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Downtown Juneau’s Historic Sites

D More interpretation at the site.

D More interpretation at the site.

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Waasgo Totem Pole and Nugget Shop Paddling in front of the Aak’w Indian Village First Territorial Legislature, Elk’s Hall, 1913 Governor’s Mansion Valentine Building 9 1 37 Patsy Ann

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Totem Poles and Public Art

Public works of art owned by: City and Borough of Juneau

Alaska State Museum State of Alaska

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Downtown Juneau circa 1885-86

Historic Downtown Juneau

To locate follow Willoughy Ave. 3 blocks past Whittier St. to Glacier Ave. Turn right and head 7 blocks north to the Juneau-Douglas High School at 1639 Glacier Avenue. The Aak’w Tribe Totem Pole stands in the atrium of the school commons area.

Map Legend

Symbols indicate the type of historical feature at each point of interest.

National Register of Historic Places

Totem Poles and Public Art

Downtown Juneau’s Historic Sites

Juneau Memorials (South Franklin St. south of Ferry Way) M-1 Juneau Founders M-2 USS Juneau Memorial M-3 Archie Van Winkle Memorial

Original waterfront line

Public stairs (arrows indicate uphill)

Msee note below.

1 Governor’s MansionD (716 Calhoun

St.) The governor’s office moved from Sitka to Juneau in 1906 when Juneau became the capital of Alaska. The governor lived in a rented dwelling until the mansion was built in 1912. $40,000 was appropriated by the U.S. Congress to construct the original residence which contained 2 1/2 floors and 12,900 feet of floor space. The New England Colonial-style house was remodeled to 3 floors in 1967 and again in 1983.

2 The J.M. Davis House (202 6th St.)

was constructed in 1893 by Frances Brooks Davis, an English painter who came to Juneau in 1891, and J. Montgomery Davis, whom she married in 1892. The Davis family built part of 6th Street and upper Seward Street so that horse drawn wagons could reach their properties.

3 The Frances House (137 6th St.) was built in 1898 by Jerry Eicherley. The house was owned from 1910-1927 by John Rustgard, U.S. Attorney General of Alaska. Frances Davis bought the house after it was condemned by the City in 1927 to acquire land for a school. Her two sons moved it 50 feet to its present location.

4 The Hammond-Wickersham House (213 7th St.) was built by Frank Hammond, Sheep Creek Mine Superin-tendent, in 1898. In 1928, Judge James Wickersham, noted Alaskan lawyer, politician, historian, and author bought the house. The House of Wickersham and its collections are managed by Alaska State Parks and Outdoor Recreation.

5 St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox ChurchD (326 5th St.), the oldest unaltered church in S.E. Alaska, was built in 1894 at the initiative of over 700 Tlingit people. Tlingits gave the land and, along with Slavic miners, provided construction labor. The building’s distinctive octagonal shape represents one side for each day of the week with the eighth side designating a day for God.

6 Veterans Memorial Building & Alaska Statehood Site (corner 4th & Main St.) was built in 1950 as a memorial to the men and women of the area who fought in WWI & WWII. The building initially housed the Juneau Memorial Library, the first building in Alaska constructed for and devoted entirely to library purposes and funded by public contributions. A plaque in the front yard marks the official site of the statehood ceremony and initial raising of the 49-star flag on July 4, 1959. Today the building houses the Juneau-Douglas City Museum, and a 49-star flag is still flown.

7 The Bergmann Hotel (434 3rd St.)

was built by Mary E. Bergmann in 1913, who came to Juneau in 1896 and worked in hotels and residences that catered to mining men. The Bergmann Family Hotel and Boarding House added a dining room in 1927 that was known as the best place to eat in town.

8 Kennedy Street Mine Workers’ Houses (Kennedy between 5th &

6th St.) These 6 houses are represent-ative of those built throughout the Juneau area. Although known as “mine workers” houses, they were owned by various people. Built in 1913 by C.W. Fries with locally-milled lumber, the houses were originally identical in architectural style.

9 The Valentine Building (119 Seward

St.) built by Emery Valentine in 1913, represents frontier Alaskan architecture. Valentine, a jeweler and businessman, also organized Juneau’s Volunteer Fire Department and served as Juneau’s mayor for six terms.

