518 - Cathedral Area Historic 1

The Cathedral Area Historic District is situated just below the crest of a hilltop, four city blocks north of the west edge of Bismarck’s Central Business District. Col. C.B. Little–a prominent attorney, judge, banker and state senator–built his Shingle Style mansion at the northwest corner of N Washington St. and W Ave A in 1906. It set the trend for other movers and shakers to construct stately residences along avenues A and B to take advantage of what was then an uninterrupted view of the Missouri River valley. Today, that view to the river is obscured by the boulevard trees, primarily Siberian elm, that form a canopy over the streets in the neighborhood.


Other early neighborhood residents of note included business leaders like Henry Geierman, general manager of Bismarck's International Harvester Co. office; A.W. Mundy, owner of A.W. Lucas and Co. department store; and George and Stella Mann, who owned the Bismarck Tribune from 1917-1937. Notable physicians like Dr. Lloyd A. Schipfer and Dr. Reuben Waldschmidt also had homes here. Plus, two ND Governors--"Honest John" Burke, who also served as Treasurer of the United States (1913-1921) and "Wild Bill" Langer.

The variety of architectural styles present is a reflection of the times; the neighborhood grew over a span of 50 plus years. Now, homes range from impressive Colonial Revival and Prairie Style mansions to more modest Craftsman and Tudor Revival bungalows. Many of the homes were designed by renowned architects including Arthur Van Horn, Frederick W. Keith, W.F. Kurke, Ashelman and Gage, and Purcell, Feick, and Elmslie. Others are vernacular in their design and construction and there is even one known “kit” house from the Sears and Roebuck catalog, located on the 700 block of North Mandant Street. Such variety is at the root of the District’s historical significance, offering visitors a visual aid to understand the growth and development of residential Bismarck as a reflection of national trends in architecture.