Clay County Historic Preservation Commission

06/07/2026

Vermillion, Clay County and South Dakota have lost one of their greatest champions of preserving historic sites for posterity. Jim Wilson died May 6, 2026 after a short illness.
He studied architecture, taught political science and led preservation efforts in South Dakota for decades.

A native of Illinois, he graduated from the University of Arizona and the University of New Mexico School of Architecture. He was a member of the Vermillion City Planning and Zoning Commission, the Clay County Historic Preservation Commission (he was a longtime chair), and the Vermillion Historic Preservation Commission.

When the South Dakota Historic Preservation Office was in Vermillion in its early years, Jim was a Restoration Specialist, Consulting Architect, and the Review and Compliance Coordinator in the office.

Immediately after the passage of the Constitutional Amendment allowing gaming in Deadwood, he became the Deadwood Historic Preservation Officer, who oversaw much of the design, restoration, and revival of this historic city – using the millions of dollars in tax revenue generated by the city’s gambling.

Since retiring in 2006, Jim lived in Vermillion and has been the driving force behind the city and county’s efforts to preserve their historic buildings. Many county farms, barns, schools, bridges, homes, public buildings and entire districts have been added to the National Register of Historic Places under his leadership. He often led walking tours of the historic buildings in Vermillion's downtown historic district. He was also a member of the Vermillion Rotary Club, which provided the venue for the Clay County Historic Preservation Commission's annual preservation awards.

He served so long on the Clay County Historic Preservation Commission, and was such a crucial part of the commission, that he was, in effect, our institutional memory.
Jim knew the rules, the tax benefits, the financial incentives, and the history of historic preservation so well that he was the go-to person on all preservation matters.

In honor of all Jim Wilson did for historic preservation in South Dakota and Clay County, in 2024, the Clay County Historic Preservation Commission awarded Jim a special recognition award as part of its Preservation Awards celebration.

06/07/2026

We have lost Jim Wilson, who was a driving force behind historic preservation in Vermillion, Clay County, and the state of South Dakota.

Since retiring in 2006, he has led preservation efforts in SE South Dakota and was the institutional memory of both the Clay County Historic Preservation Commission, which he chaired, and the Vermillion Historic Preservation Commission -- and was a member of both commissions, as well as a member of the Vermillion Planning and Zoning Commission.
In his career, he studied architecture, taught political science and began working on preservation in Deadwood, SD, after the passage of legalized gambling.

A native of Illinois, he graduated from the University of Arizona and the University of New Mexico School of Architecture.

When the South Dakota Historic Preservation Office was in Vermillion in its early years, Jim was a Restoration Specialist, Consulting Architect, and the Review and Compliance Coordinator in the office.

Immediately after the passage of the Constitutional Amendment allowing gaming in Deadwood, he became the Deadwood Historic Preservation Officer, who oversaw much of the design, restoration, and revival of this historic city – using the millions of dollars in tax revenue generated by the city’s gambling.

After retirement, Jim lived in Vermillion, where he gave walking tours of the historic downtown, wrote books on local architecture and, as chair of the county preservation commission, oversaw the publication of dozens of books about historic sites in Clay County.

He was also instrumental in acquiring listing on the National Register of Historic Places for many buildings and historic neighborhoods in the area.

Many county farms, barns, schools, bridges, homes, public buildings and entire districts have been added to the National Register of Historic Places under his leadership.

Jim knew the rules, the tax benefits, the financial incentives, and the history of historic preservation so well that he was the go-to person on all preservation matters .

In honor of all Jim Wilson did for historic preservation in South Dakota and Clay County, in 2024, the Clay County Historic Preservation Commission awarded Jim a special recognition award as part of its annual Preservation Awards celebration.

04/29/2026

250 years of American civics: May 26, 6 pm at the Vermillion Firehouse nearMacDonalds.

04/19/2026

Vermillion’s downtown is living history. This is a nice article about the Main Street of Clay County’s seat.

https://www.worldatlas.com/cities/this-south-dakota-town-has-the-most-walkable-downtown.html?fbclid=IwdGRjcARRvbhleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xNzM4NDc2NDI2NzAzNzAAAR5ADxbNzF_0wNhkNX0kOfrTqBgvbDu1mU0P5f_jDViOl5eZRMcOtcMdEwXhoA_aem_y8NgXOo5Jm5bBpq0Wp4Y9Q

Best explored on foot, Vermillion's Main Street features 19th-century architecture that can be admired at eye level, with coffee shops, pubs, and trendy stores.

04/07/2026

Clay County lost a dedicated preservationist Friday, April 3, when Karen Muenster died at her Vermillion home.

Muenster was honored with a lifetime achievement award in 2019 for her work preserving properties she owned in several historic districts in Vermillion, including the Downtown Vermillion Historic District.

Because of Muenster’s work, hundred-year-old buildings and houses still contribute to the rich architectural and historic legacy of Vermillion. She also contributed extensively by restoring homes in the Cathedral Historic District in Sioux Falls.

The 2019 lifetime achievement award was presented by the Clay County Historic Preservation Commission. Muenster’s dedication to historic preservation included her work in the South Dakota Senate, where she represented Minnehaha County before she moved to Vermillion.
She owned a home that is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Muenster’s name graces the Theodore and Karen Muenster University Center, known as the MUC, on the University of South Dakota campus in Vermillion.

Theodore (Ted) Muenster, Karen’s husband, worked with Karen on many of her properties and also worked tirelessly for historic preservation. He was a member of the Clay County Historic Preservation Commission from 2015 to 2018, and was instrumental in organizing the Missouri Valley Historic Preservation Conference held in Vermillion in 2018.

03/16/2026

Over the 140 years that the University of South Dakota has been in Vermillion, many structures have served as fraternity or sorority houses for the “Greek” student organizations. Some houses have long been razed or destroyed by fire; others have moved on to serve as non-Greek residences or even a bed and breakfast hotel.

A new book by Evelyn Schlenker, published by the Clay County Historic Preservation Commission, details the lives of these homes and includes their histories as USD Greek Houses. The book includes photos of the houses and a map of Vermillion showing their locations.

Because so many of the buildings still exist, it is possible to use the map as a tour guide down the tree-lined Willow, University, Yale, Harvard, Prospect, Court, Elm, and Main streets, as well as Forest Avenue and Park Lane.

Using her extensive experience working in historic preservation and the USD Archives, Schlenker also includes in the book the 1921 “Cannon Caper,” instigated by the Alpha Tau (now Delta Tau Delta) fraternity brothers who stole the Civil War Cannon from the grounds of the Union County Courthouse in Elk Point, SD. The cannon resides today at the W.H. Over Museum on the USD campus.