Stutsman County Courthouse Seeks Volunteers for New Civics, Interpretive Programs

North Dakota's oldest surviving courthouse is looking for a new generation of storytellers. The 1883 Stutsman County Courthouse State Historic Site at 504 3rd Ave. SE in Jamestown will host volunteer informational sessions at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 19, and 3 p.m. Saturday, March 28, both held inside the building's courtroom.

The sessions are part of a push by the State Historical Society of North Dakota, which manages the site, to expand interpretive programming and launch a new civics initiative. Volunteers recruited through the effort will help develop and deliver programming that covers courthouse history from 1883 through 1981. "A broad and diverse volunteer base representing multiple generations, skillsets, and interests will help create meaningful and lasting interpretive experiences for guests," courthouse officials said.

The site is casting a wide net for applicants. Those with backgrounds in history, agricultural education, typewriting, accounting, law practice and enforcement, penmanship, surveying and mapmaking, architecture, and military history are all encouraged to apply. Anyone 16 or older who enjoys working with people of all ages is encouraged to attend one of the sessions.

The time commitment is structured but flexible: staff are seeking volunteers available two to four hours during the week for school workshops, plus four to six hours on at least one Saturday or Sunday each month, adding up to eight to 10 hours per month. Volunteers will receive training in thematic interpretation skills and techniques, guest services, and developing mission-based themed tours.

The courthouse itself gives that work particular weight. Built in 1883, it is the only remaining North Dakota building directly connected to the 1880s statehood movement. Delegates to the state's constitutional convention were elected there, and meetings were held in 1885 to discuss the division of Dakota Territory. The State Historical Society of North Dakota describes it as "the birthplace of statehood." The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is one of only two county courthouses in North Dakota built in the Gothic Revival style. Its pressed metal interior, which coats the walls throughout, is considered the most complete collection of pressed tin in North Dakota and perhaps the Midwest.

The site is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with daily hours from Memorial Weekend Saturday through Labor Day. To learn more about volunteering, contact Outreach Coordinator Stephan Zacharias at shs1883courthouse@nd.gov or 701.328.1883.