Contractors found human remains at the North Dakota governor’s residence. Seven coffins were uncovered, including one containing a toddler

A routine security and landscaping project at the North Dakota Governor’s Residence has turned into a major archaeological investigation after contractors unearthed seven coffins containing human remains on the property.

The discoveries, which began in the spring, have rewritten parts of the local history of the executive mansion’s grounds and provided a tangible look into the pioneer history of Bismarck.

According to People, the saga began on May 19, when construction crews digging near the southwest corner of the property uncovered coffin hardware and historical bone fragments. The workers were in the middle of a $2.35 million state-approved capital grounds improvement project to upgrade the security fencing and replace the front driveway.

There were 80 anomalies found beneath the lawn

After making the discovery, the state’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) immediately paused construction in the area and notified local authorities. Experts from the State Historical Society of North Dakota were then called in to take control of the site.

Using ground-penetrating radar, archaeologists scanned the yard and flagged more than 80 anomalies, or areas of interest, beneath the lawn. Fieldwork concluded on Sept. 14, with the excavation of seven distinct coffins and one empty, unidentified wooden box.

The presence of the bodies is tied to the early days of the region’s settlement. Records held by the state archives show that the southwest corner of the current capitol grounds sits on what was once Bismarck’s first community cemetery, which was used primarily between 1873 and 1877.

During the 1880s, local officials attempted to clear the graveyard, tasking workers with exhuming the bodies and transferring them to nearby St. Mary’s Cemetery or Fairview Cemetery.

Historical newspaper records from the time even declared the work complete, with one archive clipping confidently reporting: “We’ve moved everybody but two, and we expect that work to be done within the next week.” “Well, this has kind of proven otherwise,” Kara Haff, a spokesperson for the State Historical Society of North Dakota, told reporters.

Remarkably, this is not the first time workers have discovered forgotten burials on the capitol property. Previous state construction projects uncovered 13 forgotten burials in 1903 and five additional graves in 1959.

Construction on the driveway and fencing is continuing on the unaffected portions of the 13,700-square-foot executive property. The state has also adjusted its budget to allocate an additional $155,000 to cover the unexpected costs of the archaeological excavation.

The state wants a graceful burial for the remains

Current North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong has expressed his desire to handle the situation with the appropriate level of care. A spokesperson for the governor’s office released a statement saying the administration “wants to ensure the remains are treated with the appropriate care and respect.”

The state has contracted a local funeral home and the Crisis Care Chaplaincy to take temporary custody of the remains. Once the archaeological team finishes cataloging the artifacts and bones in early 2027, a formal reinterment ceremony will be held to bury all seven individuals at a local municipal cemetery in spring 2027.