10 The Alaskan Hotel (167 S. Franklin

St.) built in 1913 by the McCloskey broth-ers and Jules B. Caro, is Juneau’s oldest

continuously operating hotel. The Alaskan

12 Harnessing the Atom Totem Pole (outside Juneau-Douglas City Museum,

Calhoun & Main St.) Carved by Tlingit artist Amos Wallace, Juneau, 1967. Figures from the top: Eagle: representing the United States, Russian Priest: repre-senting Russian influence, Man on top of the Sun: Tlingit legend of the origin of the universe and the harnessing of energy, Raven: Tlingit creator of all things in the universe, supporting all other figures.

13 Zach Gordon & Leslie Murray Windows (Juneau-Douglas City

Museum, 4th & Main St.) The Zach Gordon window was designed by Juneau artist Rie Muñoz, and executed by local artists Bruce Elliot and John Pabor in 1979. The Leslie Murray window was designed and built by Bruce Elliot in 1990, and repre-sents underground workings of a hard rock mine.

14 Friendship Totem PoleD (Juneau

Courthouse Lobby, on 4th between Main &

Seward St.) Carved by Tlingit artist Leo Jacobs of Haines in the mid-1960s, this pole is a large version of a miniature totem presented to Steve Sheldon, U.S. Marshal of Haines in 1927. The miniature pole, in the Sheldon Museum in Haines, is attributed to James Watson of Klawock. The name Friendship Pole comes from the depiction of crests of Tlingit clans from both moieties Eagle and Raven, which normally would not be shown together on the same carving.

15 Windfall FishermanD (outside Court-

house, Main St.) Cast bronze sculpture created for the 25th Anniversary of Alaska Statehood and donated by artist R.T. Wallen depicts a life-size model of an Alaskan brown bear.

16 The Waasgo Totem Pole or Old

Witch Totem PoleD (State Office Build-

ing, Main Lobby 8th floor, 4th & Calhoun St.) This Haida totem pole originally stood in the village of Sukkwan near the southern end of the Alaska “panhandle.” Carved by Dwight Wallace, c.1880, for the Quit’aas clan, it was mounted in front of their cedar plank house. Dr. Robert Simpson purchased the pole and displayed it in front of The Nugget Shop, a famous Juneau curio store. The top two figures represent a Haida man atop a bullhead, from a traditional Haida story. The remain-ing figures relate to another story about a young man with special powers obtained from a supernatural water creature “Waasgo” depicted on the pole in human form lifting two whales.

17 The Governor’s Totem Pole (outside Governor’s Mansion, 716 Calhoun

St.) Carved by artists Charlie Tagook and William Brown of Klukwan and Saxman in 1939-40. Figures from top down: Raven and Grandfather Raven, man, Guteel (a giant cannibal), a mosquito, and the world

resting on the head of “the old woman

was one of Juneau’s first modern 20th century hotels.

11 The Alaska Steam Laundry (Emporium Mall, 174 S. Franklin St.) stands in the center of early Juneau’s prominent business district. It was built in 1901 by E. R. Jaeger to house the Alaska Steam Laundry, a business he had purchased in 1895 as the Juneau Steam Laundry. Its outstanding architectural details include a turret with wood shingles and an ornate front parapet.

In addition to the Downtown Historic District, Juneau has a number of other designated sites and surveys which can be found on the Community Development Department website: www.juneau.lib.ak.us/history/

underneath.” These figures tell the Tlingit story of the creation of the stars, sunlight, and the tides, and how the earth became populated with land animals, sea mam-mals and mosquitoes.

18 Raven and Eagle Totem Poles and Mural (located at Gajaa Hit, 250

Village St.) Carved and painted by Tom Jimmy, Edward Kunz, Edward Kunz, Jr., and William Smith in 1972, these totems honor the Raven and Eagle clans of the local Aak’w Tlingit Tribe. The Raven pole tells the Tlingit story of creation when Raven gave light to the world. The Eagle

Pole honors the Eagle clan with images of the coho salmon, bear and wolf. The mural tells the story of a great man or shaman passing into the spirit world. Owned by Tlingit-Haida Regional Housing Authority, Gajaa hit (I wish for a safe place to land) has apartments upstairs for Native families in transition.

19 Wooshkeetaan Totem Pole (out-

side Centennial Hall, Willoughby & Egan Dr.) Carved by Tlingit master carver Nathan Jackson with the assistance of Steven C. Brown in 1980-81, Wooshkeetaan Pole from the top down: Uncle Sam, shark, murrelet, bear, wolf, sea bear, Good Luck Woman, and Spirit Man, with Berners Bay mountain on the bottom. This pole tells the story of how some Aak’w people came to S.E. Alaska through the Taku River to populate the areas around Juneau.

