National Register
of Historic Places
11 The Alaska Steam Laundry
More interpretation at the site.
(Emporium Mall, 174 S. Franklin St.) stands
1 Governor’s Mansion (716 Calhoun
D
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.
St.) The governor’s office moved from Sitka
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/
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.
Historic
Downtown Juneau
Totem Poles and
Public Art
D
Map Legend
Symbols indicate the type of historical feature
at each point of interest.
More interpretation at the site.
Public works of art owned by:
CBJ City and Borough of Juneau
ASM
Alaska State Museum
SOA State of Alaska
3 The Frances House (137 6th St.)
12 Harnessing the Atom Totem Pole
4 The Hammond-Wickersham
House (213 7th St.) was built by Frank
Hammond, Sheep Creek Mine Superintendent, 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.
see note below.
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)
To locate 29 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.
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. ASM
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.
Village St.) Carved and painted by Tom
15 Windfall FishermanD (outside Courthouse, 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. CBJ
7 The Bergmann Hotel (434 3rd St.)
16 The Waasgo Totem Pole or Old
Witch Totem PoleD (State Office Build-
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.
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 remaining 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. ASM
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.
St.) built in 1913 by the McCloskey broth-
ASL PCA 87/65
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
Paddling in front of the Aak’w Indian Village
26
Patsy Ann
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. CBJ
in Downtown Library, 4th floor Marine Parking
Garage, 292 Marine Way) Designed by
25 Four Story Totem Pole (outside
D
Juneau-Douglas City Museum, 4th & Main
St.) Carved by Hydaburg carver John
D
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. CBJ
36 First Territorial Legislature, Elk’s Hall, 1913
31 Germania Saloon, 1895
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 operated 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.
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.
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
Governor’s Mansion
(130 Seward St.) Built to house the
(162 S. Franklin St.) South Franklin Street
Whittier St.) Sculpted by Robert Murray,
1
34 Goldstein Building, 1914
More interpretation at the site.
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 overturned in the courts.
27 Nimbus (Alaska State Museum, 395
Juneau artist Ed Way, 1980. This cast
bronze sculpture depicts hard rock gold
miners working underground using a
double jack drill. CBJ
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.
Hall, 251 S. Franklin) Original site of Anna
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. CBJ
Park, Marine Way) Sculpted by local
Streets) In 1883 Edward Webster laid
30 Goldstein’s Store, 1891 (Filipino
26 Patsy AnnD Gastineau Humane
21 Hard Rock MinerD(sculpture in Marine
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) CBJ
Downtown Juneau’s
Historic Sites
Marine Park, Marine Way) Painted by local
33 Telephone Hill (hillside, Main & Front
Douglas High School, 1639 Glacier Ave).
Bruce Elliot, 1990. This window shows
salmon changing into Tlingit figures. CBJ
Clam Shell (City Municipal Bldg. facing
had a stage for live theatre that rivaled
Juneau’s best theatre as an entertainment destination. The patterned pressed
tin ceiling and walls in the back of the bar
date from 1908.
29 Aak’w Tribe Totem PoleD Juneau-
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.
20 Raven Discovering Mankind in a
artist Bill Ray Jr., 1988. This wall mural is
based on the Haida legend of the creation
of mankind. CBJ
was carved by local Tlingit artist Michael
L. Beasley in 1996. Figures represent
members of a family. ASM
Garage facing Gastineau Channel, 292
Marine Way) Painted by local artist Dan
24 Transfiguration (stained glass window
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. ASM
28 The Family (Seward & 6th St.) Totem
23 Ancon (wall mural on Marine Parking
19 Wooshkeetaan Totem Pole (outside Centennial Hall, Willoughby & Egan Dr.)
(outside Governor’s Mansion, 716 Calhoun
St.) Carved by artists Charlie Tagook and
10 The Alaskan Hotel (167 S. Franklin
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.
ing, Main Lobby 8th floor, 4th & Calhoun St.)
17 The Governor’s Totem Pole
Fishing (Sealaska Corp., front of Marine
18 Raven and Eagle Totem Poles
and Mural (located at Gajaa Hit, 250
22 Traditional and Modern Ways of
32 Louvre Saloon, 1891 (Imperial Bar,
241 Front St.) Probably Alaska’s oldest
saloon, and one of Juneau’s finest, it
9
Valentine Building
16 Waasgo Totem Pole and Nugget Shop
ASL PCA 87/980
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 mammals and mosquitoes. SOA
14 Friendship Totem PoleD (Juneau
6 Veterans Memorial Building &
37
artist Amos Wallace, Juneau, 1967.
Figures from the top: Eagle: representing
the United States, Russian Priest: representing 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. CBJ
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 represents underground workings of
a hard rock mine. CBJ
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.
Totem Poles and Public Art
M
Windows (Juneau-Douglas City
(326 5th St.), the oldest
ers and Jules B. Caro, is Juneau’s oldest
continuously operating hotel. The Alaskan
13 Zach Gordon & Leslie Murray
5 St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox
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.
National Register of Historic Places
(outside Juneau-Douglas City Museum,
Calhoun & Main St.) Carved by Tlingit
Museum, 4th & Main St.) The Zach Gordon
ChurchD
ASL PCA87/1007
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.
Downtown Juneau circa 1885-86
ASL PCA 87/892
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 Colonialstyle house was remodeled to 3 floors in
1967 and again in 1983.
ASL PCA 01/2187
D
was one of Juneau’s first modern 20th
century hotels.
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
Compliments of the
Juneau-Douglas City Museum
Tours offered mid-May thru mid-September. Tickets are
available and tour begins at the Juneau-Douglas City
Museum. Admission to the museum included.
Historic Downtown Walking Tour
■
totem poles and works of public art
■
ASL PCA 162/7
The City Museum is a program of the
Juneau Parks and Recreation Department.
907 586-3572
Mailing address: 155 S. Seward St., Juneau, AK 99801
www.juneau.org/parkrec/museum
Information
Tuesday – Saturday
10am to 4:00pm
Winter
Weekdays 9:00am to 5:00pm
Weekends 10:00am to 5:00pm
Summer
Museum Hours
Preserving Juneau’s History
■
around the downtown area.
National Register of Historic Places,
historic sites, buildings on the
This guide will lead you to Juneau’s
■
■
■
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 fullscale 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.
A guide to Juneau’s
historic sites,
buildings on the
National Register
of Historic Places,
totem poles and
public art.
A Year-round Attraction
With 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.
The Juneau-Douglas City Museum
Totem Poles
and Public Art
ASL PCA 87/1183
“You ring the bell, we do the rest,” Juneau’s early fire department.
11
10
National Register
of Historic Places
These 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.
12
Public artwork in the downtown
Juneau area varies from modern
stained glass work and wall murals to
traditionally carved totem poles.
ASL PCA 243/2-30
Totem 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.
ASL PCA 31-21
Downtown Juneau’s
Historic Sites
Many 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.
5
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