Schwarzvald’s Furniture

This is the former site of the furniture store opened by Sam Schwarzwald, a Jewish Prussian immigrant who came to Deadwood from Helena, Montana, at the start of the Black Hills Gold Rush. When Sam passed away in 1927, his son, Nathan Charles, took over. Despite burning down twice, first in 1894 and again in 1948, Schwarzwald remained a reputable local business for as long as it was open, at least until 1963. Today the building, rebuilt in 1949 to be fireproof, is home to a souvenir shop.

Sam Schwarzwald, an immigrant who was born in 1851 in Prussia, was one of a handful of Jews who arrived in Deadwood in 1876 at the very start of the Black Hills Gold Rush. He came with a party from Helena, Montana, along with other Jews such as Sol Star. Although some Jewish people sought their fortune here in the gold mines, Schwarzwald instead worked as a merchant. First, he sold grain and produce for a short time. Then, in 1877, he set up Stone and Schwarzwald at its original location on Broadway Street. He eventually became the sole owner, and in 1894 he moved to this location on Main Street, which at the time housed many of Deadwood's businesses but was just a ramshackle collection of small wooden buildings. The same year, fire swept through, leveling a city block and causing damages reaching $100,000, about $3.5 million today. Schwarzwald was one of the first to rebuild, expanding into a stone building encompassing 620-622 Main Street, and his store grew to become a Main Street staple as the area became famous for housing high-end local businesses.

By the 1920s, Schwarzwald Furniture was one of the oldest, most reputable mercantile businesses in Deadwood. Schwarzwald ran the store up until his death in 1927; an acknowledgment in the local newspaper noted that he was one of the last "Black Hills Pioneers," the name that was given to founding, involved citizens of Deadwood. Schwarzwald Furniture continued to run under the ownership of Sam's son, Charles Nathan. He was involved in the Deadwood community, just as Sam had been. In 1938, for instance, he volunteered the store's front window so the local U.S. Forest Service could show a wildlife display in the hopes of protecting local wildlife from being hit by cars. In 1948, the store burned down in a "disastrous" fire that also damaged the nearby J & P Store, Eagle Inn, and Fairmont Hotel. Mayor E. H. Rypkema temporarily offered the Deadwood Auditorium to the store so it could continue operations, allowing Schwarzwald Furniture to survive until it found a new location in 1949. The new location, a 2-story fireproof steel-and-concrete building, ran on the same site until at least the 1960s. A souvenir store runs in the same building today.

History Link: A Trail to Deadwood's Past, MCC Meetings Public. Accessed May 6th, 2023. https://mccmeetingspublic.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/deadwoodsd-meet-afbc3015cb1c4515bdc2739f01ba95dc/ITEM-Attachment-001-ebcd84c3c8de4e7bbf4f490f34db8e9b.pdf.

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Bawden, Hannah Marshall. The Black Hills Industrial Show - Deadwood, SDPB. November 30th, 2018. Accessed May 6th, 2023. https://www.sdpb.org/blogs/images-of-the-past/the-black-hills-industrial-show-deadwood/.

"Funeral of Sam Schwarzwald Today." The Weekly Pioneer Times (Deadwood) March 24th, 1927. 3.

"Schwarzwald Opens in Auditorium." Lead Daily Call (Lead) June 27th, 1948. 1.

"Memory Lane." Lead Daily Call (Lead) March 21st, 1948. 4.

"Construction on Schwarzwald Store is Underway." Lead Daily Call (Lead) March 13th, 1949. 1.

Stanton, Ann Haber. Jewish Pioneers of the Black Hills Gold Rush. Images of America.