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2002 Most Endangered Properties
Former Elk's Building — Dickinson (1912) [In Progress] The former Dickinson Elk's Building was constructed in 1912, as home of the Dickinson Lodge of the Benevolent Order of the Elks, and at one time was site of Dickinson State University. At the time that Dickinson State University was founded, it was temporarily housed in the Elks building, until a larger more suitable site could be found. The Dickinson Elks Lodge owned the building until 1979, and continued to hold meetings there until 1982. Since 1979, several private entities/individuals have owned the building. A variety of businesses and service providers called this building home throughout the years, including a large retail chain store, a print shop, a frame shop, a pet store, a jewelry store, insurance agencies, a coffee shop and a host of others. Some of the building's last owners did little of nothing to maintain the building during their period of ownership; they gave up on their initial plans and let the building return to the county for the non-payment of property taxes. The building was returned to the county and passed to the City of Dickinson in December 2001. The building in now in various stages of disrepair: the roof is open with rain running through the building into the street, and Pigeons and other animals have claimed the building as home, making potential buyers reluctant to consider purchasing the Elks Building. After twenty-two years of changing ownership and seven years of total vacancy, the challenge before the city of Dickinson is to find a way to redevelop the building. Other options include demolishing the building if they are not able to determine the preliminary needs for redevelopment, and cannot find a partner willing to undertake the needed investment and work of saving this downtown landmark.  There is significant community support to reclaim landmark buildings and spaces within the city, and a steering committee to restore economic vitality to the downtown area. The community, and particularly the steering committee, envisions public and private redevelopment to extend existing downtown uses and character, while integrating historical, cultural and recreational opportunities into the area. However, the current condition of several buildings, including the Dickinson Elk Building, creates a psychological barrier to purchasing property in an area that appears to be on the downhill slide. The Dickinson State University Foundation has expressed preliminary interest in redevelopment of this building because of the historical tie noted earlier. Their vision is to enhance the downtown business area of Dickinson — supporting a seamless collaboration between education and community. Potential assets to the community thrugh this redevelopment include an art gallery, a community and university meeting facility, University classrooms, a multi-cultural center and the presence of the Dickinson State University Alumni offices, in the downtown area. Sts. Peter & Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church — Belfield (1917) [In Progress] Built in the spring of 1917 in Ukraina, ND, by local architect/carpenter Semyon Gulka. The history of the building is as fascinating as that of the Ukrainian immigrants that settled the area; not just for sentimental reasons, but because it is an excellent visual reminder of the ethnic traditions from the old work to the new out of which it arose. Churches were the geographical and cultural center of Ukrainian settlements. Despite social, economic and climatic adversity, the Ukrainian immigrants that sought to "make a living" out of the land available in western North Dakota, not only survived but intensified their ethnic solidarity as their settlements grew. The Ukrainian settlement in western North Dakota remains architecturally and culturally distinct from neighboring ethnic communities. Though many have left the area as a result of the changing trends in farming, and the inability to make a living off the small parcels of land during the difficult years of the great depression; second and third generations of Ukrainians have maintained and revived other aspects of their Ukrainian heritage. Cultural tradition and folk arts that survived include: religious feast days, pysanka egg decoration, cross stitch embroidery, and traditional food-ways. Musicians from the area play at traditional Ukrainian wedding celebrations and at local ethnic festivals. The community's traditional architecture, serves as an important symbol of the ethnic identity for Ukrainians across the county, interested in understanding their rural prairie grassland roots.
