What Is the North Dakota State Capitol?
It’s the North Dakota State Capitol building!
What Makes It Historical?
North Dakota’s first capitol building was built five years before statehood on land donated by the Northern Pacific Railroad and stood here all the way until December 28, 1930. That’s when a colossal fire ate it up, maybe started by oily rags in a janitor’s closet because they’d been varnishing legislators’ desks! The original state constitution was saved, but tons of other records were lost to the blaze! For two years, the Legislature had to meet variously in the War Memorial Building, City Auditorium, Patterson Hotel, and the repaired first floor of the old capitol’s 1903 wing.
Something had to be done, something fast, and because the Great Depression was just kicking off, something cheap! State leaders started by selling off half the capitiol grounds and chopping ornamentation from the original designs of Joseph Bell DeRemer and W. F. Kurke. Governor George F. Shafer broke ground on August 13, 1932, and over the next two years, the “Skyscraper of the Prairie” arose to the tune of $2 million, or 46 cents per cubic foot!!
Part of that cost cutting meant paying construction workers 30 cents an hour, and those Greatly Depressed workers went on strike multiple times, even to the point that the capitol grounds went under martial law in June of 1933! But all 21 stories went up, including the observatory on the top floor, with 80% usable space, making this a simple, functional capitol building that’s still pretty darn distinct among its peers!
How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?
- Volunteer with the State Historical Society of North Dakota!
- Donate to the State Historical Society of North Dakota!
- Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!
How Do I Get There?
600 E Boulevard Ave
Bismarck, ND 58505
(Take Me There!)
When Should I Visit?
You can tour the capitol building Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM until 3:00 PM, on the hour!
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