11 30 2010 state museum doe

● OFFICE OF HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGY - SHORT REPORT 2010-04 ●

Determination of Eligibility for the Alaska State Centennial

Museum (Alaska State Museum), Juneau

AHRS Site Number: JUN-1124

Prepared by

Summer Rickman and Emily S. A. Lochart

November 2010

OFFICE OF HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGY

ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES


1

Acknowledgements

Several people helped with this project and deserve recognition. Steve Henrikson, Curator of

Collections, and other staff at the Alaska State Museum assisted with research for this project. Addison

Field, Curator of Collections and Exhibits at the Juneau-Douglas City Museum located historic

photographs for the report. Steve Forrest, the architect who designed the Alaska State Museum provided

invaluable memories and information about the museum building. Nicole Tozzi assisted with some of the

maps and images used in this report.

The cover image was reproduced from Alaska’s Digital Archives, Don Steffa Photograph

Collection, ca. 1958-1977, ASL-P283-2-468 (www.vilda.alaska.edu).


2

Alaska State Centennial Museum

Eligible __X__ Not Eligible _____

A. Name of Property

Historic Name: Alaska State Centennial Museum

Other Name: Alaska State Museum

AHRS Number: JUN-1124

B. Location

Map Sheet: USGS Juneau (B-2)

Acreage: Approx. 0.64 acres

Address: 395 Whittier Street; Juneau, AK 99801

C. Description

Ownership of Property: State of Alaska

Category of Property: Building

Properties Function: Recreation and Culture: Museum

Architectural Classification: New Formalism/Brutalism

Materials: Foundation: Reinforced Concrete

Walls: Precast reinforced concrete panels

Roof: EPDM system

D. Applicable National Register Criteria

Criterion A: Yes

Criterion B: No

Criterion C: Yes

Criterion D: No

Applicable National Register Criteria Considerations

Criteria Consideration A: No

Criteria Consideration B: No

Criteria Consideration C: No

Criteria Consideration D: No

Criteria Consideration E: No

Criteria Consideration F: No

Criteria Consideration G: Yes

Area of Significance: Architecture, Community Planning and Development,

Entertainment/Recreation, Other: State Purchase Centennial

Celebration

Significant Dates: 1967-1968

Period of Significance: 1967-1968

Significant Persons: N/A

Cultural Affiliation: N/A

Architect/Engineer/Builder: Linn A. Forrest Architects, AIA (Steve Forrest and Linn

A. Forrest, Sr.; Triplette Construction Company

E. Form Prepared By: Name/Title: Summer Rickman, Architectural Historian

Emily S. A. Lochart, Historian

Organization: Alaska Office of History and Archaeology

Date: November 29, 2010


3

Introduction

The Office of History and Archaeology researched and assessed the historic significance

of the Alaska State Centennial Museum (JUN-1124) located at 395 Whittier Street in Juneau, in

Lots 4, 5, 6, and 10 of Block 66 in the Tidelands Subdivision. The property is in the Copper

River Meridian, Section 23, Township 41S, Range 67E. The purpose of this study is to provide

the Department of Natural Resources and the Alaska Historical Commission (AHC) information

to make a determination of eligibility as an historic property. Because Alaska Historic

Landmark Criteria have not been officially adopted, this study uses National Register of Historic

Places Criteria.

Early preservation legislation in the United States includes the Antiquities Act in 1906

and the Historic Sites Act of 1935. In 1966, the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) was

passed. The NHPA was a reaction to a nationwide urban renewal movement that was resulting

in the widespread demolition of older, blighted neighborhoods. This act recognized that historic

resources represent the heritage of our nation and “should be preserved as a living part of our

community life and development in order to give a sense of orientation to the American people.”

Under the NHPA, the National Park Service was to expand and maintain the list of properties

established by the Historic Sites Act. Named the National Register of Historic Places, it is the

official list of properties of local, state, and national significance. The State of Alaska

established a state Historic Preservation Act in 1971 stating, “It is the policy of the state to

preserve and protect the historic, prehistoric, and archaeological resources of Alaska from loss,

desecration, and destruction so that the scientific, historic, and cultural heritage embodied in

these resources may pass undiminished to future generations.”

A determination of eligibility is the process of gathering documentation to evaluate the

historic significance of a property by applying the criteria established for the National Register of

Historic Places. A determination of eligibility assesses the historic significance of a property and

should be an evaluation independent of any proposed projects. The Office of History and

Archaeology recommends the Alaska State Centennial Museum eligible for listing in the

National Register of Historic Places.


