This article lists the oldest extant buildings in North Dakota, including extant buildings and structures constructed prior to and during the United States rule over North Dakota. Only buildings built prior to 1880 are suitable for inclusion on this list, or the building must be the oldest of its type.
In order to qualify for the list, a structure must:
- be a recognizable building (defined as any human-made structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or continuous occupancy);
- incorporate features of building work from the claimed date to at least 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) in height and/or be a listed building.
This consciously excludes ruins of limited height, roads and statues. Bridges may be included if they otherwise fulfill the above criteria. Dates for many of the oldest structures have been arrived at by radiocarbon dating or dendrochronology and should be considered approximate. If the exact year of initial construction is estimated, it will be shown as a range of dates.
List of oldest buildings
Building | Image | Location | First built | Use | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gingras Trading Post State Historic Site | Walhalla, North Dakota | 1844 | Trading post | Likely oldest buildings in North Dakota[1] | |
Kittson Trading Post | Walhalla, North Dakota | 1852 | Trading Post | ||
Fort Abercrombie Guardhouse | Abercrombie, North Dakota | 1860 | Fort | ||
Dease-Martineau House | Pembina County, North Dakota | 1868 | Residence/ Trading Post | ||
Headquarters Building (South Dakota) at Camp Hancock State Historic Site | Bismarck, North Dakota | 1872 | Residence | ||
James Holes House | Fargo, North Dakota | 1879 | Residence | ||
Opheim Cabin | Cooperstown, North Dakota | 1879 | Residence | First permanent home in Griggs County (North Dakota) built by Omond Nelson Opheim, Washburn Township, 1879 (cabin now on courthouse grounds, Cooperstown)[2] | |
Thomas D. Campbell House | Grand Forks, North Dakota | 1879 | Residence | ||
Bread of Life Church (South Dakota) at Camp Hancock State Historic Site | Bismarck, North Dakota | 1881 | Church | Oldest church building in North Dakota; no longer in active use by congregation; later St. George's Episcopal Church | |
Griggs County Courthouse | Cooperstown, North Dakota | 1884 | Courthouse | The Griggs County Courthouse was designed by F.B. Edwards and built in 1884 by Alexander Moffat. A vault was added to the building in 1918 and a law enforcement center was added in 1960. It is the oldest courthouse still in use in North Dakota but the county is currently transitioning to a new courthouse.[3] | |
Old Stone Church | Buffalo, North Dakota | 1885 | Church |
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in North Dakota
- History of North Dakota
- Oldest buildings in the United States
References
- ^ Antoine Blanc Gingras, Metis Fur Trader and member of the Minnesota Territorial Legislature, 1852–1853 Minnesota Historical Society, accessed December 6, 2010
- ^ "Opheim Cabin, Cooperstown, Griggs County, N.D." digitalhorizonsonline.org. Retrieved 2022-12-28.
- ^ "North Dakota Historic County Courthouses - Historic Preservation - State Historical Society of North Dakota". www.history.nd.gov. Retrieved 2022-12-28.