Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout08202026 Historic Preservation Work Session PacketSeward Historic Preservation Commission Work Session Packet Work Session Topics: 1) Community Development & Historic Preservation: Story Maps & Walking Tour Discussions August 20, 2026 City Council Chambers Beginning at 5:30 p.m. WALKING TOUR -t , _,....7 -r -Irw"'4*- Itf'-s Expanding the Visitor Experience � Through Optional Themed Loops re-.�t i Iliiii060;41 + I. �� , �. .. T as •z . J -•a {r'-- � . 7":4111r—MIEll4 ii. I.' •ems rL Ow -.444 . CONCEPT FOR DISCUSSION CITY OF SEWARD HISTORICAL PRESERVATION COMMISSION WE ALREADY HAVE A GREAT WALKING TOUR The existing Historical Walking Tour is an outstanding foundation built through years of work by the Historical Preservation Commission and community volunteers Seward Historical Walking Tour Map • • • •. B IOW M ELL i7 L - - a a a•�fi= •N E a}!W —•m•i 11=1 NI IN 3. • 11I • CFI'' rruniama beam. liairido Ira laNirrautdinalign ary =ram .,emmledpi .�., OW WO col!ni a n21 o mu, e 1*1� Zvi 1 �r+n iLwE c,--#1,4e- • • MGM A'A BLVD 4110 --.-I t •: I ■ S IF Q 46 historic sites throughout Seward Q Rich stories spanning Seward's history Q Professionally designed interpretive signs Q Successful Self -Guided Tour Q Years of Community Collaboration The goal isn't to replace it. The goal is to help visitors experience more of Seward's history in the way that works best for them. Cruise Visitor • Limited time in Seward • Wants highlights EVERYVISITOR IS DIFFERENT Family Visitors • Shorter walks • Needs parks and restrooms History Enthusiast • Deeper historical stories • Longer experience Casual Explorer • Coffee, shopping, and local culture • Flexible schedule Short on Time • Quick experience • See the highlights quickly Visitors have different interests, mobility levels, and available time. One walking tour cannot meet every visitor's needs. Downtown Seward ONE HISTORICAL WALKING TOUR The Historical Walking Tour remains the complete collection of all 46 historic sites Life in Early Seward Seward Historical Walking Tour Map i WE WI vfmrrn t5i J ViMmenci r!• EM HMI AVE WV AVE r a WIV•4R 14.411. MONO AVE IN • • e—as SVAY•r i4 4 . M M•••• _ 1•Emo .m. —. . • .._._.--bms }▪ •"MN Rh L.1•MA NAT•4 II4a••7r fa •-li,t•••.YY••r —Lie 1.-a,tii•aT• ,Ii• i.. M. R• ,•R1 u..••la MYY Mr.. Nam. ra 1i-NM INV•a NM 11_ .•m A -NM ti__d•.ip. L -31 re.w ti u•••4i{Wi• la: . - Ir.i Yy 1.••rw NYE. L1` w -MSr•.i w 444•4 [mwd feTw ti0• 1-1m rm.., ••m• is•74rf4,.•••NN—•.+. a-.Nal IrAN .s Mama NNW, Jm M-NZ FINNAN a YY.V•• Na••+Y W. Y1�16 XY1 31 • Ipr++w !ow— •••• »-swYL• P.m—'. me IT -HE EN Om dawn... CAN Nam MB 1G•�/1▪ - m.o. wrt+--r M I....M 14 AVEfK• • •- t OHS. M.•.y�,� 41- •IANN in No tFi•itl WAt `d•• IY/••tl.rii 71.-64•44•t .n.. FaiFik ICCr •••• id . RFII4.441 N.•YRY-i]•114N•—N „-M4 ••BAR d!S iIf] G -NH 11Y — Rom_.._,___, w •4•E.N•N'•YI.44. 1 . N40 Y-.J tli_ Yam— Ha. till 6-4•1 Cmi N. • it rir rim. ra.rr. NX ..a•.L•• YA•n+}••. 4I.048r•••w1• ••t CHOOSE YOUR EXPERIENCE Seward at Work Hidden Seward Historical Women Traditions & Legacy World War II We're not proposing a new walking tour. We're proposing different ways to experience the same 46 historic sites based on visitors' interests, available time, and mobility. VISITOR BENEFITS CURRENT WALKING TOUR O All 46 Iocations O Self guided experience O Visitors choose their own route Q Amenities may be harder to locate THEMED LOOPS o o o 0 0 Guided experiences that are easy to follow Restrooms identified along the route Coffee, shopping, and dining opportunities Natural stopping points and benches Options based on available time and interests Less Planning. More exploration. More of Seward's story Seward Seaview Plaza Alaska SeaLife Center Main Tour — — - Alternate Route 0 ca Building A9 /r Hawkinsigt e e e .f.,Cne's P .aCC Epislr.