4

Alaska Purchase Centennial Celebration

Prior to the United States’ purchase of Alaska in 1867, the Gastineau Channel region was

a traditional fishing area for Auke and Taku Tlingits. In 1880, Joe Juneau and Richard Harris

reported their discovery of gold along Gold Creek and the Silver Bow Basin. Prospectors rushed

to the region. The new mining community, first called Harrisburg, then Rockwell, was named

Juneau at a miner’s meeting in December 1881.1

Juneau quickly transformed into a town and for a short while had a military post to keep

law and order. The downtown district grew with general stores, a bakery, saloons, a blacksmith

shop, and a post office on newly laid out streets.2 The neighborhood currently called Telephone

Hill was settled, followed by Starr Hill and Chicken Ridge on the hillside. A Native village

1 Arthur C. Spencer, The Juneau Gold Belt, Alaska, U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin No. 287 (Washington, D.C.:

U.S. Government Printing Office, 1906), 2-3. 2 R. N. DeArmond, The Founding of Juneau, Juneau: Gastineau Channel Centennial Association, 1980), 85-86, 90-

92.

Figure 1. Approximate location of Alaska State Centennial Museum in Juneau.


5

(Juneau Indian Village or Auke Village) was established on the waterfront near the present

Willoughby Avenue.3 Early placer mining transitioned to large lode gold mining operations with

stamp mills. Mining continued in the area and contributed to the steady growth of the

community. At least seven mines were actively producing gold in the Juneau and Douglas area

by 1903.4

Government offices began relocating from Sitka to Juneau as the mining town grew. In

1900, the city was incorporated. That same year, the District Court moved to Juneau and

Congress designated it the temporary seat of government for Alaska. The capital completed its

transfer from Sitka to Juneau by 1906 and Alaska was given Territorial status in 1912. Mining

and government helped Juneau thrive. Major mining halted during World War II due to labor

shortages and mining restrictions. Mining did not resume, but government expanded especially

after Alaska became a state in 1959.5

In the 1930s, the United States Government began using Femmer’s Dock with the

owner’s permission to reach a government float. The dock was located off Willoughby Avenue

about 200 yards west of Main Street. At the time, Willoughby Avenue was a planked street built

on pilings located at the high tide line. David Femmer signed deeds of easement with the

Federal Government at the start of World War II. In August 1942, the local newspaper

announced that the government took possession of the dock citing national security and the need

to build a sub port of embarkation. The military took waste rock from the Alaska Juneau Gold

Mine and filled in the tidelands surrounding the dock, forming the area of Juneau now referred to

as the “Subport” or “Tidelands” neighborhood. As needed, portions of this neighborhood were

subsequently filled with additional waste rock.6

Alaska was admitted as the 49th

state in 1959. At the time, few communities in Alaska

had public and civic buildings. Most buildings used by state agencies in Juneau were leased.

Although still the capital, Juneau was no longer the largest city in Alaska. The population center

was moving out of Southeast to Southcentral Alaska. In the 1960 U.S. Census the Juneau

Borough had 9,745 residents and Anchorage had 82,833.

3 City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ), “Report of the Casey-Shattuck Neighborhood Historic Building Survey: From

Dairy Farm to Neighborhood” (Juneau: CBJ, 2004), p.14. 4 Spencer, 3.

5 CBJ, Report of the Casey-Shattuck Neighborhood, 15.

6 Margaret Femmer Cudney, “David Benjamin Femmer” in Gastineau Channel Memories, 1880-1959 (Juneau:

Pioneer Book Committee, 2001), p. 152-153.


6

During discussions of statehood, there was some debate about the location of the capital

city. Voters in the 1960 general election turned down an initiative to move the capital to the

Cook Inlet or Railbelt region. In 1962, citizens turned down another initiative to move the

capital to western Alaska. Juneau residents were still nervous about losing their status as the state

capital.7

At this same time, Alaskans began planning celebrations to mark the centennial of the

United States’ purchase of Alaska. The Governors’ Advisory Centennial Committee formed as

early as 1962 to organize statewide events. This committee was renamed the Alaska Purchase

Centennial Commission and was formally established in 1963 in the Department of Economic

Development and Planning.8

7 Dermot Cole, North to the Future: The Alaska Story, 1959-2009 (Kenmore, WA: Epicenter Press, 2008), 69-71,

211. 8 Gastineau Centennial Association, Inc., Memorandum to William A. Egan, Governor of Alaska, “Synopsis of

Progress for the Proposed State Museum Building,” N.D., copy on file at Alaska State Museum Archives, File

“Centennial Museum Project History 1965-1968; U.S. Department of Commerce, Federal Participation Alaska

Purchase Centennial Celebration 1967 (U.S. Department of Commerce, 1968), 1.

