Oahe Chapel Preservation Society, State Highway 1804 & Route 204, Pierre, SD (2026)

Riggs, a Congregationalist minister, and his first wife, Cornelia Foster, established the Oahe Mission to serve the Sioux Indians of central Dakota Territory. The missionaries chose to build on the site of an old Arikara village called Ti Tanke Ohe, later shortened to "Oahe." Then name of the village was eventually given not only to the mission, but also to the dam and lake that now cover the site. The Oahe Mission was located on the east bank of the Missouri River at Peoria Flats, about five miles upriver from the present location of the chapel, and about 11 miles north of Pierre. By 1877, the house had become too small, and the Sioux people agreed to help Rev. They finished the chapel in September of that year. Like many frontier structures, the chapel was expected to serve a dual purpose. It served as a schoolhouse and the center of religious life. Academic and religious classes were held in the chapel. Starting with an ABC primer, the men, women, and children of the mission all learned to read the Bible first in the Dakota language and later in English. Because of these classes, a number of lay and ordained ministers were able to assist in the mission's work on the Cheyenne River and Standing Rock Reservations. Europeans joined in Sunday and holiday worship as they settled in the area. Services were originally conducted in the Dakota language, but only English was used by 1931. In the 1950s, the State of South Dakota gained ownership of the chapel when it became evident that the completion of the Oahe Dam would flood the mission's location. The South Dakota State Historical Society was then placed in charge of the restoration and preservation of the chapel. The chapel moved to a temporary location in 1957, then relocated to its current location on the east end of the Oahe Dam in 1964. The Oahe Chapel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

09/21/2026

Wow! We are still in shock at how many of you came out to support our annual Pie Social in August. It was a great day spending time together as a community and celebrating historic preservation efforts for the Oahe Chapel. The day wouldn't have been complete without Surprise Package's performance and Larry Christiansen's thoughtful presentation on the history of the Oahe Chapel.

We are thankful to them and to those who donated pies and their time to hang out with us!

For more information about the history of the Oahe Chapel or about rental possibilities, please visit: https://history.sd.gov/preservation/oahechapel.aspx
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As always, we appreciate your continued support. If you would like to join or donate to the Oahe Chapel Preservation Society, you can do so either online at https://www.sdhsf.org/donate/oahe-chapel.html or print and mail in the form located at https://history.sd.gov/preservation/docs/MEMBERSHIP_FORMOaheChapelSINGLE.pdf?fbclid=IwY2xjawUeVR5wZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAGJyaWQRMXE4T211RVk0MmpsejluVlNzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEekE9qKLVr7Rx4XI54vZxA2wHdhAtuCQXOMpoyFmY1ApEFyOF1nemscj_uLZc_aem_z7pb20twhjtKh-icUsg-jw

08/28/2026

Sunday, August 30th, is the OCPS annual Pie Social! Please join us from 1:00-3:00 pm at the Oahe Chapel for some pie and good times, all while supporting local historic preservation!

Summer's not over yet! It's almost time for our annual OCPS Pie Social! 🥧🍦

This Sunday, the 30th, from 1-3 p.m. at the Oahe Chapel, we will have live performances by Surprise Package, a presentation on the chapel's history, lawn games, and many delicious pies!

We hope you can join us!

For more information about the history of the Oahe Chapel or about rental possibilities, please visit: https://history.sd.gov/preservation/oahechapel.aspx
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As always, we appreciate your continued support. If you would like to join or donate to the Oahe Chapel Preservation Society, you can do so either online at https://www.sdhsf.org/donate/oahe-chapel.html or print and mail in the form located at https://history.sd.gov/preservation/docs/MEMBERSHIP_FORMOaheChapelSINGLE.pdf?fbclid=IwY2xjawT6l6lwZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAGJyaWQRMUJsU2hEenp2NFdrUGtNTGhzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeCtHUea1DavleNevt0bt0sAkWENjz-Xk2TYuIkUj7GyBuXXYo6o24Gb8uyCI_aem_rNgDX39tG9h9XAHiAI6Exw

08/25/2026

Summer's not over yet! It's almost time for our annual OCPS Pie Social! 🥧🍦

This Sunday, the 30th, from 1-3 p.m. at the Oahe Chapel, we will have live performances by Surprise Package, a presentation on the chapel's history, lawn games, and many delicious pies!

We hope you can join us!

For more information about the history of the Oahe Chapel or about rental possibilities, please visit: https://history.sd.gov/preservation/oahechapel.aspx
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As always, we appreciate your continued support. If you would like to join or donate to the Oahe Chapel Preservation Society, you can do so either online at https://www.sdhsf.org/donate/oahe-chapel.html or print and mail in the form located at https://history.sd.gov/preservation/docs/MEMBERSHIP_FORMOaheChapelSINGLE.pdf?fbclid=IwY2xjawT6l6lwZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAGJyaWQRMUJsU2hEenp2NFdrUGtNTGhzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeCtHUea1DavleNevt0bt0sAkWENjz-Xk2TYuIkUj7GyBuXXYo6o24Gb8uyCI_aem_rNgDX39tG9h9XAHiAI6Exw

07/30/2026

Beat the summer heat ☀ and join us for a sweet treat! 🥧🍦

The Oahe Chapel Preservation Society will host our annual Pie Social this year on August 30th from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm at the Oahe Chapel! The event will include live performances from Surprise Package, a presentation on the chapel's history, lawn games, and, of course, delicious pies!

We hope to see you there!

For more information about the history of the Oahe Chapel or about rental possibilities, please visit: https://history.sd.gov/preservation/oahechapel.aspx
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As always, we appreciate your continued support. If you would like to join or donate to the Oahe Chapel Preservation Society, you can do so either online at https://www.sdhsf.org/donate/oahe-chapel.html or print and mail in the form located athttps://history.sd.gov/preservation/docs/MEMBERSHIP_FORMOaheChapelSINGLE.pdf

05/27/2026

Summer is here and the Oahe Chapel's Summer Worship Services are in full swing! ☀️⛱️🍦

Below is the current schedule for services hosted each week. All services are scheduled to begin at 8:00 AM. If the schedule changes, we will provide updates as soon as they are available.

For more information about the history of the Oahe Chapel or about rental possibilities, please visit: https://history.sd.gov/preservation/oahechapel.aspx
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As always, we appreciate your continued support. If you would like to join or donate to the Oahe Chapel Preservation Society, you can do so either online at https://www.sdhsf.org/donate/oahe-chapel.html or print and mail-in the form located at https://history.sd.gov/preservation/docs/MEMBERSHIP_FORMOaheChapelSINGLE.pdf?fbclid=IwY2xjawSD65RleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETEzdjZmbjNQdlNiTHI1THVkc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHnJAN06oiday6JDtb57iPQgghI-TmdORAQYrLAbR6UfVIn6roDkXGbCgSKCL_aem_F9aZxMCDClUM9kT7m_S7EA

03/17/2026

Don't forget that tomorrow is our Pizza Fundraiser! Swing by for a slice between 5-8pm to support the preservation of the Oahe Chapel.

Come join us at the Pizza Ranch in Fort Pierre. We hope to see you there! 😄

Address

State Highway 1804 & Route 204
Pierre, SD
57501

Telephone

+16057733458

Website

https://history.sd.gov/preservation/oahechapel.aspx, https://www.sdhsf.org/donate/oahe-chapel.html

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