1883 Courthouse open house a huge success

Jamestown (CSi) – Organizers of the open house for the 1883 Historic Stutsman County Courthouse were elated with the big turnout at the September 13, 2014 event.   According to Barb Lang, “we had 1,005 visitors Saturday”.   A steady stream of area residents wandered through the first and second floors, listening to historical facts and tales presented in various rooms.  Replay Channel Photos from before the open house by Thomas Ravely &  Saturday by Matt Sheppard. A larger Photo Album is  ONLINE at FACEBOOK at The Replay Channel, view and share

If you didn’t make it to open house, view the one-take video stroll through the Historic Courthouse, by The Replay Channel, and be sure to check out and “like”  Historic 1883 Stutsman County Courthouse Facebook page.

The event is an officially sanctioned North Dakota 125^th Anniversary event.  During the days of Dakota Territory, meetings were held in the courthouse in preparation for statehood.

On Wednesday’s Wayne Byers Show on CSi Cable 2, the State Historical Society’s, Historic Sites, Manager, Guinn Hinman said, this is the first opportunity the public has had in 30 years to view and tour the 1883 courthouse, and observe the restoration efforts.

During the Open House, there will be tours, including rooms open for viewing in the 1883 courthouse. There will be individuals stationed in each room, to welcome guests, as interpreters, including Mary Young, Keith Norman, Alden Kollman and University of Jamestown history professor Tim Bratton. .

The courthouse is the oldest surviving courthouse in North Dakota, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The building is considered a superb, and rare example in the upper midwest, of the Gothic-Revival style of architecture. The interior is outstanding for its stamped metal ornamentation that dates to 1905.

Restoration efforts have stabilized the exterior of the courthouse, and the State Historical Society is currently installing a new mechanical system. This is the first of many projects that will eventually lead to the courthouse becoming a state historic site open for tours.

Future plans include possibly utilizing the building for community events, and lectures from the University of Jamestown.

The state legislature and local contributions have over the past five years, total $400,000, toward the restoration efforts.

Anyone interested in making a monetary donation, may do so through the State Historical Society’s Foundation.

The State Historical Society and the 1883 Courthouse Committee encourages everyone to come and enjoy the building, speak with interpreters and learn about future rehabilitation plans for the interior.