Figure 2. Aerial view of Juneau in 1940 before the tidelands were filled

with waste rock. Image reproduced from the Juneau-Douglas City

Museum, JDCM 2003.48.001.


7

The U.S. Department of Commerce studied the possibility of providing federal funds for

Alaska Purchase Centennial projects in September 1964 at the request of the state’s

congressional delegation.9 The delegation saw the opportunity to obtain federal funds to develop

much needed civic amenities and community buildings throughout Alaska. On September 24,

1964, Public Law 88-610 was passed stating that “...the Congress hereby recognizes the Alaska

Centennial Celebration...not only as an observance by the people of the forty-ninth state, but as

an event of national significance.”10

Federal funding for centennial celebration projects was

secured in Public Laws 89-375 and 89-426. These acts provided approximately $4 million

dollars in matching grants for projects statewide and an additional $600,000 for expositions and

ceremonies. In order for a project to receive federal funding, it needed to demonstrate that the

Centennial was an event of national interest. The intention of these projects and events was to

permanently contribute to Alaska’s economy throughout the state. 11

The Alaska Purchase

Centennial Commission reviewed project proposals for federal assistance. A total of 42 projects

were approved for federal funding.12

At the center of statewide celebrations was the “Alaska-67 Exposition” (“A-67”) in

Fairbanks. The Alaska State Centennial Museum received the third largest allocation of funds.13

Centennial projects were throughout Alaska and included Native cultural exhibits, natural and

cultural history museums, historic site restoration, performing arts facilities, gold mining

attractions, community and youth centers, tourism centers, campgrounds and picnic areas, roads,

a medical clinic, and monuments.14

Many Alaskan communities formed local committees to organize fundraisers and sponsor

local projects. The Gastineau Channel Centennial Committee (GCCC) was organized in

December 1963 as the local commission for the Juneau area.15

Juneau staged numerous

celebratory fundraisers and events. The Juneau Rotary Club and the GCCC began the 1967

Centennial year hosting a “Kick-off Ball” aboard one of the ferries on New Year’s Eve. The

9 Keith Hogan, Notes and timeline pertaining to early history of the Alaska State Museum, Copy on file at Alaska

State Library Collections, Gastineau Channel Centennial Association Records, MS4 Bx 3, Projects 1964-84. 10

U.S. Dept of Commerce (US DOC), Federal Participation Alaska Purchase Centennial Celebration 1967, US

DOC, 1968, 38. 11

Ibid., 2, 39. 12

Ibid., 5-7. 13

Ibid., 8-10, 41. 14

Ibid., 10-21. 15

Gastineau Centennial Assoc., Inc., “Synopsis of Progress for the Proposed State Museum Building.”


8

Juneau Lions Club held a Centennial Homecoming between July 30 and August 5, 1967.16

Centennial medallions that were cast in bronze with an image of William H. Seward on the

obverse and the Centennial seal on the reverse were sold as keepsakes for $5 to raise money for

Centennial projects.17

The GCCC also sold sterling silver commemorative potlatch spoons,

designed by Amos Wallace with the Raven totem and the Centennial seal.18

A poster contest

was held in which the participants had to match paintings to the correct artists in order to win a

set of Centennial Medallions.19

The GCCC sponsored some projects intended to be permanent fixtures in the community.

The committee had two totem poles carved and presented to the community and they published a

history book, The Founding of Juneau, written by Robert N. DeArmond.20

Many communities

in Alaska had one large project or exhibit in addition to the locally sponsored initiatives. Juneau

saw tourism as a growing industry in the 1960s, especially after the arrival of the first Alaska

Marine Highway ferry in February 1963.21

Juneau’s signature Centennial project was

construction of the new Alaska State Centennial Museum to benefit residents and capitalize on

its place as a tourist destination. When the GCCC submitted their plans to the State Centennial

Commission, “they went on record to have as their major project the raising of funds to promote

the building of a new state museum and historical library.”22

History of the Alaska State Centennial Museum (JUN-1124)

Construction of an Alaska Historical Library and Museum was authorized by an Act of

Congress on June 6, 1900. It was envisioned as a center for Alaska’s residents and visitors. In

1906, the capital completed its move from Sitka to Juneau and with it the Museum and Library

collections, some of which were housed in the new Governor’s residence and office. In 1920,

the museum got its own home and was finally opened to the public. The museum was in space

rented at the old Arctic Brotherhood Hall. Within three years, the museum was on the move

again, finding its new home in a storefront at Third and Seward Streets. By 1931, the museum

