Bauman Hall Courtesy of Lorraine Draper

Bauman Hall was constructed in 1881 as a hotel for quarry workers in the town of North Sioux Falls, where the building was originally located. North Sioux Falls was the site of a Sioux quartzite quarry, three miles north of Jasper. The quarries and town were shut down in the early 1900s. As there was no longer a need for a hotel in North Sioux Falls, Henry Holvig had the hotel building disassembled stone by stone and brought to Jasper where it was reassembled in 1908. Fred Bauman purchased the building in 1916, after which the hall became a store known as Silverbergs. All local school events were held on the second floor of the hall until the 1930s when a gymnasium was erected.

Bauman Hall c.1940 Courtesy of Jasper Area Historical Society

Sacks Brothers General Store moved to the first floor of the Bauman building in 1933, and remained there for nearly 30 years. From 1960 to 1973 it functioned as a grocery store. For the next eight years it held various businesses. The second floor was used during much of the 20th century as the town's social hall, used for activities such as roller-skating, school plays, basketball games, medicine shows and graduation ceremonies. Following a $71,000 renovation in 1981, it became the Jasper Senior Citizen's Center.

The building, now the Jasper Senior Citizen's Center, is located at 201 W. Wall St., Jasper. It is open Tuesday through Friday during normal business hours.