and 1 structure. 237 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in Pierre?

9% of Pierre’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.1 points), against a typical 10% for a South Dakota town; the median home was built in 1976.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (2), the Library of Congress (1), Wikidata (3), the National Register of Historic Places (32), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.