16

“President Lyndon B. Johnson Invited to Centennial Kick-Off by Gastineau Channel Committee,” Juneau Alaska

Empire (JAE), 21 April 1966, p. 6. 17

Ibid.; Photo caption, JAE, 20, January 1966, p. 5. 18

“Centennial Spoons Ready Soon,” JAE, 27 April 1966, p. 3. 19

“Centennial Committee Meets Friday Noon; Poster Winners Named,” JAE, 10 August 1966, p.12 20

“Centennial Committee Meets Friday Noon; Poster Winner Named,” JAE, 10 August 1966, p. 12. 21

Cole, North to the Future, p. 64. 22

Gastineau Centennial Assoc., Inc., “Synopsis of Progress for the Proposed State Museum Building.”


9

had outgrown its storefront location and moved to the second floor of the Territorial and Federal

Building. It remained in this location for the next 30 years.23

In October 1962, the Governors’ Advisory Centennial Committee (renamed the Alaska

State Centennial Commission) held its first meeting proposing that a new state building be

erected to house the Alaska Historical Library and Museum with the intent that this building be a

“lasting and appropriate contribution to [the] Centennial year.”24

By December 1963 the GCCC

stated that their major Centennial project was to raise funds for construction of a new state

museum.25

The GCCC stated that a museum was the “most worthwhile contribution this

committee could make to the state during the Centennial.”26

In September 1964 the State

Centennial Commission went on record to recommend to the Governor the building of a new

state museum to be completed by the Centennial year of 1967. 27

In February 1965 the firm of Linn A. Forrest Architects, AIA, provided a prospectus for

the Alaska State Centennial Museum. The prospectus was sent to the Alaska Congressional

delegation in Washington, D.C. to assist in the effort to seek federal participation in the

Centennial celebration. By April of that year, John Orchard, Special Assistant to the Director of

U.S. Department of Commerce conducted a staff study and provided the recommendation that:

“… In Juneau, there is an acute need for a State museum. The shell of this building could

probably be erected in time for housing exhibits in 1967. A permanent museum in

Juneau not only would be an impressive cultural improvement for the city, but would also

be an attraction for visitors and tourist during and after 1967….”28

Linn A. Forrest Architects, AIA was hired the last week of April 1966 to design the new

Centennial Museum to be located on land donated by the City of Juneau in the Subport area.29

23

Alaska State Museum, “A Century of Collecting,” Alaska State Museum Review, No. 5 (2000). 24

Gastineau Centennial Assoc., Inc. “Synopsis of Progress for the Proposed State Museum Building.” 25

Ibid. 26

“Design Contract for Museum is Agreed Upon” JAE, 1 May 1966, p. 10. 27

Gastineau Centennial Assoc., Inc., “Synopsis of Progress for the Proposed State Museum Building.” 28

Ibid. 29

“Design Contract for Museum is Agreed Upon” 1 May 1966, p. 10.


10

In June 1966 the GCCC requested a consumer 1% sales tax to help pay for the

Museum.30

A special tax election was set for August 16, 1966. The tax was to be levied and

collected only during the 1967 Centennial Year when the increased number of tourists were

expected to provide a large portion of the year’s revenue.31

It was noted by many that if the tax

vote did not pass the city would lose the $613,000 in federal matching funds and likely the

museum itself. Juneau citizens were still concerned about recent efforts to relocate the capital

and feared the repercussions of not capitalizing on this opportunity. State Senator Richard Peter

noted that both Anchorage and Fairbanks were eager to take the project if Juneau lost it.32

Mildred Banfield, Chairman of the GCCC and member of the Alaska Purchase Centennial

Commission noted that the centennial “is an event of great national importance” and that it was

Juneau’s time to decide “not where the Capital shall be, but what kind of capital Alaska shall

have.”33

30

“Centennial Group Asks for Sales Tax to Help Pay for Museum,” JAE, 2 June 1966. 31

“Borough Museum Election Tuesday,” JAE, 15 August 1966, p. 1. 32

“Museum Sales Tax Gets Boost From Sen. Peter,” JAE, 10 August 1966, p. 1. 33

Mildred Banfield, “Guest Editorial,” JAE, 15 August 1966, p. 2.

