PND Seeks Nominations for Awards Programs

Preservation North Dakota seeks nominations for the annual 3 Most Endangered Places List as well as the Success Story  and Honor Awards.  Nominations are due April 15, 2012 forms are available online.

The 3 Most Endangered Places List, Success Story and Honor Awards will be announced during PND’s 19^th Annual North Dakota Historic Preservation Conference May 18-20, 2012 in Wishek, ND.

3 Most Endangered Places

Created in 2000, the 3 Most Endangered Places list includes sites which have historical, architectural or cultural significance and are in danger of demolition, deterioration, or substantial alteration due to neglect or vandalism. Being named to the list is often a first step or a much needed boost towards preserving these historic places. The list often draws public attention to historic preservation issues, sparks debate about cultural and architectural heritage preservation, and sometimes even attracts a new owner or developer to a historic site in desperate need of a new and creative solution.

Success Story Award

Each year PND also invites nominations for the annual Success Story Award.  This award is given to a site having a historical, architectural, or cultural significance, which has been restored. The work must have been completed within the last five years. The award also draws attention to historic preservation issues and demonstrates how historic places can be restored and adaptively reused for both historical and practical purposes.

Honor Awards

The Preservation North Dakota Honor Awards recognize outstanding achievements and excellence in historic preservation across the state of North Dakota in four categories; Preservation Excellence Award; Legacy Award; Volunteer of the Year Award; and the Artisan Award. Recipients are selected by the award committee from a pool of nominations submitted by peers, building owners, and the public at large.

2011 Most Endangered Places List

Country Schools of Traill County

Country schools of Traill County, in various forms, were in use from Dakota Territory days through the 1960s. Countless children attended these rural community schools in days gone by but changing times now put many school buildings in danger of being lost from the landscape. Sadly, the numbers of schools, in Traill County alone, have dwindled from about seventy structures noted in the 1927 atlas to only five schoolhouses in their original locations today. Each of the five schools has unique building features and conditions range from poor to good.

These schools were surveyed as part of the State Historical Society of North Dakota project to document potentially historic school buildings in the state. They are nominated as “Most Endangered” as examples for a statewide listing of rural schoolhouses, to call attention to the likelihood that many may vanish in the near future. It is hoped that recognition of their plight might spur interest in saving these irreplaceable prairie places.

Roseville #1

Norway #1

Kelso #3

Hillsboro #4

Wold #3



McLean County Courthouse

In 1908, McLean County constructed a portion of the Romanesque courthouse designed for them by the Hancock Brothers. This original portion was two floors above a full basement, made of brick and sandstone on a cut-stone base. T.F. Powers built this portion of the courthouse. Nine years later, Andrew Person got the job of building the first addition to the building. The 1917 addition on the east end was built from the original plans by the Hancock Brothers and blends nicely with original portion by using the same materials. The modern addition in 1966 departed from the idea of trying to blend with the existing style.

When the courthouse was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1985, it was one of 46 historic courthouses in North Dakota. A few of these courthouses have been demolished or their government use discontinued.

The idea of a new courthouse in McLean County is not a new one. Ten years ago the county commissioners were moving forward with a plan to build a new courthouse and demolish the old one. Numerous citizens were upset and asked the State Historical Society of North Dakota (SHSND) to invoke North Dakota Century Code 55-02-07, which required the SHSND’s approval for any political subdivision of the state to gain permission from the SHSND Director prior to altering or demolishing an historic building. The issue of building a new courthouse eventually went to the county for a vote in 2001 and the citizens voted against the plan. Later, the county also voted against a major renovation of the existing courthouse.

However, the courthouse has again become threatened after a November 2010 vote in which a county measure was passed to demolish the courthouse and build a new facility in response to health concerns.

Minnewaukan, ND

Due to the rising levels of Devils Lake, city, county, state and federal partners are working on plans to remove portions of Minnewaukan to a new site a couple of miles to the northwest. Currently, portions of the town may be able to stay, but other portions of it will have to move including the water tower, utilities and school.

Historic areas of Minnewaukan may or may not be affected; however neighborhoods and the community as a whole will certainly be feeling the effects of the move.

Benson County Courthouse

Grace Episcopal Stone Church

Historic Homes on South Main Street



May is National Preservation Month

May is National Preservation Month, and this year's theme is "Celebrating America's Treasures."

The 18th Annual North Dakota Historic Preservation Conference took place April 29 - 30, 2011 in Jamestown. It was a great way to kick-off National Preservation Month!

In conjunction with the annual conference, PND recognized the contributions of several individuals through the Honor Awards, Success Story Award, and Ekstrom Scholarship programs at a banquet in their honor. In continued celebration of National Preservation Month, we'll be highlighting these individuals here over the next several days.

Another important aspect of PND's advocacy efforts is the annual 3 Most Endangered List, which highlights threatened places in North Dakota. We will also be highlighting these places and their importance as community landmarks.