1883CourthouseNorthSideJamestown (CSi) On Monday evening the Jamestown Tourism Board of Directors met  at the 1883 Stutsman County Courthouse and were given a tour of the building by Guinn Hinman, the historic sites manager for the North Dakota State Historical Society.

At the meeting discussion was held on how to explore Jamestown Tourism aiding in attracting tourists to the 1883 courthouse when restoration is completed in 2017.

Jamestown Tourism, Director Searle Swedlund said the 1883 courthouse is an exciting project for Jamestown and for Jamestown Tourism. It is a place rich with history and a space where conversations about North Dakota statehood began, he said.

Hinman added that historians like to rely on photographs of the interior to aid in restoring chandeliers, wallpaper and items, she said. There are no such photos for the 1883 courthouse, and the search is continuing.

Restoration so far has included restoring pressed tin walls and tile work. Decades of lead-based paint had to be removed safely to restore the original doors and windows.

The first floor is complete with new restrooms, and a room dedicated to the late historian Mary Faith Young will be ready to view by the first public open house on May 14th, 2016, from 1 to 4 p.m.