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FormatBook Whole
Author, MonographicKoop, Michael//Ludwig, Stephen
Title, MonographicGerman-Russian folk architecture in Southeastern South Dakota
Place of PublicationVermillion, South Dakota
PublisherState Historical Preservation Center
Date of Publication1984
Extent of Work36
AbstractIn the late 19th century many settlers in South Dakota migrated from Europe, and although they carried ethnic customs to the Plains, few transplanted a significant amount of their material culture. One exception was the German Russians. They contributed a unique structure to the South Dakota landscape -- a low-roofed, rectangular, central chimney house. These dwellings found in the southeastern part of the state are descendants of the folk structures of the southern Russia Steppes. Both the form of the building and the use of indigenous materials for construction were carried to America. Notable features of the German-Russian folk house are thick, monolithic walls, a combined furnace/bake oven, massive clay chimneys, and the use of whitewash and traditional colors. The buildings were built with seven distinct construction techniques. Significant modifications to the form and construction of the structures occurred through assimilation into Anglo-American culture. These changes resulted in the gradual abandonment of traditional folk building methods and particular architectural details, but the most enduring element was the form, which was used until the First World War.
Call NumberMKI P96-11
MKI TermsArchitecture/ Russian Germans/ Dakotas/