HomeMy WebLinkAbout06102021 Historic Preservation Laydown - Mary Ann Benoit6102021 HP Laydown -
Mary Ann Benoit
CLG Grant 20005
Historic Preservation Planning and Advocacy
Committee Laydown
6-10-21 Work Session and Meeting
M. Benoit
Video
I created a video related to the Historic Walking Tour that can be used on our web page, on Facebook,
and potentially for the City Council presentation. The video is 6 % minutes long and a summary about
the walking tour that shows all 26 signs and the Thank You you sign. The video will need to be revised
after the new Thank you sign is created that includes all the recent donors.
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The video is unlisted but can be seen at:
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If the HPC likes the idea of using this for the city council presentation, we could also print out the slides
for the video as well as the Walking Tour narrative below as handouts in addition to any other reports
we would like them to have regarding the project.
Walking Tour Narrative
I submitted the walking tour narrative I previously developed and presented to you to Corvis Designs. As
I expected, it was too long. I made it much shorter and submitted the following version. I worked with
Peter this week and put locations on a map for each site and sent it to him. He is currently developing
the tour map and will let me know if the narrative still needs to be cut back or if it will work.
Please note, all homes are privately owned and do not offer tours to the public.
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300 First Ave-1925- Jan van Empel, the famous Dutch/American painter stayed here while painting the
" "The Resurrection" at Saint Peter's Episcopal church in 1925, using Seward residents and himself as
models.
335 First Avenue --Brownell House --IMAGINE AND INSPIRE-1904--Don Carlos "Carl" Brownell, Sr. was
part of the 1903 landing party and purchased the first commercial lot and built the D.C. Brownell
Hardware. Artist Rockwell Kent who often stayed here.
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235 and 239 Second --St. Peter's Episcopal Church and Rectory --PEACE TO THOSE WHO ARE FAR
AWAY-1906. Seward's oldest church, on the National Register of Historic Places. Known for its unique
1925 painting of the Ascension of Christ behind the altar by Dutch artist Jan van Empel.
315 Second Ave-1918- Notable residents include Captain Don Oldowm captain of the Alaska Ferry's
Tustemena and his wife Pam who pioneered excursions to the Kenai Fjords National Park before it was a
park.
318 Second Ave --Manthey House --HOUSE RESURRECTED-1920-- Gustave and Clara Manthey bought
the property in 1924. Many interesting things were found in the wall during remodeling.
1111 Second Ave —Stucco Johnson Historic Home Site -CLUES TO SEWARD'S PAST--1916--Site of master
craftsman Stucco Johnson's unique Spanish Mission Style cottage before it was moved by horses to 327
Fifth Avenue around 1920. The house slipped through the ropes guiding it down the cliff on moving day
and slid down the hill on its side without developing a crack, cementing Stucco's reputation as a master
craftsman.
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125 Third Ave- THE MARY LOWELL HOMESTEAD, THE LINE, AND ALASKA TRANSFER COMPANY --
Originally the site of the Mary Lowell homestead. Frank Ballaine later built a house for her here. Later it
was known as the Peel House, where Al Peel, manager of the Alaska Transfer Company (located where
the parking lot is now) lived. His wife was associated with Seward's notorious red-light district known as
The Line, where the line of cottonwoods now stands. Behind them were once 21 little houses operated
by local businesswomen.
235 Third Ave —PERFECT TIMING —1941—These apartments were built when Seward was going through
hard times during World War II. A fire destroyed many buildings on the east side of Fourth Ave. leaving
housing in short supply.
319 Third Avenue- Wayne Blue House- 1920--Wayne Blue purchased this lot in 1916. He 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.
417 Third Ave. --Holland House --MILLIONAIRE'S ROW—1905-- Millionaire's Row, built between 1904
and 1906, represented a modern life and progress to a frontier town that still had stump -strewn, muddy
streets and board sidewalks. These homes represented a genteel society when Seward started to find its
identity.
420 Third Ave --Norway Maple--<1943-- Beautiful old Norway Maple planted by Mrs. Amend in the late
1930s after purchasing from the Sears and Roebuck catalog as a sapling. It may be the largest Norway
Maple tree in Alaska.
429 Third Ave --The Hale House --MILLIONAIRE'S ROW—1905-- The Hale family was a prominent feature
of Seward's business, art scene, and social life.
Third Avenue and Dairy Hill Lane --Benny Benson Memorial Park --Memorial to 13-year-old Benny
Benson, whose design won the American Legion's contest for the Alaska State Flag.
