Wabek School Is First State Historic Sites Registry Listing in Over 25 Years
By Lorna Meidinger, Lead Historic Preservationist
The State Historic Sites Registry was created by North Dakota Century Code § 55-10 Preservation of Historic Sites and Antiquities in 1967, one year after passage of the National Historic Preservation Act. As Century Code § 55-10-01 states, “It is hereby declared to be in the public interest to provide for the preservation of historic sites, buildings, structures, and antiquities of state and national significance for the inspiration, use, and benefit of the people of the state of North Dakota.” The intent was to provide a state program modeled after the National Register of Historic Places and protection from adverse effects of projects with involvement by the state or its political subdivisions. As originally passed, the state Legislature was the body that formally approved the listing of properties in the registry after the nominations went through the North Dakota State Historical Board. The 1967 legislative session listed 57 sites located on state-owned property, three sites on federally owned property, and four sites on privately owned property.
To provide more formal instructions for nominating properties to the registry, the State Historical Society of North Dakota started writing guidelines in the late 1970s. At that time, the National Register of Historic Places was considering changes to its guidance and the State Historical Society decided to mirror those proposed guidelines. The instructions are codified in North Dakota Administrative Code § 40-02-01 and became effective July 1, 1982. Unfortunately for the state, the National Register ended up not accepting the proposed changes to its guidance so there are some differences in categories of significance.
Between passage of the new instructions and 1998, 10 new sites and three historic districts were listed in the state registry. Shortly after this, however, a major local battle over preserving the sheriff’s house and jail at the Cass County Courthouse began. The Cass County government wanted to tear down the registered sheriff’s house and jail. Many in the community wanted it preserved. Under state preservation laws Century Code §§ 55-02-07 and 55-10-09 and Administrative Code § 40-02-01-10, the county needed permission for the demolition. During this time, several amendments to state preservation laws were proposed. In 2001, the state Legislature repealed Century Code §§ 55-10-03 through 55-10-06, which listed out the properties in the registry. In combination with all the other proposed changes (some of which did pass in this and later sessions), it was interpreted at the time that while the registry still existed, there was no longer a way to list new properties.
Fast forward to the 2020s when questions arose during another county project. Allyson Hicks, attorney general representative for the State Historical Society at the time, looked into the laws relevant to the situation and asked questions about the state registry. After hearing the previous interpretation of the repealed sections in the Century Code, she researched the history of the change and contacted legislators involved in the repeal to fully understand their intent. Hicks discovered the intent for the repeal was only to take the Legislature out of the process and to have the State Historical Board become the approval authority.
Since the program had been dormant for so long and all the individuals who had worked with it were no longer employed at the State Historical Society, archival records were vitally important to help relaunch the program. Luckily, former agency employee Rolene Schliesman had completed her Master of Arts in historic preservation thesis “North Dakota’s State Historic Sites Registry: State-level Approval Authority Over Alteration and Demolition” in 2002 and filed a copy with the North Dakota State Archives. This document explained the history of the registry and along with records of the State Historical Board and the state registry files allowed the program to be reactivated when Hunter Andes expressed interest in nominating the Wabek Consolidated School. Andes listed the school in the National Register in 2019 but also wanted the protection for the school offered by listing in the state registry.
Since Andes had already completed the research for the National Register nomination and had been very active in continuing to research the school’s history and in physically preserving the building, he easily completed a state registry nomination with current information and photographs. He nominated Wabek Consolidated School under Criteria 1 for its association with institutions and events and Criteria 2 for its distinctive building type. The consolidated school had been created in 1917 when the school district physically moved two one-room schoolhouses onto the property and physically connected them, merging both the buildings and their students in one location to allow more social and educational opportunities. In 1920, Gov. Lynn Frazier flew in an airplane to deliver a speech at the school. Newspapers of the time claimed this event was significant as it was the first flight in the nation by a governor for campaign purposes.
Andes worked with the State Historical Society’s Lorna Meidinger, who coordinates the state registry program, to polish the nomination and get it reviewed first by the Archaeology and Historic Preservation Committee of the State Historical Board and then voted on by the board at its January meeting. The nomination received several letters of support as well as in-person support at the board meeting. On Jan. 10, 2025, the Wabek Consolidated School became the first property entered in the state registry since 1998. The school recently underwent rehabilitation and is now open for tourism and as a local meeting space.
