Historic 1883 Stutsman County Courthouse

The Stutsman County Courthouse, built in 1883, is North Dakota's oldest surviving courthouse and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is significant for its architectural style— one of only two county courthouses in the state in the Gothic Revival Style, and for its pressed metal interior, which coats the interior walls of the building. The courthouse has the most complete collection of pressed tin in North Dakota and perhaps, the Midwest.

It is the only remaining North Dakota building directly related to the activities of the 1880s statehood movement. Delegates to the State's constitutional convention were elected here and meetings were held in 1885 to discuss the division of Dakota Territory. The Stutsman County Courthouse truly is the birthplace of statehood.

Designed by Henry C. Koch, a Wisconsin architect, the courthouse was completed in less than a year. The building served as the center of county government until the early 1980s when Stutsman County vacated the premises and attempted to demolish it in favor of a parking lot. Local citizens rallied to save the building and after 15 years of legal battles, ownership of the courthouse was transferred to the State Historical Society in 1991.

Restoration efforts have been continuous since the 1990s. In recent years, the courthouse has seen tremendous progress on the interior restoration. 

Visitors to the site will truly see historic preservation in action!