� Chu, 0 411 © a ----- 0 0 t 1-----+-----�—♦—�-- � lir 1 / Resurrection N `� Lutheran �Church (i V bier LV 4o F V MAIN HISTORICAL WALKING TOUR The foundation of the Historical Walking Tour Includes an optional alternate route First Ave Providence Seward Medical and Care Center ityewar ci City Hall Fourth Ave Sacred Heart Catholic Ukanuxit Church Sixth Ave 0 Seward Past Office Madison n 0 0 0 +1* P Highlights Visits most of Seward's 46 historical sites Showcases Seward's rich history Flexible options with an alternate route Visitor Amenities Restrooms along the route Benches and picnic areas Public parking available The Main Historical Walking Tour remains the foundation. The optional alternate route provides additional flexibility while keeping visitors connected to Seward's historic sites HISTORICAL WOMEN Stories of women who helped shape Seward's history 5e 0 Alaska SeaLife Center Seaview Plaza d • ca Building Brown lSM Hawkins Store A9 St. Pete s Episrop Churn Seward Waterfront Park First Ave Vander Hotel Gene's Place City of Seward City Hall Ballalne Blvd First Ave Providence Seward Medical and Care Center Resurrection Lutheran Church Fourth Ave Sacred Heart Catholic llkenuzit Church Sixth Ave Secon: Seward Post Office • w�wn ,Illlp! pipl!!Vllll!III!!Ipi �� III 1?IIIIiIIIIr VAN GILDER • III HOTEL L Featured stories Mary Lowell Lydia Peel Sylvia Sexton Telegraph operators Viola Swetmann "Fannie" Visitor Amenities fit Restrooms along the route Benches and picnic areas P Public parking available Discover the stories of the women whose leadership, resilience, and contributions shaped Seward's history Brownell St arca Building eward Sewa Waterfront 0 Gilder tel SEWARD AT WORK Stories of the people, industries, and infrastructure that built Seward Providence Seward Medical and Care Center Second Ave Resurrection A9 AVTEC - Lutheran Alaska's Church Institute of Technology Seward Post Office First Ave Second Ave Second Ave ROWN_&;HAWKINS ■■ G. T t.r Discover the transportation, commerce, communication, and engineering that helped build modern Seward I( N2 ]r 0 0 0 0 0 Highlights Seward Railroad Depot Government Cable House Brown & Hawkins Fourth Avenue Wharf Lowell Creek Diversion Dam Visitor Amenities fit Restrooms along the route Benches and picnic areas Public parking available p WORLD WAR II Stories of Seward's military service and home front during World War II Highlights Aritrvnctl St Alaska SNLi le Center Orta builrllnn 4 BrorfaWk Seward Waterfront Pa r St Pile 's E pi S` f�l 0 711 _l wan „„er , [el Seward ct,ro n ley b, l 4 Ym ► ProridenCe ©Seward Medrcal �J and Care Center 4 Resurrection Lutheran Church Sacred Heart lakanutit Catholic Church Seward Post Off ice FirSI Are Second Ave Solid Line =Walking Route Seward Bus Lines Depot AMC • Alaska's [nStitute Or Technology Fifth Arc sl.rh Ave Sixth Me Fifth As, — — — Dashed Line = Optional Shuttle Extension Optional shuttle connection extends the tour to the Seward Military Resort 0 0 0 0 0 Qa +It P American Legion Cemetery Seward Military Resort 235 Third Avenue 400 and 408 Sixth Avenue Fourth Avenue Business District Visitor Amenities Shuttle available Restrooms along the route Benches and picnic areas Public parking available Discover how World War II transformed Seward and its people Downtown Seward FUTURE THEME IDEAS More stories to explore in the future Life in Early Seward Hidden Seward Traditions & Legacy These concepts are intended to spark discussion. The Historic Preservation Commission can help identify and prioritize future themed walking experiences O O O 0 A SIMPLER MOBILE EXPERIENCE Focused on the stories, not the technology CURRENT EXPERIENCE One map with all 46 stops Opens new tabs for each stop Return to the main map after each stop Navigate between individual historical sites 941 Seward Historic Sites v V 9 46 historic sites �a $ IMF Illustration of the proposed visitor experience 0 0 0 0 0 WITH THEMED LOOPS One focused route at a time Guided experience Simple navigation No extra tabs No confusion Stop 1 Mary Lowell Early p•aneer and common;ly leadcr. Spend less time navigating and more time discovering Seward's history DISCUSSION What stories are missing? Which themes should we explore first? How should Chemed loops be presented in the StoryMap? 