January 1
1893
State of North Dakota purchased home on Avenue B for $5000 to establish a State Residence for its governor and family.The original governor’s mansion was built in 1884 as a private home for Bismarck businessman Asa Fisher. Fisher homesteaded in Edwinton (Bismarck) in 1872 and made his fortune in banking, real estate and liquor sales. The house was the governor’s residence from 1893–1960 and was the home of twenty North Dakota governors.
January 1
1955
The North Dakota legislature approved House Bill 761, providing $200,000 for a new governor’s residence to be built because the current mansion was in a state of disrepair.
January 1
1960
Construction Completed on Residence. Governor John Davis was the last governor to live in the old mansion and the first to live in the new residence.
January 1
1975
The State Legislature passed House Bill 1315, which transferred ownership to the State Historical Society of North Dakota.
January 1
1983
The house was renovated to look as it did in 1893 and opened to the public as a North Dakota State Historic Site.
January 1
2000
Remodeling of most of the home was completed with assistance in part from The Friends of the Residence.
January 1
2015
During the 2015 legislative session, SB2304 was passed with bipartisan support to build a new residence for the First families of North Dakota. The former residence was found to have major structural, safety, and ADA compliance concerns. Governor Jack Dalrymple signed SB 2304 on April 29, 2015.
January 1
2016
Construction groundwork began in September 2016.
January 1
2018
Governor Doug Burgum and First Lady Kathryn Helgaas Burgum officially call The Residence home in March 2018. On May 18, 2018, the 1960s-era governor’s mansion was demolished after no bidders offered to purchase and move the building. The site of the former mansion will be replaced with green space alongside the current mansion.