The State Historical Society of North Dakota is an agency that preserves and presents history through museums and historic sites in the state of

North Dakota North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the Native Americans in the United States, indigenous Dakota people, Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north a ...

. The agency operates the

North Dakota Heritage Center The North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum, located on the North Dakota State Capitol grounds in Bismarck, is the state of North Dakota's official history museum. The original building, which was opened in 1981, is operated by the State H ...

in Bismarck, which serves as a history museum for the state, oversees the preservation of the state's historic places, and presents the history of the state to the public in exhibits and branch museums. The Society also operates the

Former North Dakota Executive Mansion The Former North Dakota Executive Mansion, also or formerly known as Old Governor's Mansion or Asa Fisher House, at 320 Ave. B., E., in Bismarck, North Dakota, was built in 1893. It served "as the official residence of the governors of North D ...

in Bismarck.

Organization

Headquartered in Bismarck, the State Historical Society consists of one governing board of appointees and four divisions, each with a different function.

State Historical Board

The State Historical Board consists of twelve members. Seven members are appointed by the

governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

to staggered three-year terms.North Dakota Century Code, Chapter 55-01
/ref> The current board president is Steve C. Martens, the vice president is Matt Dunlevy, and the secretary is Daniel Stenberg. Martens and Stenberg's terms are set to expire in June 2023.

Historic Preservation Division

The Historic Preservation Division prepares a statewide historic preservation plan and inventories, evaluates, and nominates sites to be listed on the State and

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

. The division assists in the preservation of North Dakota historic properties at all levels, and also reviews and comments on federally assisted projects to ensure that historic values are considered in project planning and execution.State Historical Society of North Dakota: ''Archaeology & Historic Preservation Division''
/ref>

State Archives Division

The State Archives is responsible for the documentary collections of the State Historical Society of North Dakota. It is the official state archives, and acquires and preserves all types of research materials relating to North Dakota and the Northern Great Plains, including manuscript collections, books, periodicals, maps, newspapers, audio and video materials, and photographs.

Museum and Education Division

The Museum and Education Division presents the history of North Dakota through exhibits in the North Dakota Heritage Center as well as in branch museums (such as the Pembina State Museum) and traveling exhibits. The Division staff provide technical assistance on exhibit design and collection care to the public and other museums in the state. The division is responsible for preserving and exhibiting the artifacts in the collection, including approximately 650,000 pieces in the archaeological collection and 43,000 artifacts in the history, ethnology, and natural history collections.

Support Services Division

The Support Services Division provides general supervision of all programs and responsibilities of the agency through the office of the director. Support and coordination are provided through budgeting, accounting, purchasing, personnel services, communications, inventory control, and overall security functions.

List of North Dakota State Historic Sites

References

External links

State Historical Society of North Dakota website
{{authority control History of North Dakota State agencies of North Dakota State historical societies of the United States Historical societies in North Dakota State history organizations of the United States