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209 Fourth Ave. --Brown & Hawkins --A 100 YEAR FAMILY AFFAIR —1904. The oldest continuously
operated business in Seward which provided provisions to pioneers and became the first bank and
telegraph office in Seward. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
218 Fourth Avenue- Urbach's Clothiers-105 YEARS OF LEADERSHIP--1942—Urbach's has been in
business since 1915.While a fire destroyed the original building in 1941, Leon wasted no time and rebuilt
it in 194. Leon was one of Alaska's unofficial leaders. He passed the business on to son, Larry, and his
wife Dorothy. Dorothy continues the family tradition of leadership and in 2020 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.
219 Fourth Avenue- Orlander Building --THE CLASSIEST STRUCTURE ON THE STREET-1916—It began
as Ellsworths, a millinery shop that sold women's clothing and accessories, providing a necessary service
in a pioneer country. Later it was Orlander's jewelry store for women and men.
222 Fourth Ave. --McMullen Building —BUILT TO LAST-1930— Built by locally renowned craftsman
Gerhard "Stucco" Johnson, his building has survived time, fire, and earthquake. The 1941 fire that
destroyed many other businesses stopped here.
225 Fourth Ave --Seward Commercial Company --GET WELL-FED AND WELL-READ-1908. William M.
Sauers built the new Seward Commercial Company which operated as a general merchandising store
and lending library, with a meeting hall and dance hall upstairs.
227 Fourth Ave--Generations-The Sexton House --AN ADVENTUROUS, CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHER-
1911--"Generations" pays tribute to how the Sextons and the Sexton House, have withstood the test of
time and reflects the spirit of Seward's adventurous photographer, Sylvia Sexton, and her family.
237 Fourth Ave.-Kawabe Park --Fourth Avenue Business District --THE BEATING HEART OF SEWARD --
From Seward's founding in 1903, Fourth Avenue has been the beating heart of Seward's commerce and
celebrations, as it is today. Early risk -takers and entrepreneurs invested their energy, creativity, and
finances to make Seward the center of commerce in southcentral Alaska.
1200 Fourth Avenue --Seward Mariners' Memorial --A lighthouse that houses the names of mariners lost
at sea or who have passed on after a lifetime of love for the ocean.
212 Fifth Avenue. Heritage tree. 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.
217 and 221 Fifth Ave —Hotel Seward —originally 1905-- William McNeiley built the Hotel Seward
around 1905. The hotel burned down in 1941 and then was rebuilt in 1944. Come in and walk through
our history.
232 Fifth Ave. —Mt. Marathon Apartments --WARM AND WELCOMING-1906?-- We think this building
has been offering a warm and welcoming place to live for over 100 years. It likely was a boarding house
for early railway workers.
327 Fifth Ave.--Swetmann House --SLID DOWN A HILL AND SURVIVED IN ONE PIECE-1916-- Considered
a jewel of Seward architecture, it was built by locally renowned craftsman Gerhard "Stucco" Johnson as
his residence in 1916 and moved here after being purchased by Elwyn Swetmann around 1921. During
the move, it slid down a steep hill and tipped over, then was set upright and moved by horses and skids.
338 Fifth Ave- 1930.
219 Sixth Ave- The Cable House —CONNECTING ALASKA TO THE WORLD-1905—The Government
Cable Office is a historic building that once served as the telegraph office for the entire Kenai Peninsula,
connecting Seward to the rest of the world.
239 Sixth Ave. --Seward Community Library & Museum —CONNECTING OUR COMMUNITY, SHARING
OUR STORIES-2011--The combined Seward Community Library & Museum opened in January 2013.
collecting our stories and connecting our community. The honorary start of the Seward Historic Walking
Tour, you can pick up a map here.
313 Sixth Ave. --Malloy House -IF WALLS COULD TALK-<1928.- This house was built before 1928 on a hill
above Second Avenue and moved here around 1928. Learn how the Anderson family had to run for their
lives as the Standard Oil tanks a block away exploded and the earth shook during the 1964 earthquake.
308 Sixth Ave --Dryden House --MOBILE HOME LIVING-1920. In the 19th and early 20th centuries,
moving whole houses to new locations with horses was a common practice. This house was moved from
Mile 7 in 1930 and may have been a barn once.
400 and 408 Sixth Ave --WHAT'S A QUONSET?-- Circa 1941. Quonset huts were lightweight, portable,
barracks used by the military during World War II. The 420th Coast Artillery Corps, an anti-aircraft unit,
was located in this area. These Quonset huts may have housed visiting entertainers for the military
including Lauren Bacall.
