Some of the first people to settle this area did not have the lavish homes we do today.

Many of them built homes out of whatever they could find.

One of the first homes to be built in western North Dakota is on display for people to see.

Brad Feldman takes us to the site and shows us how a group is doing its part to preserve the home.

Sitting almost 11 miles northwest of Manning North Dakota in this valley is the Hutmacher Farmstead

(Dale Bentley/ Preservation North Dakota) "The main section of the house the original section was built in 1928." Bentley says its a unique site to visit since it is one of the only buildings around with this style of german Russian architecture

This is why his group, Preservation North Dakota, is taking the time to restore each of the buildings

(Dale Bentley/ Preservation North Dakota) "When you think about where the rest of the world was between 1928 and 1979 you know cars and telephones and radios and television... it's pretty significant to have a family living in a house this style." Each of the buildings, the granary, chicken coup and barn were all built using the same method

(Dale Bentley/ Preservation North Dakota) "The rock was harvested from the hill behind the house. The clay from one of the foothills in front of that, the lumber from the creek along the property." (Susan Quinnell/ State Historical Society of ND) "They did make use of what is available including the coal hill off in that direction and the dirt that come from that hill right over there." As you walk through the building you can find more spots where they used what they could find to make things work

Like the old spool used as a coat rack on the back of a door, or the canning lids used to hold the cardboard on the ceiling for insulation

(Jennifer Winter/ US Army Corps of Engineers) "The folks that were living out here were quite frugal. I mean they were probably set up much better than a lot of their neighbors in the 30s because they were self sufficient." Winter says this home was considered a green home before talk of building green homes started

You can see this when you look at the roof

(Jennifer Winter/ US Army Corps of Engineers) "You have this mesh of like willow branches and some other branches that they could get a hold of and that is all covering the rafters." Now as this group of volunteers tries to restore everything including the outhouse

(Sound) They are making sure not to lose the special touch Frank and Veronica Hutmacher put on this special place about 80 years ago

In Dunn County Brad Feldman KX News

If you would like to make a donation to the Hutmacher Farmstead project or to volunteer your time you can go to www.prairieplaces.com. watch the video | save this article / add to your favorites list