Preservation Thursday: The Power of Place: Landscape, Culture, and Community at SURF

DEADWOOD – Deadwood History, Inc. and the Deadwood Historic Preservation Commission will host a presentation by Rochelle Zens at 12:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 6, 2025, at the Homestake Adams Research and Cultural Center (HARCC), 150 Sherman Street, Deadwood. The event is free for members and $5 for non-members. 

What is the power of place? Historical happenings and the unique geography of the Black Hills continue to have an impact on the work and research at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF). Learn how the confluence of landscape, culture, and community have shaped America’s Underground Lab.

Rochelle Zens (Sicangu Lakota) is a graduate of the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, where she earned a double major in American Indian Studies and Political Science. She later completed her master’s degree in Community Development from South Dakota State University. Zens has built her career in the nonprofit and education sectors and now serves as a Community Relations Specialist at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF). In this role, she works to connect researchers, collaborators, community members, and students, fostering a deeper understanding of both the communities above and the science below.

Preservation Thursday is co-sponsored by the Deadwood Historic Preservation Commission, Adams-Mastrovich Family Foundation, Deadwood History, Inc., Deadwood Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau, Black Hills Pioneer, Saloon No. 10, and the Silverado Franklin Historic Hotel & Gaming Complex.                                                      

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Deadwood History, Inc. preserves and presents the history of Deadwood and the Black Hills through exceptional places, interactive exhibits, and engaging events.

Adams Museum, Days of ’76 Museum, Historic Adams House, Homestake Adams

Research and Cultural Center, The Brothel Deadwood, and Fassbender Photographic Collection.