| Alaska Regional Office | U.S. Department of the Interior | |
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| Cultural Resources Team | National Park Service |
| National
Historic Landmarks in Alaska |
Seal
Island Historic District, Pribilof Islands |
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Pribilof Islands, Alaska |
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| National
Register Number: 66000156 Resource Type: District Property Type: Historic District: Historical Designated: June 13, 1962 |
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| Seal herds on
the Pribilof Islands have long attracted fur hunters: first, the native
peoples of the Bering Sea area and, since the 18th century, people of many
other nationalities. An international conservation agreement between the
United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, and Japan (1911) has insured
the preservation of the flourishing herds on the islands of St. Paul and
St. George in an important example of the principle of international arbitration. Threats include deterioration of structures, lack of maintenance, incompatible modifications to historic seal industry buildings and demolition of several historic structures. On St. Paul, six of the ten contributing commercial buildings have been demolished. Damp and windy climatic conditions combined with years of poor maintenance have caused many historic structures to deteriorate. The application of incompatible and limited life plywood siding to some of the concrete structures exteriors and houses along with new construction continues to threaten the Landmark. Most of the historic buildings will soon be transferred to a private owner. NPS continues to provide some planning, grant review, Section 106 consultation, and interpretation assistance. |
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