In small communities all across South Dakota, there is a growing movement to find new futures for buildings that were once overlooked because of their age.

Jason Haug, director of Historic Preservation for the South Dakota State Historical Society, says more communities are tackling restoration projects.

They're "preserving that one building on their main street that still has some historical features left that they want to do something with," Haug said.

Whether the project involves the reopening of a vacant movie theater or restoring a former bank or office building, restoration projects can add vitality to communities, according to Linda Kluthe, executive director of Preserve South Dakota.

People are realizing that the culture that will help their town survive and grow exists in the character of their community, she said.

"It is not necessarily in putting up a bunch of steel-sided pole buildings on their main street."

Turn-of-the-century buildings, architecturally significant homes and buildings with a unique history represent that character that distinguishes one community from another, Haug said.

"You can reuse these building for a wide range of purposes that can really benefit a community," he said.

During a recent round of Deadwood Fund awards, the city of Faith received a $10,000 grant to assist with the preservation of the Minneapolis Brew Company Warehouse. Built in 1911, the former icehouse and warehouse once housed carloads of beer and tons of ice.

The city hopes to use the building as a museum and interpretive center, Haug said.

Haug speculates that as the populations of small towns age, people want to see things they remember fondly preserved for future generations enjoy. For many people, their memories are tied to the buildings that were a part of their earlier lives, he said.

"I think it might be part of it," Haug said.

Historic preservationists frequently have to contend with doubters who argue to "tear it down and put up a steel building," Kluthe said.

Kluthe called it "very aggravating" when people oppose investing $50,000 to give new life to an existing building, favoring instead the construction of a $250,000 replacement.

"I don't understand the logic there," she said.

Many of these projects are labor intensive, but they can also unite a community, Kluthe said.

"The interesting thing about smaller towns is that if you can get enough people convinced of it, you will get enough people working together," she said.

Historic preservation is expensive, but it does have economic advantages, Haug said.

Historic tourism is an increasingly popular. People are searching for unique sites with a historic connection, he said.

Reusing existing buildings also makes good environmental sense, according to Kluthe and Haug.

Demolishing a typical two-story downtown building and hauling away the materials can wipe out the environmental gains made by the recycling of 1.3 million aluminum cans, Haug said.

"Preservation fits in well to all these different areas of economics, tourism, affordable housing," Haug said.

"You can reuse these buildings for a wide range of purposes that can really benefit a community."