Frawley Ranch, National Historic Landmark ranch near Spearfish, South Dakota
Frawley Ranch is a 4,750-acre property in Centennial Valley with six preserved historic homesteads and stone barns featuring interior courtyards built in the late 1800s. The buildings represent the original structures from when settlers first established their homes on these parcels of land.
Henry Frawley, an attorney, arrived during the Black Hills gold rush in 1877 and established the ranch by purchasing failed homestead claims across Lawrence County. His consolidation of these separate parcels created one large ranch during a period of rapid settlement in the region.
The former Centennial Valley Schoolhouse on the property taught children from the area between 1880 and 1936 and later served as a meeting place for the community. This preserved building shows how education and community life were essential to people living in this remote region.
The property now operates as part of Elkhorn Resort, offering guest cabins, an RV park, a golf course, and facilities for events. Visitors can explore the historic grounds and see the preserved buildings set within the natural landscape of Centennial Valley.
Underground tunnels were built beneath Interstate 90 in 1968 to allow livestock to move between the two sides of the ranch when the highway divided the property. This unusual solution shows how the ranch adapted when modern highways cut through the historic land.
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