Name: Buell Building

Address: 630 St. Joseph Street

Built in 1888, the Buell Building was home to Lakota Banking & Investment Co. Attorney Charles Buell bought it in 1901, renamed it established his law firm on the second floor. For a time, the building was home to the National Weather Bureau. (A weather flag on the roof told residents the forecast.)

The distinctive Russo-Byzantine dome, built by local craftsman from a copper-covered wooden mold, made this building a downtown landmark. Originally this was a much smaller building -- three more sections were added along Seventh Street by 1925.

Name: Fire Hall

Location: 610 Main Street

Description: Rapid City's early fire department consisted of three hose companies organized in 1881, and a hook-and-ladder company. The department became formally organized in 1907, and in 1915 this fine new fire hall was built. The two-story buildng, constructed of brick and Fall River sandstone, exemplifies the Chicago School style.

Following the practice of urban fire departments in those days, this one was built with living quarters for firemen, as well as offices, on the second floor. The fire trucks were downstairs, and the firefighters slid down a smooth brass pole when the fire call came in. Now home to Firehouse Brewing, the building still has its fire pole.

Name: Windsor Block

Location: 629 St. Joseph Street

Description: In 1884, entrepreneur Robert Flormann built the Windsor Block, at St. Joseph and Seventh Streets. Designed in the Italianate Commercial style, it was built with brick from Marshall's Brickyard, located outside the Rapid City limits at that time.

Over the years, this building has served Rapid City in a variety of uses. Many old timers remember it as the Donaldson's Store, a department store that anchored the St. Joseph Street commercial district. More recently, it housed a piano store --the ornate brick and stone you see here was completely hidden by giant piano keys. In a project that culminated in 2009, the Windsor Block was restored to its original glory.

Name: Italianate Trio

Location: The buildings are located on the North side of St. Joseph Street in the 600-block.

Description: These three Italianate-style, brick buildings, appropriately known as "The Italianate Trio," were constructed during a building boom between 1884 and 1888. All exhibit the heavy, decorative cornices and the tall, narrow, arched windows with elaborate window hoods definitive of this Queen Anne-period style. The distinctive windows create an interesting, lively fenestration. Storefronts were originally wooden.

Name: Alex Johnson

Location: 523 Sixth Street

Description: Construction on the Alex Johnson Hotel, one of Rapid City's grandest landmarks, began in August 1927, one day before workers began carving the granite faces on Mount Rushmore. On July 1, 1928, the hotel's first guest to sign the register was Paddy O'Neil. The first-floor tavern is named in his honor.

Alex Carlton Johnson, vice president of the Chicago & North Western Railway, wanted to build "The Showplace of the West." He did. The building reflects both Native American culture and the Germanic Tudor architecture of South Dakota's German immigrants. The Alex, as the locals affectionately call it, has hosted presidents, politicians, movie stars, rock stars, honeymooners and tourists. During the carving of Rushmore, sculptor Gutzon Borglum could often be seen sitting by the fireplace in the lobby. If you get a chance, check out the elegantly restored lobby.

Name:  The Duhamel Building

Location: 503 Sixth Street

Description: The finest example of Chicago Style architecture in Rapid City is the 1909 Duhamel Building, at St. Joseph and Sixth Streets. Built by local entrepreneur Peter Duhamel, it expressed the trend toward modernism by using reinforced steel framing. The load-bearing capacity allows for expansive window surfaces, stability for large flat roofs, and immense open spaces desirable in commercial buildings.

Born in 1839 in Canada, Pete Duhamel moved to Rapid City in 1879. He established the Duhamel Company in 1907. The company sold hardware items, home furnishings, and a line of saddles that were famous throughout the region. The Duhamel family still owns the building. Their KOTA television studios are on the second floor.