Figure 3. Image reproduced from Juneau Alaska Empire, August 14, 1966, p.2


11

On August 16, 1966 the Juneau area voters went to the polls and overwhelmingly voted

yes for the 1% tax increase for the museum by a ratio of two and one-half to one.34

The total

estimated value of the project was just over $1.2 million. The breakdown of funds to pay for the

museum was:

$334,160 – Value of land donated by City

$ 10,400 – State matching funds

$268,600 – Borough 1% sales tax

$613,160 – Total

$613,160 – Federal grant35

Final drawings were approved and stamped by Linn A. Forrest, Sr. and his son Steve

Forrest of Linn A. Forrest Architects, AIA in December of 1966.36

A construction contract for

$763,892 was signed with Triplette Construction, Inc. in February 1967 and soon after

construction commenced.37

The original completion date was August 27, 1967 so that it would

be ready in time for the Centennial celebrations that fall.38

Multiple construction setbacks moved

the completion date back to December 1967 and finally on January 7, 1968 a dedication open

house was held at 2:00 p.m. at the new Alaska State Centennial Museum. The museum was

formally transferred from the City of Juneau to the State of Alaska by the Gastineau Channel

Centennial Commission, as Mildred Banfield, Chair of the Commission presented the symbolic

key for the new museum to Governor Walter J. Hickel. The historical exhibits and art work were

moved into the museum the next day.39

Since it opened, the Alaska State Centennial Museum has hosted permanent and special

exhibits, lectures and classes about Alaska history and art.40

The museum continues to serve

local and state residents as well as visitors in what is now known as the Willoughby District.

34

“Progressives Victorious: Overwhelming Vote OKs Tax,” JAE, 17 August 1966, p. 1. 35

Keith Hogan, Notes and timeline pertaining to early history of the Alaska State Museum. 36

Gastineau Channel Centennial Association, Site Plan/As Built Drawings for Alaska State Centennial Museum,

Linn A. Forrest Architects, A.I.A., Juneau, 1966. 37

Keith Hogan, Notes and time line pertaining to early history of the Alaska State Museum. 38

Museum Construction Photo Caption, JAE, 15 September 1967. 39

“Official Acceptance,” Photo Caption, JAE, 8 January 8 1968, p. 1. 40

Alaska State Museum, “A Century of Collecting.”


12

Architectural Description

The Alaska State Centennial Museum was designed primarily by Steve Forrest of Linn A.

Forrest Architects, AIA. Steve Forrest sketched the design for the building while sitting in his

room waiting for a meeting in Seattle’s Ben Franklin Hotel.41

Museum staff and the architect

agreed early in the design process that “a structure functioning as a box with few constraints to

interior arrangement would serve best...Since the building needed to be open space, fire resistant

and durable, we knew it should be of concrete and steel but kept simple.”42

In 1984, a one story

mechanical systems building was added off the south end of the west elevation. In 1992, a

second floor was added to the 1984 addition. The addition is connected to the original building

by a curtain wall of windows which currently house offices and a conference room on the first

and second floors (see Figure 4).

The building’s design is a blend of New Formalism and Brutalism with a strong

Northwest Coast Native design influence that is unique to the region. The New Formalism

influence can be found in the placement of the building atop a podium, the stark white, concrete

panels that mimic rich construction materials such as marble, and the formal landscape features

and use of fountains in the original design. The Brutalism influence is apparent in the use of

concrete surfaces and strong geometric forms. The combination of these design elements along

with the architect’s interpretation of traditional Northwest Coast Native designs makes for a truly

one-of-a-kind building. The Museum literally sits atop the landscape like a gleaming white box

now as it was originally intended (see Figure 5).

There are other examples in Alaska of either New Formalism or Brutalism. The Atwood

Center on the University of Alaska Anchorage campus is a good representation of a purely New

Formalism style building. The State office building in Juneau uses many of the design elements

found in Brutalism. While examples of these styles can be found throughout the state, it is the

combination of these styles along with the incorporation of a modern adaptation of Northwest

Coast Native designs that sets the museum apart from the pure examples of either style.

The original museum building is two stories with a below grade basement. It sits on a

reinforced concrete pad, with grade beam and structural slab system supported on heavy timber

piles (depth unknown). The perimeter and basement walls are reinforced concrete supported by

41

Steve Forrest, Interviewed by Steve Henrikson, (Curator of Collections, Alaska State Museum), 26 January 2000. 42

Steve Forrest, e-mail message to Summer Rickman, 11 November 2010.


13

concrete grade beams. The architect noted that the building was constructed according to strict

earthquake standards and has “a hell of a foundation.”43

The building is built on waste rock from

the Alaska Juneau Gold Mine in what was once a tidal basin. Architect Steve Forrest especially

liked this project location because it was a perfectly flat site that produced no complications or

limitations on his building’s design.44

The first and second floor and roof framing consist of

concrete over steel form deck. This floor system is supported by steel beams and columns. The

concrete is 4 ½” thick at the floor levels and 3 ½” at the roof level (see Figure 6). The

foundation system on the 1984 addition is constructed similar to the original structure. Both the

original building and the addition have flat roofs with a fully adhered EPDM system which has

been patched many times.

