Seven Coffins Found at North Dakota’s Governor’s Residence

A crew was putting up a new fence around the North Dakota governor’s residence in May when it struck something that stopped the work: coffin hardware, fragments, and human remains in the dirt. The state paused construction. Months later, archaeologists had pulled seven coffins out of the ground, along with one more thing nobody has identified yet, a wooden box. So who was buried there, and why did anyone build a residence on top of them?

A Cemetery Under the Lawn

The land around the residence in Bismarck served as the town’s first cemetery from 1873 to 1877. In the 1880s, many burials were moved to St. Mary’s Cemetery and Fairview Cemetery. Records say most graves were relocated, but the ground never gave up everyone. Workers found more remains in 1903 while building a trolley line near the southwest corner of the Capitol grounds, and again in 1959 while building the previous governor’s residence.

Eighty Spots, Seven Coffins

After the May discovery, the State Historical Society scanned the site with radar. A dig began on September 1. Crews investigated more than 80 flagged spots, and fieldwork wrapped up on September 14. The result: seven coffins holding human remains, plus the unidentified wooden box.

What Happens Next

Archaeologists will review and catalog every set of remains and every object recovered. The work is expected to continue into early 2027. The team will focus on basic details such as age ranges and signs of disease. DNA testing is not part of the plan.

“It’s going to take a while now to do the research and analysis,” said Brandon Solberg, facilities management director at the state’s Office of Management and Budget.

The state has hired a local funeral home, and Crisis Care Chaplaincy volunteered to help handle the remains with care and reverence. Solberg said the remains are expected to be reburied at a local cemetery in spring 2027.

Sources

Michael Achterling, “7 coffins removed from North Dakota governor’s residence property,” North Dakota Monitor, October 5, 2026. Dig dates and the 1903 and 1959 finds also appear in KFYR reporting distributed by Gray News on October 6, 2026.