308 Adams --Van Gilder Hotel -- GAMES, GHOSTS, AND HISTORY-1916-- This beautiful historic hotel
has played host to a legendary pinochle game, ghosts, and famous pilots. It is said to be haunted and is
listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
410 Adams Street- City Hall- 1867 Alaska Purchase Centennial Year Sitka Spruce --In 1867 the US
purchased the Russian Empire's Alaska colony. This tree was planted to celebrate the purchase.
500 Adams Street --The Ray Building-1916-- Built by the Harriman Bank of New York, it served as a
bank until 1924, and the local high school until 1933. L.V. Ray, a prominent pioneer attorney bought the
building and had his office here.
504 Adams Street--IOOF International Order of Odd Fellows Hall-1918—The 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 1940's, and served as a community center for many years.
611 Adams St,-- Standard Oil Manager's House --BEACH FRONT PROPERTY—1928-- In the 1920s, the
Standard Oil Company of California came to Seward and built this home for the company's manager. The
earthquake destroyed the oil tanks and structures, giving it beachfront property today.
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302 Church St --Resurrect Art Coffee House --DREAMING AND CONNECTING-1917--. From the time
this building was constructed as the Methodist Church, this building has connected our community. This
old church demonstrates that historic buildings are often best preserved when occupied by a thriving
business with owners who love them. Note the Heritage 12' tall Lilac tree.
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208 Brownell St. --Home Brew Alley --MOONSHINERS AND HANGERS-ON-- <1932. This house is one of
the only remaining houses of "Home Brew Alley". Also called Alley A, it contained a "whole bunch of
moonshiners and hangers-on," including famous bootleggers and the marshals who guarded their
booze.
Corner Jefferson/ Ballaine--Lowell Creek Diversion Dam and Flume —TAMING MOTHER NATURE FOR
NOW-1940- Lowell Creek used to rage down through Seward, wreaking havoc, destroying bridges, and
blocking access to the north side of town. It was such a problem that in 1927 the Alaska Railroad
constructed a small diversion dam and flume. That didn't work and a diversion tunnel was driven
through the adjacent mountain to carry the stream. This feat of engineering is listed on the National
Register of Historic Places.
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401 Railway Avenue- Hoben Park-1923-- Built in time for the visit by President Warren G. Harding on
July 13, 1923, when completion of the Alaska Railroad was celebrated. The park is named for Hedley V.
"Harry" Hoben, who created it. The park has been generally restored to its 1920s appearance by the
Seward Historic Preservation Commission. Note the Heritage Balsam Cottonwood in the center of the
park that has been here at least since the 1950s. Hoben Park is on the National Register of Historic
Places.
501 Railway Ave. --Seward Railroad Depot --SAVED FROM THE FLOOD —1917-The Seward Railroad
Depot was moved to its current location following the devastating flooding of Lowell Creek in 1928. It is
listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
613 Railway Ave --Founders Site and The Fourth Avenue Wharf --A BUSTLING TERMINAL-1903--In
1903, the founders landed here, and it was not long before the Fourth Avenue wharf was built and
buzzing with activity. The Great Alaska Earthquake of 1964 destroyed it, but you can see remnants of
what used to be.
411 Washington Street --Old Solly's--A SEWARD ORIGINAL--1916-- Built by Alaska pioneer Cal. M.
Brosius, Old Solly's was named after owner Sol Urie. The building was a community hub and Sol was
named Mr. Seward by the City Council for his wide involvement in civic activities.
Lowell Canyon Road --Mount Marathon Race --CALL OF THE MOUNTAIN--1915-- There are many tales
of races on Mount Marathon before the first official race in 1915. What is truth and what is conjecture
remains a mystery and is what Alaskan stories are made of.
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Woodlawn Cemetery -Intersection of Salmon Creek Road and Moat Way--1916—In the early days,
people were buried in numerous places around Seward and there was no official cemetery. The city
purchased the land for the Woodlawn Cemetery and some of Seward's earliest residents, such, as Mary
Lowell, are buried here. A person was paid $30 per body to dig up remains in Seward, transport them
and rebury them at Woodlawn. Later, the water table became too high and it was abandoned around
1926. Many of the remains were relocated to the new Seward Cemeteries if their relatives desired.
Seward Cemeteries --Aspen Lane and Coolidge Drive--1927- The city established a cemetery here and
deeded land to some local fraternal organizations who had initiated the idea of creating this cemetery.
The Jesse Lee Home also used a portion of the cemetery. See the Memorial Garden created by the
Seward Rotary Club and the sign about the Jesse Lee section for information.