New National Register of Historic Places Listings
By Lorna Meidinger, Lead Historic Preservationist
Coordination of the National Register of Historic Places program in North Dakota is one of many important tasks carried out by the North Dakota State Historic Preservation Office housed within the State Historical Society of North Dakota in Bismarck. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Register “is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources,” according to the National Park Service, the federal agency that oversees it. Once vetted by the state’s historic preservation office, nominations are reviewed by the North Dakota Historic Preservation Review Board. The majority of the board’s members specialize in a related field: prehistoric archaeology, historical architecture, history, architectural history, or historic archaeology. Two citizen members round out the seven-member board. If the preservation review board determines the nomination is ready to move forward, it is sent to the National Park Service for final consideration and listing in the National Register if approved.
Highland Acres Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Built in 1958, this residence at 928 Arthur Drive is similar to residences of the same style in the Highland Acres Addition. Photo by Jim Fuglie
This residence at 1001 Arthur Drive with a tuck-under garage was built by Merle Kenny in 1959. Photo by Jim Fuglie
This residence at 1002 Arthur Drive was built by Roland Froeschle for himself and his family in 1963. Photo by Jim Fuglie
In 2022, the Highland Acres Historic District in Bismarck was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The district is significant at the local level for its role in community development and planning and for being an enclave of mid-century and contemporary residential architecture where several architects, prominent builders, and a variety of individuals chose to build their homes. An update to the nomination for the district was accepted to expand the boundaries to include the neighboring Torrance Addition in 2024. The Torrance Addition consists of 20 residences built at the same time as the Highland Acres additions. The Torrance Addition, however, was developed by longtime Bismarck resident and businessman Ell Torrance on the land he owned immediately next to his own residence. Torrance followed the example set in Highland Acres of planning the residential lots to fit within the hilly terrain and to feel like an extension of Highland Acres Additions.
The Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places officially listed the Highland Acres Historic District (Boundary Increase) in recognition of its local significance under Criterion A for its role in community planning and development and under Criterion C for architecture July 1, 2024.
Nels Ophaug Farm Barn
The east end of the Nels Ophaug Farm Barn has double barn doors at the lower level allowing easy access for livestock and equipment. The silo was added after the barn was rebuilt in 1943. Photo by Olen Ophaug
The lean-to on the barn’s north side and the upper level where hay was stored are accessed easily due to the hill the barn was built into. Photo by Olen Ophaug
The Nels Ophaug Farm Barn near McVille was built in 1905 as a gambrel-roofed bank barn with a stone foundation for dairy, calving, and horses. The upper level was rebuilt in 1943 with a Gothic-arched roof after a windstorm destroyed it. Ophaug, a Norwegian immigrant who served in the North Dakota House of Representatives from 1921 to 1923 as an independent, built both the original barn and the reconstructed upper level. This barn is considered a bank barn, meaning that multiple levels of the barn can be accessed from the landscape outside of it. In this case, the barn was built into a small hill. Bank barns do not exist widely throughout North Dakota due to the terrain. The barn is an excellent example of its type and attests to trends in the development of agriculture in North Dakota.
On Oct. 24, 2024, the Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places officially listed the Nels Ophaug Farm Barn in recognition of its statewide significance under Criterion A for its role in agriculture and under Criterion C for architecture. It was listed under “Common Farm and Ranch Barns in North Dakota,” a historic context and multiple property document that helps establish criteria for including barns in the National Register.
Towner County Fairgrounds Pavilion
The south end of the Towner County Fairgrounds Pavilion is the main entrance. Photo by Mark Fox
The wide-open floor plan allowed a wide variety of social events to be held in the pavilion. Photo by Mark Fox
The pavilion’s stage is made up of boxes and panels allowing it to be adapted for each event held there. Photo by Mark Fox
The Towner County Fair Pavilion in Cando was built in 1919 next to the horse racetrack shortly after the fair was established. By 1895, the track had been established and adding this building allowed more social events to be held on the newly renamed Towner County Fairgrounds. This building hosted food competitions and exhibits during the county fairs and was also the site of weekly dances and other social events. The building is completely open on the interior, providing a space 70 feet long by 40 feet wide. The windows have no panes but are covered by wood that can be propped open for air circulation.
Richard Noyes Jr. recalled that his father led the effort for the pavilion to host traveling bands each week in the summer on behalf of the Cando Odd Fellows Lodge. He said bands could have 17 to 20 members all traveling in a trailer and that they let local musicians join in for a dance or two. After the dance was over, the bands often went to the Noyes’ house for a late-night meal and to wind down from the evening.
The Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places officially listed the Towner County Fairgrounds Pavilion in Cando Oct. 25, 2024, in recognition of its local significance under Criterion A for its role in the entertainment, recreation, and social history of area residents.
Contrary to some misconceptions about the National Register program, listing in it does not prevent owners from altering their property, restrict the use or sale of the property, or require establishing times that the property must be open to the public. Entry into the National Register of Historic Places gives a property prestige, provides protection from adverse effects in federally assisted projects, and provides eligibility for certain preservation financial incentives.
A Question of Balance: Maintaining State Historic Sites
By Paul Grahl, Historic Sites Maintenance and Construction Supervisor
“Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” In my opinion, this saying couldn’t be truer. I love what I do and have adopted the belief that when you are developing a maintenance plan with a focus on historic archaeological features, it’s important to consider both the preservation of the site and the experience of visitors.
My love for turfgrass management was forged through a natural progression of work and experience dating to my days growing up in the Ann Arbor, Michigan, area, working at a sod farm and later at a golf course and ultimately becoming the owner of a business. This gave me the hands-on exposure I needed to understand the intricacies of turfgrass management. My passion for the field grew from those formative experiences. When I started work at the State Historical Society of North Dakota in 2015, my love of history further sparked my interest in the many sites under the management of the agency.
Thes sites offer a direct link to the past, allowing people to learn from the actual locations where significant historical events and cultural practices unfolded. The State Historical Society’s role in maintaining these sites is essential for preserving our connections to history, ensuring that future generations can learn from and appreciate the rich cultures that shaped the region.
My position offers a unique and meaningful opportunity to develop plans for maintaining important archaeological sites in North Dakota, particularly here in the Bismarck-Mandan area. I aim to balance the natural beauty and recreational aspects of these sites with the need to preserve them. The preservation of these sites involves many different tasks, from the protection of the physical landscape to managing visitor experiences to engaging with local Native American communities. This focus requires a thoughtful approach, as we aim to make the sites accessible and enjoyable for visitors while also honoring each site’s cultural and historical significance.
Effective grassland management involves understanding factors like the types of grass species, soil health, and biodiversity, and even the appropriate mowing, fertilization, and/or grazing practices needed for healthy and sustainable grasslands. Without proper management, grasslands can become overgrown, invasive species might take hold, or the ecosystem could become imbalanced.
One challenge when I began was the prairie dogs at Fort Rice State Historic Site south of Mandan. A large prairie dog colony established years ago had created a barrier to properly maintaining the site and posed a unique problem for the preservation of the site’s artifacts and structures.
Prairie dogs are known to build extensive colonies that can create significant disturbances to the landscape. The mounds they build can displace soil, damage structures, and even affect the integrity of archaeological sites, making them less stable for preservation. After repeated efforts to manage the colony with limited success, the State Historical Society chose to focus resources on other more manageable aspects.
The situation at Double Ditch Indian Village State Historic Site north of Bismarck presented a similarly complex challenge, this time with pocket gophers affecting the preservation of the midden mounds. Midden mounds, a form of precontact refuse heap, are incredibly important archaeological features that often contain a wealth of artifacts and insight into past lifeways, particularly those of Native American communities. The grass covering these mounds is not only crucial for the aesthetic integrity of the site but also helps to protect the mounds.
As historic sites maintenance and construction supervisor, I was responsible for finding a way to control the rodent problem and reduce maintenance needs at both sites. The goal was also to eliminate future disturbances while still preserving the site’s historical value. I accomplished this by using a combination of strategies, such as ecological management, preservation practices, and educating myself on the challenges faced in preserving such significant sites. These included habitat modification or altering the environment around the site to make it less inviting for the rodent populations.
Using an integrated pest management approach to the problem involved the development of new mowing, fertilization, and weed control programs and practices, which reduced the availability of food and left the rodents more exposed to predators. Additionally, rodenticides allowed me to continuously control rodent populations, keeping them at a manageable level.
By continuously monitoring and improving our preservation practices, we have been able to almost eliminate the gopher population at Double Ditch and dramatically reduce the prairie dog populations at Fort Rice, preventing further damage. This has allowed the entire Fort Rice site to be properly maintained and for preservation measures to be planned and carried out. Many of the geological features of the sites that were exposed to rodent damage have recovered and are now thriving.
These practices are vital not only to the preservation of Fort Rice and Double Ditch but also to all our state historic sites as well as to the broader mission of maintaining and educating the public about the rich history embedded in these locations. Striking the right balance between ensuring the health of the environment at these cultural sites and preserving their historical and archaeological significance will always be a constant consideration for me.