Presidential Neighborhood

The federal documentation for the Deadwood Historic District singles out the “presidential” neighborhood as a home of landmark dwellings, along Van Buren, Madison, Jefferson, Washington, Lincoln and Monroe streets. Like most of Deadwood’s residential areas, it is built up a hillside, because the gulch floor left little room for anything but commerce.

The neighborhood matters because the district’s boundaries were drawn deliberately to include places like this. An earlier proposal that focused on the commercial core left out the city’s fine residential architecture, and the later nomination argues those homes are integral to the town’s history. It also notes that the rapid arrival of residents from elsewhere, along with quick prosperity, produced house types rarely found in other parts of South Dakota.

The Historic Adams House museum stands in this part of town, and the city’s urban trail system includes a Presidential Neighborhood Trail. These are lived-in streets, so please be respectful of residents when exploring.

Sources: NPS: Deadwood Historic District nomination and amendment