Vermillion has more homes built in the era 1890 - 1900 on a percentage of residences than most any place in the United States! You can't go in any direction without being struck by the beauty of these older homes. While there are two historic districts, these unique, substantial and often enormous houses are everwhere. Many of the early home are made of local timber, often poplar and other soft woods. Others were constructed of materials transported from the East Coast, around Florida, up the Missippi and then up the Missouri to the growing town of Vermillion. Some originated as a consequence of having been moved from below the bluff to the current town site. Others were constructed from materials salvaged from the disasterous Missouri River Flood.
The influence of prosperity arising from the cartage of goods to the gold mining towns further west and being on the River made having one of these classic homes possible.
Vermillion has unique architecture not found in other areas of the country. Why?? Because with prosperity and newspapers spreading not only the news but fashion as well, residents wanted to have the latest and best. Alas, due to the difficult transportion problems, they often had to do with a bit less than they might have wanted. And not having a society to dictate fashion, they often merged architectures in ways unimaginable in other parts of the world. But it worked, here you find Queen Anne with Roman with Gothic with innovative designs all sometimes merged into a single structure. And, it didn't stop with the building boom of the 1890's, no it continued up til the 1970s. There's the "bird house", so named because it looks somewhat like a bird and was designed by one of Frank Lloyd Wright's students. And Florida style homes with great glass walls and open rooms. If that's not enough for a town of only 6,000 or so, we have a peculiar roof style that is found on both one and two story houses... Instead of a peaked roof, where the peak should be the roof is flatened, suggestive of a mansard type but definately not so. No one seems to know why this design, other than to comment that it sure is prone to leaks. Just another mystery of the Vermillion Vortex.
Let's take a virtual 30 minute walk around downtown and see some of the historic areas.
To start, we begin at the post office which is located at the corner of Kidder and Court streets. The post office was built on the grounds of the original court house which was a wooden structure and was in great disrepair before the new court house was built on Main Street. Inside the post office are some friendly people who run one of the most efficient post offices in the country. They give free advice on most any subject.
Down the block going North is Main Street. On every corner during the summer months are flowers; gloxiana, mums, daisys, pansys, petunias. But what is really attractive are the large clusters of peonys that are holdovers from plantings many years ago. Each year, businessmen donate to have the flowers planted and maintained for all to enjoy. That's a part of the community spirit that makes Vermillion a nice place to live.
Court Street ends at Main and Center Street begins. The original plats for the town didn't line up and the result is that the streets in "Downtown" don't mesh. At first this appears to be an inconvience but it really is a very effective means of traffic and speed control.
Continuing North on Center Street, is a large old building that now houses the City of Vermillion's very own liquor store, a bicycle shop and a contractor's offices. However if you study the back of the building you will discover in faded lettering, "livery", a reminder that Vermillion is not too far removed from its past.
A cross section of Vermillion lies before you. Smallish-older homes, apartment buildings, larger single family homes and large older homes that have been converted to apartments. In the Fall one has to be careful in walking along the sidewalks as the black walnuts begin to fall. If you want, just ask a home owner, the walnuts are free for the taking. But beware, cracking and removing the nutmeats is a difficult task.
It seems everyone has flowers, but the most noteworthy are the peonys which are everwhere. Not only do they survive our winters but they thrive. Vermillion should be named the perennial city! Four blocks down Center Street and you come to another jog in the plat of the city. Lets take a brief detour and go West for two blocks then we will backtrack. Down this stretch are some of the most interesting and beautiful plantings in town. In particular two ladies seem to have a "challenge" to see who can have the most variety of plantings and best kept yards. They have lots of competition.
You might also pause to note the house on the corner. The owner had the house jacked up, a new foundation built underneath and then the house settled on its new foundation. All the while they lived in the house.
Now turning back East notice the older homes on the corner of Center and Dartmouth. Nice yards and well maintained houses. At Dartmouth and Elm is an interesting house. It recently sold for $45,000 and is rental property. When bought it had ugly grey shingles for siding, a decrepid front porch and not much else to recommend it. However, the new owner saw something that others had missed. Underneath the siding, protected from weathering was the original wood with ornamental detail to the eves. Removal of the added-on porch revealed the original detail and the house comes close to being an "Addams" house, although the best example of Charles Addams type styles is a home in Yankton which is on the market for about $100,000.
