Skagway, Alaska Virtual Visit

Golden North Hotel. Click to see all the Historic American Buildings Survey photos of the Skagway Historic District at the Library of Congress.

NPS / HABS / Jet Lowe (July 1982)

Skagway is located in southeastern Alaska. News of the discovery of gold in the Yukon river system in 1896 drew thousands of people to journey into Alaska, in what is known as the Klondike Gold Rush. Skagway, at the head of the White Pass Trail into the Yukon Territory, became one of the most popular midway points for prospectors, leading to a boom in the town's size. Many of the buildings from this period are preserved in what is now the Skagway National Historic District.

Project Information

Heritage Documentation Programs (HDP) created Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) documentation of the following three buildings in Skagway in 2014. The project was sponsored by the National Park Service's Alaska Regional Office and the Municipality of Skagway. HDP architects Jeremy T. Mauro, John Wachtel, and Mark Schara captured data using a combination of traditional hand measuring together with high-definition surveying. A Leica Scanstation C10 3-D laser scanner was used to create the point cloud, rendered with applied panophotographs in Leica Cyclone. The fly-through animation of the point cloud was executed in Pointools.

For more information, visit the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park website.

Skagway City Hall

The construction of Skagway’s first City Hall building began in the autumn of 1897. A one-story (with attic), single-room structure, approximately 26’ square, City Hall was built with horizontally-laid hewn logs, using moss as chinking. In addition to housing municipal functions, the building also served as Skagway’s courthouse, jail, and office for the U.S. Marshal. The most significant historic role played by Skagway City Hall was undoubtedly its service as the center of activity during the roundup of Jefferson Randolph “Soapy” Smith’s gang in July 1898.

In 1901 the building was sold to John G. Price to serve as Price’s law office. City Hall’s exterior horizontal siding was undoubtedly installed at that time. By 1914 the building had been converted to a dwelling. At some point, most likely during the 1930s, the principal entrance was moved from the front to a newly-constructed porch on the side. During the second half of the twentieth century several additions were constructed to the rear of the building. In 2013 City Hall was reacquired by the Municipality of Skagway.

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  Animation

  Animated video of 3D point cloud data of Skagway City Hall

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  HABS Documentation

  Archival documentation of Skagway City Hall at the Library of Congress

Arctic Brotherhood Hall

The Arctic Brotherhood was a fraternal organization founded by a group of gold seekers on board a steamer bound for Skagway in 1899. Upon arrival, they undertook the construction of their meeting hall, designated "Camp Skagway No. 1". The building's remarkable facade, consisting of hundreds of pieces of driftwood, was installed in 1900 and is attributed to Charles O. Walker. The majority of the interior is devoted to the large two-story meeting hall space, with its impressive stone fireplace and second-floor balcony. Considered an outstanding example of the American "rustic" style, the Arctic Brotherhood Hall today houses the Skagway Convention and Visitors Bureau.

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  Animation

  Animated video of 3D point cloud data of Arctic Brotherhood Hall

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  HABS Documentation

  Archival documentation of the Arctic Brotherhood Hall at the Library of Congress

First Presbyterian Church

Arriving in Skagway in the summer of 1899, the Rev. J. J. Walker, superintendent of missions for the Methodist church in Alaska, persuaded local Methodists to raise money for the construction of a school building (which could also house a chapel for community use). A substantial two-story stone building (today Skagway City Hall) was completed the following year. Just prior to opening, however, the Methodists sold their building to the U.S. District Court for a tidy profit. With proceeds from the sale, the Methodists in turn erected a handsome, shingle style, wood frame church at the corner of Main Street and Fifth Avenue in Skagway.

Rectangular in footprint, with gable ends, the principal entrance to the church is at its corner tower. The simple form of the building's exterior, however, is belied by the church's octagonal nave space, an arrangement popular with nonconformist denominations at the time. The original seating arrangement, still intact, consists of cast iron opera house chairs, with wood seats and backs, arrayed radially. An original overhead garage-type door along the southwest wall, constructed of wood slats, can be opened to expand the nave space into an adjoining room.

In 1917 the Methodists ceased their operations in Skagway, selling their church to a Presbyterian congregation, who continue to occupy and preserve the building today.

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  Animation

  Animated video of 3D point cloud data of First Presbyterian Church

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  HABS Documentation

  Archival documentation of First Presbyterian Church at the Library of Congress