Pipestone Commercial Historic District

Pipestone Commercial Historic District was orignally recognized by the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. The character of the district is derived from the extensive use of Sioux quartzite as a building material. Sioux quartzite is an exceedingly hard stone which varies in color from dark red to light pink depending on the location of the quarry.

Most of the pivotal buildings in the district were built in the 1890s by local tradesmen in the vernacular style with some Italianate and Romanesque architectural details. Contrasting colors of Sioux quartzite were often used to decorate the facades of the buildings.

The visual continuity of the district is also derived from the common height and scale of the buildings. The pivotal Sioux quartzite buildings are generally two to three stories in height. Complementary buildings built around the 1930s generally are of the same height and scale.