The original building has a rectangular footprint of 8,000 square feet per floor for a total

of 24,000 square feet; it is 100 feet wide and 80 feet long. The basement level is 12 feet below

the finish grade. The floor to floor height for the first floor is 17’2” with a floor to floor height

on the second floor of 13 feet. The addition is 37’4” by 50 feet with a total square footage of

3,100 square feet.

Exterior walls of the original museum are precast reinforced concrete panels that are

attached at the base of the wall and at the columns with a welded connection (see Figure 7).

Each panel is 31’11” tall, 9’11 ½” wide, and 9” deep except for the two panels above the

entryway which are 20’9” tall. There are 8 full length panels on both the south and north

elevations. On the east/primary elevation there are 8 full length panels and the two shorter

panels over the entryway. On the west/rear elevation there were originally 10 full length panels.

The five panels on the south end of the west elevation are now covered by the 1980’s addition

(see Figure 8). The panels were precast and poured by Concrete Technology of Tacoma, and

shipped to Juneau by barge.45

The panels have stylized Southeast Alaska Native motifs composed of a “flicker feather”

and “eye.”46

During Steve’s childhood he developed an affinity for the shapes and forms of

Northwest Coast art when his father, Linn A. Forrest, Sr., worked as a supervisor for the U.S.

Forest Service and the Civilian Conservation Corps on the totem pole restoration projects in

43

Ibid. 44

Ibid. 45

Ibid. 46

Steve Forrest to Ms. Frances Shaw, 25 November 1975, Copy on File under Alaska State Museum History.


14

Southeast Alaska in the 1930s and 1940s.47

The “flicker feather” motif comes in many sizes and

is made up of the split U form. The Haida word for the split U shape, SGáahlts’iid táa’un,

translates as “flicker feather,” referencing the shape that is created when a feather of a flicker’s

tail is placed inside a U form. Feathers from a Red-shafted Flicker were often found in chiefs’

headdresses. The “eye” motif is also known as the ovoid which is one of the most characteristic

shapes used in Northwest Coast art. In the case of the museum it is the inner ovoid which is

used, where the linear ovoid contains an inner ovoid. This inner ovoid could be a small and solid

element representing an eyeball.48

The panels are the primary character defining feature of the

building.

The primary entrance is centered on the east elevation with a concrete canopy or marquee

supported by four piers with chamfered corners along the vehicle drop off area. The roof of the

marquee is 58’8” long by 14’8” wide and 15’4” tall. The roof of the canopy is continued over

the entry stairs attaching to the primary façade of the building (see Figure 9). The stairs lead to

glass entry doors which are 3’18” above the grade of the sidewalk. The original decorative hand

rails on the stairway and ramp have been replaced. The original entryway has been sensitively

altered to provide more interior space for the reception desk. Originally, there were three sets of

double doors recessed from the primary façade 6’9” with another set of three double doors 6’6”

47

Steve Forrest, Interviewed by Steve Henrikson, 26 January 2000. 48

Hilary Stewart, Looking at Indian Art of the Northwest Coast (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1979), p.

20-22.

Figure 4. Detail of exterior wall panel. Photo taken October 26, 2010.


15

behind them. The left pair of double doors was removed making interior space for

administration. The front doors are now two sets of double doors. The exterior doors have also

been pulled forward closer to the primary façade providing more room within the entry vestibule

(see Figures 10 and 11). This minimal alteration is not discernible from the sidewalk and does

not diminish the integrity of design.

The only notable interior feature of the building is the ramp to the second floor in the

northeast corner. Along the ramp there are display boxes built into the wall and in the middle of

the ramp is an eagle tree exhibit reaching from the first floor to the second floor (see Figures 12

and 13). Steve Forrest designed this ramp with accessibility in mind. His original concept was

to have totem poles displayed in this space to allow visitors a close up look at the design of the

poles.49

The rest of the interior is unadorned with movable interior walls providing flexible

exhibit space. Some walls have been added to the first floor where exhibits are permanent, but

there are no load bearing walls in the interior of the building because the weight is distributed by

the steel frame creating a flexible space (see Figures 14 and 15). Office space, bathrooms,

elevator and stairs are all in the southwest corner.

