A fenced off area of the construction site waits to be excavated on June 3, 2026, near the governor’s residence in Bismarck, North Dakota, after human remains and coffin fragments were discovered during construction. (Photo by Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)
BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) – Human remains and coffin fragments were discovered by construction crews near the governor’s residence in May while workers were installing a fence and driveway, causing work to be paused near the affected area.
Archaeologists with the State Historical Society of North Dakota were notified and arrived at the scene after the discovery was made, said Brandon Solberg, director of facilities management for the Office of Management and Budget, in a statement.
Using ground-penetrating radar, the archaeology team believes it has identified nine additional grave sites in the project area and are working with state officials to determine the next steps for the remains and future of the project, according to the agency. Construction has continued in areas not affected by the discovery.
A spokesperson for the Office of Management and Budget declined interview requests on the discovery and said a decision regarding next steps for the remains is expected to take several weeks.
The area where the remains were discovered was once part of Bismarck’s first cemetery from 1873 to 1877. Many of those burials were reinterred to St. Mary’s Cemetery and Fairview Cemetery in the 1880s, OMB said.
In an email, Mike Nowatzki, spokesperson for Gov. Kelly Armstrong’s Office, said Armstrong “wants to ensure the remains are treated with the appropriate care and respect.”
The construction project that led to the discovery was part of House Bill 1015 that was passed during the 2025 legislative session. It included $2.35 million for fence and driveway improvements on the property.
Armstrong said the fence includes security upgrades that were needed because the original fence came too close to residence.
“I’ve got a hollow aluminum fence 3 feet from my daughter’s bedroom,” Armstrong said during a press event last week.
Joe Morrissette, director of OMB, told lawmakers during the legislative session the fence and landscaping portion of the project would also include floodlights. He also submitted testimony and said the enhancements “provide necessary security while maintaining an inviting, professional appearance befitting the state’s executive residence.”
Remains were also discovered on the Capitol grounds during the 1903 construction of a trolley line near the southwest corner of the property and in 1959 during construction of the previous governor’s residence, according to the statement.
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