20 Raven Discovering Mankind in a Clam Shell (City Municipal Bldg. facing

Marine Park, Marine Way) Painted by local artist Bill Ray Jr., 1988. This wall mural is based on the Haida legend of the creation of mankind.

21 Hard Rock MinerD(sculpture in Marine

Park, Marine Way) Sculpted by local Juneau artist Ed Way, 1980. This cast bronze sculpture depicts hard rock gold miners working underground using a double jack drill.

that the Alaska State Legislature ordered its removal in 1984. In 1991, the Alaska State Museum accessioned and installed Nimbus in front of the Museum.

28 The Family (Seward & 6th St.) Totem was carved by local Tlingit artist Michael L. Beasley in 1996. Figures represent members of a family.

29 Aak’w Tribe Totem PoleD Juneau-

Douglas High School, 1639 Glacier Ave). This pole honors the Aak’w people and is similar to a family tree. From the top down: Raven, frog, dog salmon, summer weasel, and the Lucky Woman. This pole

was carved as a pair at the same time as the Wooshkeetan pole. (#19)

had a stage for live theatre that rivaled Juneau’s best theatre as an entertain-ment destination. The patterned pressed tin ceiling and walls in the back of the bar date from 1908.

33 Telephone Hill (hillside, Main & Front

Streets) In 1883 Edward Webster laid Juneau’s first telephone lines across Gastineau Channel to connect his home (built in 1882 and still standing at the top of the hill) to his store in Douglas, starting the first telephone company in Juneau.

34 Goldstein Building, 1914 (130 Seward St.) Built to house the Goldstein Emporium, a department store. The upper floors were later converted to offices and the Alaska Territorial Legislature and Executive offices were located there from 1925 until 1931.

35 Behrends Bank, 1914 (Key Bank,

234 Seward St.) B.M. Behrends came to Alaska in 1887 and acquired and operat-ed a variety store. In 1896, when the Bank of Juneau failed, Behrends advertised he was in the banking business as a service to his customers. Behrends Bank was built across the street in 1914 and has since been acquired by Key Bank.

36 Elks Hall, 1908D (109 S. Franklin St.)

The first Territorial Legislature met here in 1913. A commemorative plaque is located on the building.

37 Aak’w Indian VillageD (Willoughby

Ave.) Kawa.ée, a leader of the Aak’w people, led Richard Harris and Joe Juneau to their gold discovery in 1880. In 1883, Kawa.ée and his people moved south to Juneau to be near work and store goods. The village site where they settled was at the beach line where Willoughby Street now runs. Land beyond the street was created with fill from the A.J. Mine’s mill waste rock.

30 Goldstein’s Store, 1891 (Filipino

Hall, 251 S. Franklin) Original site of Anna Goldstein’s Merchandise Store. The building was replaced in 1914 as Izzy Goldstein’s fisherman’s supply store. Anna Goldstein purchased the Bonanza Lode Mine, which ran under a large section of downtown, then demanded payment from people who built on the surface property. The claim was over-turned in the courts.

31 Germania Saloon, 1895 (162 S. Franklin St.) South Franklin Street was the main recreation area for single men who worked in the mines. There were thirty saloons in the area, most of them with “Feminine Boarding Houses” above. The Germania Dance Hall was one of the better known bars during the mining era.

32 Louvre Saloon, 1891 (Imperial Bar,

241 Front St.) Probably Alaska’s oldest saloon, and one of Juneau’s finest, it

22 Traditional and Modern Ways of Fishing (Sealaska Corp., front of Marine

Parking Garage, 292 Marine Way) Created by local Tlingit artist Ray Peck, Jr. This metal wall sculpture shows the transition from traditional to modern fishing methods.

23 Ancon (wall mural on Marine Parking

Garage facing Gastineau Channel, 292

Marine Way) Painted by local artist Dan DeRoux, 1988. This wall mural depicts a photograph of turn-of-the-century passengers arriving by the steamship Ancon. The faces are those of Juneau pioneer descendents.

24 Transfiguration (stained glass window

in Downtown Library, 4th floor Marine Parking

Garage, 292 Marine Way) Designed by Bruce Elliot, 1990. This window shows salmon changing into Tlingit figures.