The building sits on the rear/west end of the lot with a circular driveway/drop off area

between the primary elevation and Whittier Street. The front lawn has low maintenance

plantings and grassy areas along with concrete pathways and sidewalks (see Figure 16). The

building itself is on a pedestal surrounded by the original stone retaining wall (see Figure 17).

Originally, there were two fountains placed at the front corners of the building that were

removed due to maintenance issues (see Figure 18). There is a paved parking lot to the south of

the building for museum staff and visitors which is reached from Whittier Street.50

49

Steve Forrest, Interviewed by Steve Henrikson, 26 January 2000. 50

All exact measurements and information can be found in the following sources: ECI Hyer, Inc., Alaska State

Museum Building Condition Survey, Library Archives Museum Project, June 2010; Schneider Associates Structural

Engineers, Structural Condition Assessment: State of Alaska Museum, Juneau, Alaska, Prepared for ECI/Hyer

Architects, Library Archives Museum Project, 2010; Gastineau Channel Centennial Association, Site Plan/As Built

Drawings for Alaska State Centennial Museum, Linn A. Forrest Architects, A.I.A., Juneau, 1966.


16

Significance of the Alaska State Centennial Museum (JUN-1124)

For a property to be eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, it must

first meet one or more of the four National Register Criteria for evaluating significance. If

determined significant under one or more of the Criteria, then it is evaluated to determine if it

retains enough integrity to convey its historic significance. The seven qualities of integrity are

location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association.51

It is not the purpose

of a determination of eligibility to evaluate the structural integrity of a property. The Criteria for

evaluating significance are:

Criterion A: A property is associated with events that have made a significant

contribution to the broad patterns of history.

Criterion B: A property is associated with the lives of persons significant in our past.

Criterion C: A property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or

method of construction or represents the work of a master or represents high artistic

values, or it represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may

lack individual distinction.

Criterion D: A property has yielded or is likely to yield important information about

prehistory or history

There are special requirements for some properties called Criteria Considerations. If an

individual property meets one or more of the four Criteria and possesses integrity, but is

generally excluded, the following Criteria Considerations need to be applied:

Criteria Consideration A: A religious property that derives its significance from

architecture, artistic distinction, or historical importance.

Criteria Consideration B: A structure that was removed from its original location but

which is significant due to architectural value or because it is the only remaining structure

associated with an historic person or event.

Criteria Consideration C: A birthplace or grave of an important historic person if there

is no other site or building directly associated with that person’s productive life.

51

National Park Service, How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation, National Register Bulletin No.

15, Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of the Interior.


17

Criteria Consideration D: A cemetery that is significant due to the graves of important

persons, the age or distinctive features of the cemetery, or from its association with

historic events.

Criteria Consideration E: An accurately reconstructed building in a proper setting and

dignified manner as part of a restoration master plan when no other structures with the

same association survive.

Criteria Consideration F: A primarily commemorative property in which the design,

age, tradition, or symbolic value has invested it with its own exceptional significance.

Criteria Consideration G: A property that is of exceptional importance that achieved

significance within the past 50 years.

Recommendation of Eligibility for the Alaska State Centennial Museum (JUN-1124)

The Alaska State Centennial Museum is recommended eligible under Criterion A for its

association with the Alaska Purchase Centennial celebration and under Criterion C because it

represents a unique blend of New Formalism and Brutalism with Northwest Coast Native design

influences. The Alaska State Centennial Museum retains all seven aspects of integrity necessary

to convey its significance. It is less than 50 years old, so Criteria Consideration G must be

addressed.

Criterion A:

The Alaska State Centennial Museum is significant at the local, state, and national levels

as a major Alaska Purchase Centennial project. The Alaska Purchase Centennial was recognized

with an act of Congress as a nationally significant event. To receive federal funding, the Alaska

State Centennial Museum had to be a permanent fixture to the state’s economy. The museum is

not only an example of the Centennial projects; it is a major destination for tourists visiting

Southeast Alaska and a cultural center for residents of Juneau. The GCCC and local citizens

chose the museum as their major contribution to the statewide and local celebrations. Local

public commitment was evidenced by the overwhelming support of the community’s first

proposed consumer sales tax increase for a public project.

Criterion B:

The Alaska State Centennial Museum is not significant under Criterion B. There were

many important people involved in the process of the museum’s development; however this


18

building is not the best representation of their significance.

Criterion C:

The Alaska State Centennial Museum is significant because it represents a unique blend

of New Formalism and Brutalism and exhibits strong Northwest Coast Native design influences.