0 Which visitor groups should we prioritize BROWNELL ST O 111111 idrange Icon locations have an interpretive sign ue Icon locations have no interpretive sign njoy this walk through Seward's fascinating history. Please respect the owner's privacy and only go into those buildings that are active businesses or public facilities. FIRST AVE SECOND AVE THIRD AVE BALLAINE BLVD NORTH Walking Tour Locations 1 — 300 First Ave Jan van Emple House, 1925 2 — 335 First Ave, Brownell House, 1904 3 — 235/239 Second Ave, St Peter's Episcopal Church/Rectory, 1906 4 — 315 Second Ave, Captains Oldow House, 1918 5 — 318 Second Ave, Manthey House, 1920 6 — 1111 Second Ave, Stucco Johnson Historic Homesite, 1916 7 — 125 Third Ave, Mary Lowell Homestead/The Line/AK Transfer Co. 8 — 319 Third Ave, Wayne Blue House, 1920 9 — 235 Third Ave, The Tides Inn, 1941 10 — 417 Third Ave, Holland House, 1905 11 — 420 Third Ave, Norway Maple, 1943 12 — 429 Third Ave, Hale House, 1905 13 — Third Ave and Dairy Hill Lane, Benny Benson Memorial Park 14 — 209 Fourth Ave, Brown & Hawkins, 1904 15 — 218 Fourth Ave, Urbach's Clothiers, 1942 16 — 219 Fourth Ave, Orlander Building, 1916 17 — 222 Fourth Ave, McMullen Building, 1930 18 — 225 Fourth Ave, Seward Commercial Company, 1908 19 — 227 Fourth Ave, Generations/Sexton House, 1911 20 — 237 Fourth Ave, Kawabe Park/Fourth Ave Business District 21 — 1200 Fourth Ave, Seward Mariners' Memorial 22 — 212 Fifth Ave, Heritage Sitka Spruce 23 — 217/221 Fifth Ave, Hotel Seward, originally 1905 24 — 232 Fifth Ave, Mt. Marathon Apartments, circa 1906 25 — 327 Fifth Ave, Swetmann House, 1916 26 — 338 Fifth Ave, Private Residence, 1930 27 — 219 Sixth Ave, Government Cable House, 1905 28 — 239 Sixth Ave, Seward Community Library & Museum, 2011 29 — 313 Sixth Ave, Malloy House, 1928 30 — 308 Sixth Ave, Dryden House, 1920 31 — 400/408 Sixth Ave, WWII Quonset Huts, circa 1941 32 — 308 Adams St, Van Gilder Hotel, 1916 33 — 410 Adams St, 1867 AK Purchase Centennial Year Sitka Spruce 34 — 500 Adams St, The L.V. Ray Building, 1916 35 — 504 Adams St, IOOF Hall, 1918 36 — 611 Adams St, Standard Oil Manager's House, 1928 37 — 302 Church St, Resurrect Art Coffee House, 1917 38 — 208 Brownell St, Home Brew Alley, 1932 39 — Jefferson St and Ballaine Blvd - Sign: 1940 Lowell Creek Diversion Dam 40 — 401 Railway Ave, Hoben Park, 1923 41 — 501 Railway Ave, Seward Railroad Depot, 1917 42 — 613 Railway Ave, Founders Site & Fourth Ave Wharf 43 — 411 Washington St, Old Solly's, 1916 44 — Lowell Canyon Road, Mount Marathon Race, 1915 45 — Salmon Creek Road & Moat Way, Woodlawn Cemetery, 1916 46 —Aspen Lane & Coolidge Drive, Seward Cemeteries, 1927 Seward Historical Walking Tour Ma Welcome to the Seward Historical Walking Tour. Visit www.cityofseward. us/walkingtour for additional information, sources and our partners and contributors. Follow the map and enjoy learning more about Seward's fascinating history. Please respect the owner's privacy and only go into those sites that are active businesses or public facilities. The narratives to the right are for locations that do not have interpretive signs. First Avenue #300 • Jan van Empel's House, 1925 °Van Emple, 1880-1940, was a famous Dutch/American artist from the early 20th century. He traveled to Seward in 1924. He lived here for two years while he painted his first sacred picture, "The Resurrection" for the back wall of Saint Peter's Episcopal Church. He used Seward residents and himself as models. Second Avenue #315 • Captains Oldow House, 1918 ONotable residents include Captain Don Oldow, captain of the Alaskan ferry Tustemena, and his wife, Captain Pam. The two of them pioneered excursions to the Kenai Fjords National Park starting in 1980. Third Avenue #125 • The Mary Lowell Homestead, The Line, and Alaska Transfer Company °This corner was once a bustling center of activity. It originally was the site of the Mary Lowell homestead. Frank Ballaine had a house built for her here. Later the house was the home of Lydia and Al Peel and known as the Peel House. He was a manager of the Alaska Transfer Company, located where the parking lot is now. His wife was associated with Seward's notorious red-light district known as The Line, where the line of cottonwoods now stands. Behind the cottonwoods there