Historic Rapid City — Historic Rapid City

"Busy as a Bee"

“Busy as a bee” is a pretty accurate description of early-shop keep John Haines when,
in 1897, his store the Bee Hive opened near the corner of Sixth and Main in present-day Rapid City. People began swarming into the area around this time, and as a dry goods store, the Bee Hive attracted the “worker bees” drawn here for the honey, er money, to be made.

But as often happens Nature lent her hand in shaping the face of the place, and it was a fire in 1915 that destroyed that corner of the new town along with the Farlow Block, so named for early area doctor E.J. Farlow who owned the building. Farlow is a name you’ll recognize if you’re familiar with Rapid City street names.

The Haines Block, as it came to be known, was designed by architect H.E. Waldron, and describes the 500 block of Sixth Street, directly across the street from the Elks Theatre. Waldron also designed many other Rapid City landmark buildings such as the Carnegie Library building two blocks south, the high school another couple blocks south and the business college two blocks west of the Haines block. Haines not only played a part in shaping the city’s business district, but he also lent his hand in developing the city’s parks by his donation of half-interest in 160 acres along Skyline Drive to the fledgling “Hay Camp” that was to become Rapid City.

The Haines was originally an L-shaped building that wrapped around the corner bank
and, upstairs, provided housing for the work force, especially young women working
in town at adjacent stores and cafes, or school teachers or at the nearby library, all
located within the small vicinity. The upstairs apartments are still there today and reflect Waldron’s original design with full-length windows opening out onto a courtyard above the busy city streets. Its simple cupboards are still hanging there, as well as several original light fixtures. The loft apartments are still some of the most desirable digs to be had downtown. But it was the Haines building’s proximity to almost every other early commercial enterprise that built our town profile, which ensured its “real” value to this community.

Real estate in Rapid City is an interesting history to trace. The Haines Block was not the first, nor the second, but the third structure at that site. It was originally the site of Tom Sweeney Hardware Co., before its move to the 600 block of Main Street, and subsequent site on the corner of Main and Seventh. That first frame structure was followed by a brick-and-mortar building owned by the aforementioned Dr. Farlow, which also housed a barbershop, investment company, a life insurance company and rented rooms on the upper level.

The Farlow Block was lost to the 1915 fire, along with the first Pennington County
Bank building and the building east of it that housed the Bee Hive. The property stood empty for several years before Haines rebuilt on that site. As the demand for affordable living space in town was increasing, Haines decided on a structure with four separate commercial storefronts facing Sixth Street and two upper levels for roomers.

The Building was designed to wrap around and share a wall with the new Pennington
County Bank building, adding yet another Main Street storefront.

Although the Haines Block has undergone numerous renovations through the years, its Craftsman style still boasts the Art Deco ornamentation. What makes these apartments as unique today as they were 90 years ago is that they still retain most of their historic fabric: full-length glass, wood trimmed front doors and original wood floors, claw foot bathtubs and simple cabinetry.

So next time you’re out buzzing around Rapid, remember the Bee Hive and Haines’s
humble beginnings and see what a tribute the Haines Block is to the man. Haines was a visionary who not only contributed to the historic landscape of our town, but also led the way in keeping a part of it the way it was.