One block further East and you come to the University of South Dakota. Taking another jog in direction to get around one of the dorms, you enter a large open lawn. Immediately in front is a native plant and herb perennial garden. In addition to fountain and bench it features a bust of Shakespeare. The sculpture by a student in the school's art department. Some have suggested the bard has some resemblence to the student, look it over and you decide. Another touchstone with the past is the old horse barn, a sturdy structure which now houses other university activities. A summer garden with dinner plate dalhias, cactus and "indoor" plants lies along the walk. And then there are roses. One particular planting is edged in, what else, peonys.
Just in front of you is "Old Main". Being restored and brought back to usefulness after being warehoused for decades. A major fund raising made this possible. In front of the building is one of the oldest trees on campus, planted by students a hundred years ago. Unfortunately since this was first written, the tree is no longer there, having finally lost to a South Dakota breeze (if you consider 65 plus mph a gentle breeze)
Now we turn South and pass by the Music Museum. The original structure was a Carnegie Library. It was one of the very few librariess built for schools. (Vermillion has another Carnegie Library located on Church Street). One should plan to spend three or four hours touring the museum. The collection of musical instruments is unmatched in this country and few international museums compare. Best of all the museum is free.
Now continuing South on Yale, we can appreciate some of the larger older homes in Vermillion (although the Forest Avenue Historic District has more). On the corner is a house undergoing extensive changes but note the very different third floor balcony. Never seen anything like it. The streets are tree lined and these yards struggle to get sun. In the next block is an interesting remodeling project. The house, once apartments is being converted to single family. It has been completely gutted and the new owners are starting from scratch. Curved end windows on the northeast corner highlight the front and reveal the ornate stairway going to the second floor. This three story house has over 4000 square feet and recently sold for about $100,000.
Onward to Main Street where we turn West. Again you are struck with the variety of homes. We could have chosen to go East on Main, past the University President's home (a Southern style mansion which is on the National Register of Historic Homes, having in part been moved up the bluff from the original town.), just a few short blocks to the Hospital and across to Prentis Park. This area also provides housing for the "Greeks" that give a big school flavor to the University. Or we could have continued South to the other Historic District. There you will find enormous houses, some overlooking the Missouri River valley.
But today, we continue on West on Main, past churches, a fraternity house, apartments, homes &c. and enter the business district. If we took this tour in the winter just after a fresh snow, the lights of the district at Christmas are beautiful. I have tried to take pictures, but they just don't do justice. On patriotic holidays, our ex-mayor hangs the flags. Thanks Grant.
On the corner of Church and Main is the First Baptist Church. A most imposing structure more reminescent of a medevial castle than a church, with its turrets and towers. Study the sioux quartzite. This beautiful pink/red stone is unique to the area and these hand hewn stones were carefully placed by long dead craftsmen.
Now turn South on Church and pass the old Carnegie Library and the new library. Nice to know that with the aid of computers, we now have access to all the books from the libraries across the state. It usually takes less than a week before you get a call telling you your book(s) are in. Across from the library is a block of homes undergoing extensive change. The corner home has a new coat of paint, complements of its new owner. Next door, siding has converted an eyesore to a most attractive house and the two houses next, both sport new roofs. Property values are certainly appreciating.
Church ends where Bloomingdale begins, where the street turns West. The older homes along the bluff could and should be a part of a historic district. Interspersed in this area are houses from the 1890s to the 1980s. Where Bloomingdale crosses Court, if you look South towards the river, you can see two large homes. On the left is an imposing structure once the home of one of our past governors. Across the street is a house recently purchased. It sold the day it was listed and the new owners have added a garage and wrought iron fence. One should note that this house was once the subject of some contraversy. A group from Yankton, in a mad against the Gov, came to Vermillion and tried to torch the house, thinking it was the Gov's residence. Fortunately, they were no better starting fires than they were in reading addresses, and the house survived with only minor damage to some basement timbers. The city recently completed paving the cul de sac.
Turning again North to the point of our starting, we pass a three story house on the historic register. Once the home of E.H. Willey, a prominent newspaper publisher (The Dakota Republican), this house was built across the street from the old courthouse. Where better for a reporter to be located. It has undergone extensive rehab as it has been converted from apartments to a single family residence. Within the past 6 years this house sold for less than $40,000.
If you are lucky perhaps you will see the Post Office cat, October, sunning herself on the South side. She awaits small children who just might want to scratch her back.
I hope you have enjoyed the "tour". There is much to see and do in Vermillion. It's a friendly town and a nice place for kids. Drop in at the OK barbershop for the latest news.
For more about South Dakota and the area, or for a lighter touch about Vermillion visit and enjoy. There is much more to see! Come visit.