The building exhibits the two primary characteristics of the Ternopil Cruciform Style; it is cruciform (cross shaped) in plan and its roof carries a two-tiered dome. The dome is structural, another characteristic of this particular style, rather than simply decorative; its underside can be viewed from the interior of the church. The ceiling is painted blue — again on the characteristic architectural features of traditional Ukrainian Churches; the ceiling is further embellished with five pointed stars painted in gold. The church is one of only three surviving examples of this type of church architecture in the state. The building was moved in 1950 from Ukraina several miles south to Belfield. Sts. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church closed sometime after. Completely intact both inside and out, this church could become a significant heritage tourism site, as part of the Prairie Churches of North Dakota project being developed by Preservation North Dakota. The restoration effort could involve a range of local, regional, state and national stakeholders. For more information, contact Preservation North Dakota at bankers@ictc.com Historic Bridges of North Dakota — Statewide Historic bridges of North Dakota have long been threatened by modernization. Often there is no strong reason for demolition; rehabilitation and continued use are not even considered. A survey of North Dakota bridge structures conducted in 1990-91 identified 395 historic bridges across the state. A recent count indicated that over 100 of those bridges have since been demolished. At this rate we are losing almost ten historic bridges a year. In some cases, the historic bridges simply cannot be rehabilitated to continue serving the communities where they are located. There are however, landmark bridges where restoration is very feasible, and usually less expensive than demolition and construction of a new bridge. Still, the unfortunate misconception that "new is always better" only takes into account a very limited range of aspects. These historic bridges should be preserved as examples for future generations. They convey sense of place, chronicle architectural and structural engineering through the history of our state, and tell stories of milestone achievements and memorials. Two excellent examples follow: A) Rainbow Arch Bridge, Valley City, (1925) Most Endangered "Sense of Place": Washington Street Trees — Bismarck This small Eclectic-era neighborhood is regularly serenaded by the chimes of the modernistic Art Deco Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, built from 1942 to 1945, with a dramatic white tower that provides the neighborhood with both a visual center and a name. The earliest homes in the Cathedral District date back to the 1880s and some of the trees date as far back as the homes. A burst of development occurred in the area in the 1940s. The Cathedral District, consisting of approximately 150 homes was originally placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 and expanded and placed on the State Register in 1996. The Bismarck Society for Historic Preservation (BISHOP) has been organized to advocate for the historic district and the preservation of the trees within its boundaries.  The Bismarck Cathedral Area Historic District is distinctive for its landscape architecture in the form of the boulevard trees that line the streets and avenues in "The Hill" area. The success of the curbside plantings, primarily American elm, and green ash trees, resulted in heavily canopied trees which embrace the neighborhood and contribute significantly to the ambiance of the district as it exists today. Approximately 450 mature trees grow in the boulevards along all avenues and streets, creating a visual canopy above the streets and avenues. The Cathedral Area benefits from the many trees planted in the boulevards, most of which predate the homes they shade. Tree planting was a method of bringing residential development and expansion to the neighborhood. They were a feature of conscientious community planning by such civic leaders as C.B. Little and T.R. Atkinson in the teens and 1920s, to beautify the growing community of Bismarck. A realization of the vision they intended for the beautification of their town is certainly demonstrated in the wise, forsightful used of boulevard space. Today, the mature trees visually, physically and economically enhance, and help to define the Bismarck Cathedral Area Historic District. The city's ambition to widen the streets goes back to at least the 1950s. The 40-foot street plan takes out, by conservative estimate, over 78 American Elms. The Cathedral District and environs is a unique neighborhood, the like of which we will not see again in Bismarck. One does not destroy something like this just so people who live elsewhere can shorten their commute. The damage that widening the street would inflict on the residential neighborhood and the character of the city, are unacceptable. Trees and other greenery, which do so much to soften the rough edges of developments, buildings, and streets, are often overlooked when considering community aesthetics. Many citizens do not realize the aesthetic importance of trees until they are gone, failed by disease, neglect, or, more commonly of late, by intensive development. Moreover, increasing evidence suggests that trees contribute in many ways to a more pleasing, safer environment. They help to moderate effects of the sun, cold, and wind, and they reduce pollution. They serve as screens against noise, act to stabilize soil, and reduce erosion and run-off, besides being a haven for birds and animals. |
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