FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 6, 2004

CONTACT:  Jeff Mammenga, (605) 773-6000

Historic Yankton High School restored, turned into senior care facility

PIERRE, S.D. – Historic buildings in Yankton have been preserved, thanks to the vision of a Yankton couple and their work with the South Dakota State Historical Society.

 Four buildings constructed as Yankton High School in 1916 and not used since 1996 were in danger of being torn down until they were purchased by Gary and Casey Blom in 1998.  “We just bought them to preserve the buildings for the community,” said Casey Blom. “Gary didn’t want to see them torn down. Our oldest son went to middle school there.”

 Casey also has a historic preservation background, as her mother restored The Prairie Homestead on the east edge of the Badlands when Casey was a young girl. In the spring of 1999, Bloms were approached by Chuck and Gert Thomas about turning the school buildings into a senior care facility. Bloms liked the idea.

 Seeking assistance in the restoration effort, Bloms contacted the State Historical Society’s Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) in 2001. Working with the SHPO, Bloms received two Deadwood Fund grants, and also qualified for the state property tax moratorium and the federal tax credit for rehabilitation. Their efforts were rewarded when the buildings were listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places in 2002 as the Yankton High School Historic District.

  “The SHPO staff was very helpful in guiding us through that process and in filling out all the required paperwork,” Casey said. “It’s the personal satisfaction that you’ve preserved a piece of state history. In our case, it’s great to have alumni and staff of the school come through and see it. They’re pumped when they leave, knowing it will be there for years to come.”

 This March, the Blom and Thomas dream of a senior care facility was realized with the opening of Walnut Village. Bloms are the owners and the Thomases are the administrators. Set in a quaint neighborhood in the heart of Yankton, the facility offers its residents many features and services. Residents may participate in activities such as playing pool in the billiard room, using a personal computer in the computer resource center, having their hair done in the beauty parlor, reading by the fireplace in the library or enjoying the indoor waterfall. Outside, residents may choose to garden in the “raised bed” garden plots or take a casual stroll along Marne Creek, part of the Auld-Brokaw Trail that borders the property at 613 Walnut Street.

 “Walnut Village is an excellent example of a historic school being reused for a different purpose,” said Jay D. Vogt, director of the State Historical Society, adding that this week, May 3-9, is “National Historic Preservation Week” and a good time to recognize people like the Bloms for their preservation efforts.

To commemorate National Historic Preservation Week and in honor of Mother’s Day, the Bloms and Thomases are hosting an open house/ice cream social this Saturday and Sunday, May 8-9, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. each day at Walnut Village.

For more information on historic preservation, call the State Historical Society at (605) 773-3458 or visit the society’s Web site at www.sdhistory.org. The State Historical Society is an office of the Department of Tourism and State Development.

To find out more about Walnut Village, call (605) 664-4220 or go to www.walnutvillagecare.com.

-30-