HOUSE HISTORY

    This house was the North Dakota governors' residence from 1893 to 1960. It was built in 1884 as a private residence by Asa Fisher. At various times he was a wholesale liquor dealer, register of the Bismarck Land Office, and president of the First National Bank. He sold this house to the state for $5,000 in 1893.

    In 1975 the State Historical Society of North Dakota was given the house with the hope that it would operate as a historic house museum. Extensive research and restoration has been completed, restoring the house to its former appearance as it might have been in 1893. Throughout the house are restoration features which are highlighted to show visitors what work has been done. These features include samples of wallpaper that have been exposed to indicate changes in style and taste.

Main Floor

    The south parlor was traditionally used by governors' families as a formal parlor. During the John Burke administration (1907-1912) a Steinway grand piano  was purchased. It stood for many years in the bay window. In 1928 Governor Sorlie died and his casket lay in this room. During the Aandahl administration (1945-1950), his daughter Margaret's piano recitals were held there.

    The north parlor was typically used as an informal gathering place by governors' families. The spindled lattice hanging from the archway between the rooms is a reproduction of the original. During the John Burke administration, the east window was replaced with a larger leaded glass window to allow more light to come into the room. The fireplace originally had an overmantel with a mirror.

    The kitchen served a broad range of functions. During the Shafer administration (1929-1932), the family ate most of their meals here. When Mrs. William Langer needed to gain weight, her German maid prepared homemade beer, the smell of which filled the air. The sink replaced one that stood on the west wall of the kitchen. That sink had a pump that drew water from the cistern. An electric range was purchased during the Aandahl administration to replace a green and black gas range.[ The built-in icebox] [ was filled with ice from the adjoining shed.] Ice deliveries were made regularly throughout the years.

    The dining room was the setting for many meals, both formal and informal. Mrs. John Burke held numerous functions there for teachers, capitol employees, and county superintendents as well as holiday gatherings. Other families limited their entertaining to family dinners and card parties with friends. The overmantel in this room was removed in 1933 during the first Langer administration as part of an extensive refurbishing and decorating project.

    The pantries served to store the fine china and foods: cheeses, canned goods, and fruitcakes. The state had its own china; the pattern during the Burke administration was by Haviland. The silver service was Chantilly by Gorham; the state seal was engraved upon it. Mrs. Norman Brunsdale (1951-1956) purchased more silver and a set of Lenox china for the house. It was described as having a gold edge and a small flower border. The butler's pantry once contained a refrigerator. During the Langer administration (1933), a phone jack was installed so the governor could take calls during dinner. The phone number for many years was #39; later it became #1234.

    The main floor bathroom was installed by the Langers. Prior to this, the space was a catchall for boots, school books, and coats.

    The back shed was used as storage space by many governors' families. Mrs. Langer chose to store the majority of the state-owned furniture here and use her own in the house. Trusties from the penitentiary entered the house from the exterior door of this shed. This part of the house was difficult to heat, and Mrs. Brunsdale sometimes wore her overshoes in order to stay warm while working in this area and the kitchen.

Second Floor

    The northeast bedroom was traditionally used as a child's bedroom. Marion and Elizabeth Burke shared this room. During the Brunsdale administration, however, it served as the master bedroom. The fireplace in this room was sealed off sometime between 1912 and 1925.

    The southeast bedroom was typically the master bedroom, although the Brunsdales used it as a guest room. A telephone was installed here during the Burke administration.

    The small room adjoining the southeast bedroom was used as both a bedroom and study. The door leads to the outside porch which, after its remodeling in 1919, was a favorite sleeping area in the summer months.

    The southwest bedroom was used frequently as a guest room. Mrs. Shafer's mother used it for an extensive period of time while ill.

    The rear (northwest) bedrooms were built for use by servants. Several servants did use these rooms, but they also served as storage areas. They were noted by the Burkes' daughter, Marion, as difficult to heat with one register over the kitchen range as the only source of heat.

    The attic has a finished playroom built during the burke administration. Although it had no heat in the winter and was stiflingly hot in the summer, children enjoyed its seclusion, and some used it for climbing out onto the roof.

Front Porch

    The front porch has been restored to its original appearance. In 1919 it was remodeled into a two-story, screened-in porch. During the dismantling of this addition, wooden panels with a floral design were discovered underneath. These have been reproduced and now appear around the base of the porch.

    The carriage house or garage is believed to have been built in 1903. An apartment on the second floor was home to the governor's caretaker, who was employed by the state. Trusties from the penitentiary did maintenance work on the house and used the first floor of the carriage house as a workroom.

    Flower gardens were kept on the grounds, cuttings from which were frequently used in the house. Among the most popular flowers planted were geraniums, dahlias, gladiolus, zinnias, pansies, tulips, sweet peas, petunias, iris, daisies, peonies, asters, and ageratum.

    Located at 320 E. Ave. B in Bismarck, the site consists of a large two and one-half story, restored Victorian mansion and a carriage house. Constructed in 1884, it housed 21 chief executives between 1893 and 1960. Unique room exhibits feature the restoration process, architectural style changes, and furniture used by several governors. The site is open from May 16 through September 15, Wednesday through Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m. (CST). Video and first floor ADA accessible. Limited facilities. No admission fee. Information: State Historical Society of North Dakota, 612 E. Boulevard Ave., Bismarck ND 58505. Telephone: (701) 328-3015 or (701) 328-2672. The Former Governors' Mansion can be rented to host meetings and special events. The Former Governors' Mansion User's Guide can be downloaded here (PDF format). Also available to download: Former Governors’ Mansion State Historic Site User’s Agreement and Former Governors’ Mansion State Historic Site Alcoholic Beverage Use Agreement. Please remember that special events are secondary to the principal purpose of the site which is to preserve and interpret the history and maintain the integrity of the mansion. Please address any questions to: shspreservation@state.nd.us.

For more information on the region contact the Bismarck-Mandan Convention and Visitors Bureau at 1-800-767-3555.

e-mail: histsoc@state.nd.us

Copyright ©2002-2006 State Historical Society of North Dakota. You are free to use information from these pages for any non-commercial purpose. Any use of this information should credit the State Historical Society of North Dakota. Photographs shown on the State Historical Society of North Dakota's web site are taken from the collections of the State Historical Society of North Dakota and may not be included in any publication, printed or online, without the written permission of the Society.