Doland Opera House, Roslyn Auditorium Complete Roof Restorations With Deadwood Fund Grants

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Northeast Radio SD News – Doland/Roslyn, SD - Two historic northeast South Dakota town landmarks, the Doland Opera House and the Roslyn Auditorium, completed roof restoration projects this autumn with financial support from the South Dakota State Historical Society's Deadwood Fund Grant program.

The Doland Opera House, designed by Watertown architect A.H. Shoultz and constructed in 1913, is pictured in 2026. The landmark completed a roof project this autumn with support from a South Dakota State Historical Society Deadwood Fund Grant. (Photo courtesy of the South Dakota State Historical Society)

The Doland Opera House, also known as the Riley Block, was built in 1913 from a design by Watertown architect A.H. Shoultz. In its early years, Hubert H. Humphrey Sr., father of 1960s U.S. Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey Jr., supported the theater by convincing touring theatrical companies to perform there and offering his family's furniture as stage props. Today, local supporters are organizing community events to bring visitors back into the building and hosting fundraisers to continue restoration work.

The Roslyn Auditorium was constructed between 1936 and 1941 using federal relief funding from the Works Progress Administration. Over the decades, the building has functioned as a community meeting hall, gymnasium, music hall, and senior citizen center. Since 1999, the historic structure has housed the International Vinegar Museum.

The Roslyn Auditorium, built between 1936 and 1941 by the Works Progress Administration and home to the International Vinegar Museum since 1999, is pictured in 2015. The building completed a roof project this autumn supported by the Deadwood Fund Grant program. (Photo courtesy of the South Dakota State Historical Society)

Both preservation projects received backing through the South Dakota State Historical Society's Deadwood Fund Grant. The next application deadline for the Deadwood Fund Grant program is Feb. 1, 2027.

Additional details on historic preservation funding opportunities are available on the South Dakota State Historical Society website at history.sd.gov, and information on the International Vinegar Museum is available at internationalvinegarmuseum.com.