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Grand Forks County Fairgrounds Buildings

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1935–1938, Theodore B. Wells. 2300 Gateway Dr.
  • WPA gateway (Photograph by Steve C. Martens)
  • WPA gateway (Photograph by Steve C. Martens)

Originally one of four state fairgrounds in North Dakota, the Grand Forks County Fairgrounds is an important setting for open-air recreation and cultural events. The WPA-funded rustic buildings and gateways were part of the federal work relief programs during the Great Depression. President Franklin Roosevelt’s visit to dedicate the fairgrounds was one of Grand Forks’ most publicized events of the 1930s. The Grand Forks County Fair remains an important annual event at the fairgrounds, although now the feature attractions have shifted away from horse racing and livestock events toward dirt track car racing. The grandstand, distinctive gateway of hand-cut granite fieldstones, and individual buildings are rustic, but at the same time reflect the Art Deco design competencies of Wells.

Writing Credits

Author: 
Steve C. Martens and Ronald H. L. M. Ramsay
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Data

What's Nearby

Memorial Park and Calvary Cemeteries
North Dakota State Mill and Elevator
Ralph Engelstad Arena
Kegs Drive-in
Robertson-Sayre, Corwin, and Larimore Halls (Wesley College)

Citation

Steve C. Martens and Ronald H. L. M. Ramsay, "Grand Forks County Fairgrounds Buildings", [Grand Forks, North Dakota], SAH Archipedia, eds. Gabrielle Esperdy and Karen Kingsley, Charlottesville: UVaP, 2012—, http://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/ND-01-GF30.

Print Source

Cover: Buildings of North Dakota

Buildings of North Dakota, Steve C. Martens and Ronald H. L. M. Ramsay. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2015, 85-85.

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