Community Projects: Arnegard
As towns were established across the northern plains, schools dotted the prairie landscape. But as the population dwindled schools consolidated. And that left some empty school buildings.
Just to the west of Watford City, in Arnegard, Milt Hanson returned to his hometown to turn an old empty school building into a bed and breakfast and to preserve its history.
Originally from Arnegard, Hanson was living in South Carolina and looking for a home to convert. A trip home for the holidays convinced him that the town’s proximity to the badlands and the structural soundness of the building made his old hometown the ideal choice.
“The school had actually been slated for destruction a number of times because it was just an empty building,” said Hanson. He was able to take over the building from the local alumni group with four stipulations: it could not be torn down, the exterior had to maintain the school’s character, it could not be made into a bar, and it had to be available for alumni to come and visit. Hanson readily agreed and after five years of renovation, the century old school now provides guest rooms. In the next phase of the remodeling, Hanson hopes to rehabilitation the school’s two gyms to provide spaces for special events.
Bed and breakfast guests seek out unique B&B experiences and will plan their travel to visit as many as possible.