The first North Dakota capitol building was completed in 1894, five years after statehood. It was destroyed by fire in the early hours of December 28, 1930. The state wasted no time beginning work on a new capitol, even selling off 160 acres of the capitol grounds to help fund construction.
On this date in 1931, the Capitol Building Commission announced it had mailed questionnaires to architects in North Dakota and across the Mississippi Valley. Frank Anders, the commission’s secretary, explained that the first step was to gather information and narrow the search. While the commission planned to give preference to North Dakota architects, its priority was to find the best firm for the job.
One firm quickly emerged as a frontrunner. Holabird and Root, a Chicago-based firm, was responsible for many iconic buildings, including the Board of Trade Building and the Palmolive Building. The firm was known for its Art Deco skyscrapers, featuring decorative elements and the use of stainless steel and glass.
Holabird and Root were ultimately selected as the chief architects. To ensure local involvement, North Dakota architects Joseph Bell DeRemer and William Kurke were hired as on-site architects and construction superintendents.
The current capitol was completed in 1934, in the depths of the Great Depression. The project was scaled back, and changes were made to reduce costs. Much of Holabird and Root’s signature exterior ornamentation was eliminated, including a planned fifty-foot statue.
Even so, the results remain impressive. With a budget of $2 million, the building was completed for $1.7 million. It featured eighty percent usable space and a cost of just forty-six cents per cubic foot. At a time when most state capitols followed the model of the United States Capitol with a central dome, North Dakota’s capitol rose 241 feet above the Great Plains. Not everyone admired the design. Critics nicknamed it “George Shafer’s silo” and later “Langer’s silo,” after the governors in office during its construction. Today, the “Skyscraper on the Prairie” is an instantly recognizable symbol of North Dakota.
Dakota Datebook written by Dr. Carole Butcher
Sources:
- Bismarck Tribune. “Name Capitol Architect in July.” Bismarck ND. 5/15/1931. Page 1.
- North Dakota Office of Management and Budget. “Capitol Complex History.” https://www.omb.nd.gov/capitol-complex/historyAccessed 4/24/2026.
- Clio. “North Dakota State Capitol.” https://theclio.com/entry/80708Accessed 4/24/2026.
