Pipestone National Monument
3000 BCE – 1960s
Pipestone, Minnesota
For 3,000 years, the pipestone deposits in western Minnesota have been quarried for their distinctive reddish stone and are considered sacred by many American Indian cultures. Pipestone National Monument was established in 1937 to preserve this heritage. Many of the existing buildings at the monument were constructed in the 1950s as part of the Mission 66 capital development program, including a visitor center, housing, facilities, and a physical plant. In the late 1960s, the Upper Midwest American Indian Cultural Craft Center was built to provide an environment in which American Indians could practice their craftmaking skills and display their work.
ARCH3, LLC performed large format photography to accompany the HABS, HAER, and HALS documents prepared at Pipestone National Monument by the National Park Service. Documentation included the facility’s museum building, pipestone quarries, interpretive trails, a Civilian Conservation Corps reservoir, and 1950s-era park ranger housing.