once were 21 little houses owned and operated by local businesswomen. The Line closed down in the mid-1950s. #319 • Wayne Blue House, 1920 OWayne Blue purchased this lot in 1916 and the house was built around 1920. Wayne Blue was a manager at the Alaska Transfer Company, an agent for the Seward Water and Power Company, and a business manager for the Seward Gateway paper. #420 • Norway Maple, 1943 °Beautiful old Norway Maple (Acer platanoides). Mrs. Amend bought this beautiful tree through the Sears catalog in the late 1930s and planted it as a sapling. It may be the largest Norway Maple tree in Alaska. Fourth Avenue #218 • Urbach's Clothiers, 1942 OUrbach's has been in business since 1915 when Leon Urbach founded it in a different location. In 1921, he opened his new store where it is today. When a fire destroyed the original building in 1941, Leon wasted no time and rebuilt it in 1942. Leon had the only radio receiver strong enough to get the national news and would write up bulletins and post them on the window of his house to keep Seward up to date. The Urbach home was the meeting place for statesmen and Leon was one of Alaska's unofficial leaders. When Leon retired, his son, Larry, and his wife Dorothy, took over running Urbach's. Dorothy Urbach continued the family tradition of leadership. In 2020 she received an award from the mayor for her 30 years of leading the Friends of the Library and her many years of service to the Seward community. #1200 • Seward Mariners' Memorial °This lighthouse memorial honors the names of mariners lost at sea or who have passed on after a lifetime of love for the ocean. Fifth Avenue. #212 • Heritage Sitka Spruce °Note the huge, beautiful open -grown Sitka Spruce tree. Likely over 70 years old, it is the most outstanding tree in Seward for its history, exemplary shape, beauty, and size. Note the sidewalk curves around it. #217 and 221 • Hotel Seward, originally 1905 °William McNeiley built the Hotel Seward around 1905. In 1909 the hotel was advertised as a first-class hotel with rates of $1 and up. The hotel burned down in 1941 and then was rebuilt in 1944. Different wings have been built over time. Come in and walk through its history. #338 • 1930 °This 405 square -foot cottage was a typical size for many homes in the 1930s. Adams Street #500 • The L.V. Ray Building, 1916 °Built by the Harriman Bank of New York, it served as a bank until 1922, then as the local high school from 1925-28. L.V. Ray, a prominent pioneer attorney, bought the buildingfor his home and office and lived there until his death in 1946. His wife, Hazel, converted it into apartments. #504 • International Order of Odd Fellows Hall, 1918 The IOOF hall was completed and opened to the public with a dance and basket social in 1918. It was one of the favorite dancing and grand ball locations in Seward through the 1940s, and served as a community center for many years. Interesting Sites If You Drive A Little Woodlawn Cemetery Salmon Creek Road and Moat Way, 1916 Oln the early days, the dead were buried in numerous places around Seward as there was no official cemetery. In 1916, the city purchased this land for the Woodlawn Cemetery. For $30 each, remains were dug up, transported, and reburied here. When Salmon Creek changed course in the 1920s, the water table rose too high to continue using the land as a cemetery. It was abandoned around 1926. Many of the remains were exhumed and relocated to the current cemetery. Some of Seward's earliest residents, including Mary Lowell, are buried here. Seward Cemeteries .spen Lane and Coolidge Drive, 1933 OIn 1933 the City acquired a 40-acre Cemetery Reserve and deeded land to the organizations that had initiated the idea of creating this cemetery. Many graves were relocated from Woodlawn Cemetery. To this day, the American Legion, Masons, and Pioneers of Alaska maintain their cemeteries. The City maintains the Oddfellow and Jesse Lee Home Cemeteries located in the NW corner of the city parcel. View the Memorial Garden created by the Seward Rotary Club near the Aspen Lane entrance, and the Jesse Lee Home Cemetery interpretive sign nearby.