Announcement: PND releases new book about Prairie Churches

Preservation North Dakota announces the publication of Prairie Churches, a new book documenting ten years of church preservation in North Dakota. The old churches on the plains and prairies create a cultural landscape like no other; their steeples rise above the horizon as testaments to faith and community. In 2001 the prairie churches of North Dakota captured the heart of the nation, marking the shift from Most Endangered to the salvation of Save America's Treasures. Preservation North Dakota and its partners invested in the people and places and prairie churches that make North Dakota unique. Prairie Churches is the celebration of all that has been accomplished in the first decade of the new millennium. Written by Lauren Hardmeyer Donovan, the book consists of twenty-six essays recording successful volunteer efforts to save prairie churches with funding from the Grassroots Grant Program at Preservation North Dakota. The book also features a foreword and epilogue by Thomas D. Isern and photographs by John Toso.

 Preservation North Dakota is taking advance orders on its website or by phone at (701) 356-3001; advance orders will be fulfilled in early January 2012. Prairie Churches will also be available on Amazon.com and at local independent booksellers in North Dakota.

Praise for Prairie Churches:

“Prairie Churches… renews our admiration for the faith of our ancestors and reinforces the connection between faith and farming.” — Al Gustin, broadcast journalist and rancher

“Dramatic strokes upon the prairie landscape, the churches of the first settlers continue paying tribute to their founders’ heritage, their faith, their God. Although many of these country edifices have disappeared, the survivors still honor the convictions of the pioneers.

This volume singles out and salutes those houses of worship—powerful monuments to the individual homesteaders and immigrants who determined that a spiritual life was an elementary part of their precarious existence. The enduring survival of these structures is a reminder of the central role that religious belief has played in both the private and the community life of the American countryside.” —Kevin Carvell, noted critic, collector, and connoisseur of North Dakota books

"Many Hands Make Light Work" - Work Day at Manfred a Huge Success

On Saturday, May 7th, volunteers from across the state met in the tiny village of Manfred, ND (approximately 80 miles SE of Minot on ND Highway 52) for the first widely-publicized volunteer work day to clean out the 1910 Manfred School and 1899 Solheim House.

With the help of twenty-five volunteers, members of Rural Vestige Alliance (a PND Affiliate) accomplished this enormous task in just under seven hours. Both the school and neighboring house had been used as storage and eventually were abandoned with mounds of "stuff" inside, but this did not discourage RVA members who knew that with a little help, these places could be cleaned out and restored to be one day used again.



1899 Solheim House & 1910 Manfred School



Second floor classroom - before

Second floor classroom - after

Burnable garbage - out the window, into a sturdy farm truck, and headed to the burn pile

The other second floor classroom - before



The other second floor classroom - cleaning up nicely! The football helmets were saved...

In other Manfred news...

The east grain elevator has finally given up the ghost, so to speak. It was demolished shortly before the work day. What a huge change to the landscape...



East grain elevator - Fall 2010




Remains of east grain elevator - Spring 2011




Remains of east grain elevator - Spring 2011




2011 Honor Awards - PND Board Member of the Year

Board Member of the Year

Susan Quinnell – Bismarck, ND

Susan Quinnell is the Review & Compliance Coordinator for the ND State Historic Preservation Office. She has served on the PND board of directors and is currently the Secretary/Assistant Treasurer.

Susan has been instrumental in the restoration of the Hutmacher Farm, where she often volunteers her time, expertise, and equipment. In 2009, she served as chair of the PND Conference Committee, and has been dedicated to promoting historic preservation in North Dakota.

Susan Quinnell



2011 Honor Awards - Legacy Award

Legacy Award

The Legacy Award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated exceptional achievement in preserving the historical, architectural and cultural environment of North Dakota.

A long-time resident of Jamestown, Barb Lang is a retired banker and cable TV operator. For over twenty years, Barb has dedicated herself to volunteering for several historic preservation groups, including: State Historical Society of ND Foundation, 1883 Stutsman County Courthouse Committee in Jamestown, Preservation North Dakota (past president and board member), National Trust for Historic Preservation (past North Dakota advisor, member of the Board of Advisors, and Chair).

Barb was instrumental to PND’s success with the Prairie Churches of North Dakota project and in the restoration of the historic Franklin School in Jamestown.

Barbara S. Lang



2011 Honor Awards - Volunteer of the Year

Volunteer of the Year

The Volunteer of the Year Award recognizes an individual for extraordinary dedication to volunteer service in the field of historic preservation in North Dakota.

Marilu Person - Hillsboro, ND
Marilu Person became an advocate for historic preservation when Union Block – a commercial building in downtown Hillsboro – was threatened. She and her husband, Bruce, purchased the building for back taxes and donated it to the newly formed Hillsboro Community Partnership for restoration.

In addition to co-founding HCP and taking on a significant restoration project, Marilu also joined the PND board of directors. Her particular expertise on the PND board focused on the Local Affiliate Program. As the Local Affiliate Coordinator, Marilu helped set up new affiliates, kept the affiliate paperwork updated, and successfully streamlined the program to increase its efficiency and ensure compliance with all IRS regulations.

Marilu continues to serve on the Local Affiliate Committee, the Traill County Historical Society Board of Directors, and, of course, the Hillsboro Community Partnership board of directors. We are pleased to present this award in honor of her dedication to preservation in North Dakota.

Marilu Person