25 Four Story Totem PoleD (outside

Juneau-Douglas City Museum, 4th & Main

St.) Carved by Hydaburg carver John Wallace in 1940. From the top down: frog, man, Raven, monster frog, Bear Chief, fish trap, black bear, shaman holding a land otter, black oystercatcher rattle, octopus, halibut, halibut hook baited with supernatural mouse and its spirit. This pole tells four stories. Donated by Juneau Rotary Club.

26 Patsy AnnD Gastineau Humane Society (Marine Park, on dock) Designed by Anna Burke Harris, 1992. This bronze sculpture commemorates Patsy Ann, the beloved English bull terrier well known for greeting ships arriving in Juneau during the 1930s-40s.

27 Nimbus (Alaska State Museum, 395

Whittier St.) Sculpted by Robert Murray, 1978. This 16 foot-high, core-10 steel structure was commissioned for the Dimond Courthouse across from the Capitol. The sculpture’s shape, size and color (which Murray named “Juneau Green”) sparked so much controversy

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The Juneau-Douglas City MuseumWith a rapidly-growing collection of historical and fine art objects, the City Museum offers year-round exhibits, fall and winter community programming, art classes, educational tours, the Juneau History grant, local history preservation, and research assistance.

A Year-round Attraction■ Exhibits on early gold mining, and the history and

culture of the greater Juneau area change continuously.■ A 500-700 year old basketry-style fish trap and full-

scale replica, a relief map of Juneau’s topography and a 26-minute video, Juneau: City Built on Gold are other attractions.

■ Trail guides of Juneau are available in our gift shop as well as gifts, photography and books by local artists and writers.

■ Friendly volunteers and staff personalize your visit and assist with local history questions.

■ Located at 4th and Main St., across from Alaska’s Capitol.

Historic Downtown Walking Tour■ Tours offered mid-May thru mid-September. Tickets are

available and tour begins at the Juneau-Douglas City Museum. Admission to the museum included.

Museum HoursSummer

Weekdays 9:00am to 5:00pm Weekends 10:00am to 5:00pm

Winter

Tuesday – Saturday 10am to 4:00pm

Information907 586-3572 Mailing address: 155 S. Seward St., Juneau, AK 99801 www.juneau.org/parkrec/museum

The City Museum is a program of the Juneau Parks and Recreation Department.

Compliments of the Juneau-Douglas City Museum

This guide will lead you to Juneau’s

historic sites, buildings on the

National Register of Historic Places,

totem poles and works of public art

around the downtown area.

PReSeRvINg JuNeAu’S HISToRY

The Historic Resources Advisory

Committee promotes historic and

cultural preservation within the

Borough by advising the City and

Borough of Juneau Assembly,

Planning Commission, and city staff

on preservation and museum issues.

Visit the committee’s website at

www.juneau.org/history, or call

907.586.0715

National Register of Historic PlacesThese houses and buildings have been placed on the list of the Nation’s properties deemed worthy of preservation. They have been selected for their architectural significance and/or their association with significant people or events in local, state and national history. The National Register is administered by the National Park Service.

Totem Poles and Public ArtTotem poles of the Northwest Coast are monumental representations of the history and spiritualism of Native lineages carved in wood. The Tlingit and Haida Indians of Southeast Alaska commonly carve these works from red or yellow cedar trees. Poles may represent supernatural occurrences from mythological times or relatively recent historical events. Many of the figures on the poles are easily recognizable, such as Raven, Eagle, Bear, Frog, Whale, and Beaver, but the stories involving the figures can be complex and vary with each totem pole. Figures are used as a memory device for those who know the story. The carved figures are the owned crests of Native clans. Totem pole carving remains a vital part of Native life in Southeast Alaska.

Public artwork in the downtown Juneau area varies from modern stained glass work and wall murals to traditionally carved totem poles.

Downtown Juneau’s Historic SitesMany of the original buildings built in Juneau in the late 1800s still stand today. Thanks to a good Volunteer Fire Department and some luck, Juneau never experienced the tremendous fires that devastated many other towns in Alaska, including Douglas. Within the seven-block radius that forms the original downtown, there are still approximately 60 buildings built before 1904, and 140 built before 1914. Many of these buildings have names and dates that can be seen on their fronts. As you walk through downtown, look for historic interpretive signs that detail various aspects of Juneau’s past.

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A guide to Juneau’s historic sites,buildings on the National Register of Historic Places,totem poles and public art.

All photo credits preceded by prefix “ASL” are courtesy of the Alaska State Library, Historical Collections. Background photo: Aak’w Indian Village, Juneau waterfront ASL PCA 66/6