Grand Forks Historic Preservation Commission

08/31/2026

Our friend and colleague, Brian Samson, from the Grand Forks Police Department wrote a history of the department using historic documents long stored in the building, as well as archival resources. If you enjoy local history, be sure to check it out! You can find it on Amazon.

08/27/2026

**Grant Alert**

Attention, property owners of historic buildings!

We're happy to share an opportunity from the State Historical Society for matching funds for rehabilitation, preservation or restoration. Applications close October 16th, and your property must be listed on the National Register.

Be sure to read the guidelines to find out if you are eligible!

State Historic Preservation Office North Dakota Grants and Financial Incentives Historic Preservation Fund Grants

08/26/2026

A nice story about our friends and colleagues over at the Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections at UND. They are a great resource for so much of our research!

People from across the nation and beyond have reached out, hoping to learn from the materials in the archive.
Link in the comments 👇

07/29/2026

Thanks to Addison Foley and the Grand Forks Herald for spotlighting our downtown ghost signs! Take advantage of the nice weather to visit downtown and see how many you can find!

What remnants of Grand Forks landmarks or businesses past can still be spotted downtown? Historical advertisements, often called "ghost signs," can help to preserve the city's commercial history.

07/13/2026

A big thank you to our former Historic Preservation Commission chair for answering our call for a hard copy of this historic publication, full of wonderful photos of early scenes of Grand Forks including churches, civic buildings, businesses, homes and some influential individuals. Here are just a few.

It is a fantastic donation to our little in-house library and will be referred to often!

07/02/2026

Are you staying in town over the July 4th weekend? We have moved our self-guided mobile walking tour app into our website! So, why not talk a walk around downtown and learn about our historic buildings.

https://www.gfpreservation.com/app/

If you had a download from the App Store or Google Play, it will no longer work, but our website always will!

06/24/2026

We had the pleasure of contributing to a special project at the invitation of Mike Bibow of AE2S for Valley Senior Living's Lanark Avenue-Lincoln Drive wing. We gathered some historic photos of the area that provided snapshots of life in the neighborhood, and and artist, Alesha Anderson of FLAÄR brought them to life through her signature paint enhancements that highlight different features with color and texture. It is easy to get lost in these images, finding details that were previously hidden.

One of the most rewarding outcomes of this project is the response from residents and visitors, many of whom recall the soapbox races, the ice houses and even the ski jump. Historic preservation of buildings, landscapes and even photographs act as tangible links to collective and individual memory. They can trigger memories and start conversations about the past.

The ski jump, soapbox cars and ice houses are examples of so many activities and locations that are now "of the past" and disconnected from the present. But our seniors in the community, through sharing their stories, remind us that they were very much a part of our local heritage.

We are so thankful to have played a small part in this project! You can see more of Alesha's artwork at flaardecor.com.

06/19/2026

Friends, can you check your bookshelves? We're in search of a physical copy of this early publication about Grand Forks. It's called "Souvenir Album: City of Grand Forks, North Dakota".

It was published around 1897 as a type of promotional publication to entice settlement and development in the region. If you have a copy and are willing to part with it, please message us!

06/18/2026

Local history buff, Wes Peck, wrote a history of bars in Grand Forks, and he is hosting a book launch next Tuesday. See below for details!

06/17/2026

Did you know...

City Hall was first located at the corner of N. 3rd Street and 2nd Ave which is now the Brownstone Apartments opposite The Toasted Frog and Joe Black's. It also housed the Grand Forks Police Department and the Hook & Ladder, or Fire Department. There are also references to City meetings being held in the Security Building at the other end of the block, perhaps before that building was constructed.

Around 1910-1911, new City Halls (many with adjoining fire halls) were being constructed around the State during the Second Dakota Boom. Grand Forks' new City Hall and adjoining fire hall was built in 1911 about a block from the earlier building. City Hall was the heart of all municipal functions, and also housed the Police department, and even jail cells in the basement.