Ghost Mural Program

In 2016, the Deadwood Historic Preservation Office and Commission created the Ghost Mural Program.

The restoration and protection of Deadwood’s historic ghost murals are a primary part of the City’s goal to preserve and maintain Deadwood’s historic integrity. The expense of such restoration and protection projects may discourage property owners from having the work completed or may result in lower quality of craftsmanship. The purpose of this program is to assist and encourage property owners to restore and maintain the historic ghost murals in Deadwood’s historic district. Through the program, the owner of a participating building agrees to transfer to the City of Deadwood an easement on the character-defining ghost mural(s) and allow the City to restore the ghost mural(s) list on the application .

To be eligible for the Ghost Mural Easement Program, a project must meet the following criteria:

• The project must affect a property listed on the City of Deadwood’s 1993 Historic Sites Inventory as an historic property in the Deadwood National Historic Landmark District and within the Deadwood Local Historic District. Properties not listed on the inventory must be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places as defined in the National Park Service’s National Register Bulletin 15: How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation.
• The building must be a commercial property as defined by Deadwood Planning and Zoning Department and be within the Deadwood Local Historic District.
• The City of Deadwood’s Historic Preservation Officer determines a project’s eligibility. All eligible applications are subject to the review by the Deadwood Historic District Commission.