This modern building is one-of-a-kind in its design. The influence of New Formalism can be

found in the stark white, concrete panels that mimic rich construction materials, its formal

landscape features. The building is atop a podium, suggesting a modern monumentality. This

style was used for high profile cultural, institutional and civic buildings. The influence of

Brutalism can be found in the use of concrete surfaces and the variety of geometric forms and

contradicting shapes on the exterior walls. Buildings in this style are usually blockish and have

repetitive shapes. Merged with elements of these two styles, the architect, Steve Forrest,

interjected his own interpretation of Northwest Coast Native design drawn out of his deep

appreciation of this art form.

Criterion D:

The Alaska State Centennial Museum is not significant under Criterion D. This property

has not yielded and is not likely to yield any information important to the prehistory or history of

the region.

Integrity:

The National Register recognizes that properties change over time and states that it is not

vital for a property to retain all its physical features; however, the property must retain key

physical features that allow it to convey its significance. The Alaska State Centennial Museum

retains all seven aspects of integrity. The museum is in its original location. Although, the

neighborhood around the museum has developed since construction of the building, the museum

sits within a large lot. The landscape and setting of the lot convey the original design intent.

The building is a landmark in its neighborhood. The feeling and association of the Alaska State

Centennial Museum are still evident the same way they were in 1968. Despite the 1984 and

1992 additions and other slight interior space modifications, the building retains integrity of

design because the character defining exterior wall panels are still intact. The additions were

sensitively attached allowing the architect’s intent of shape, form, and massing to remain. The

key exterior materials dating to the period of historic significance including the concrete panels

and stone retaining wall are intact. The workmanship in the casting of the concrete panels is still


19

evident. These aspects of integrity allow the property to convey its significance under Criteria A

and C.

Criteria Consideration F:

The Alaska State Centennial Museum was built in commemoration of the Alaska

Purchase Centennial in 1967, but the museum does not need to meet Criteria Consideration F

because its primary function is not commemorative.

Criteria Consideration G:

Construction of the museum began in 1967. Although the property is nearing 50 years of

age, Criteria Consideration G needs to be addressed. The property has exceptional significance

under Criterion A because it showed Juneau’s strong desire to plan and improve their community

with a new State Museum as its signature Alaska Purchase Centennial project. All city precincts

voted for the sales tax increase to support the construction. The museum is exceptionally

significant under Criterion C for its combination of New Formalism, Brutalism and Northwest

Coast Native art, producing a building that is distinct and unique within Juneau and the state of

Alaska.


20

Appendix:

Historic and Current

Photos


21

Figure 4. View looking north showing original building attached to 1984 and 1992 additions.

Photo taken October 26, 2010.

Figure 5. View of the primary/east façade. Photo taken October 26, 2010.


22

Figure 6. Alaska State Centennial Museum under construction. Alaska’s Digital

Archives, Don Steffa Collection, ca. 1958-1977. ASL-P283-2-433 (www.vilda.alaska.edu)

Figure 7. View showing panels being installed during construction. Alaska’s Digital

Archives, Don Steffa Collection, ca. 1958-1977. ASL-P283-2-436 (www.vilda.alaska.edu)


23

Figure 8. View looking southeast showing the west elevation and 1984 and 1992 additions.


Figure 9. View looking north showing the entry canopy or marquee.



24

Figure 10. View looking west at the primary entryway. Photo taken October 26, 2010.

Figure 11. View looking east from interior lobby showing modification of entryway.



25

Figure 12. Historic view of interior ramp. Alaska’s Digital Archives, Don Steffa

Collection, ca. 1958-1977. ASL-P283-2-461 (www.vilda.alaska.edu)

Figure 13. Current view of interior ramp. Photo taken October 26, 2010.


26

Figure 14. Historic view of interior lobby. Alaska’s Digital Archives, Don Steffa

Collection, ca. 1958-1977. ASL-P283-2-465 (www.vilda.alaska.edu)

Figure 15. Current view of interior lobby. Photo taken October 26, 2010.


27

Figure 16. View looking west showing front lawn and primary/east facade.


Figure 17. View looking east showing retaining wall.



28

Figure 14. Historic view of fountain outside Alaska State Centennial Museum.

Alaska’s Digital Archives, Robert N. DeArmond Photograph Collection, ca. 1890-1972.

ASL-P258-I-BookB-35-01 (www.vilda.alaska.edu)


29

Sources Consulted

Alaska State Museum

“A Century of Collecting.” Alaska State Museum Review, No. 5 (2000).

City/Borough of Juneau (CBJ)

Assessor’s Database. City/Borough of Juneau Finance Department

http://www.juneau.org/assessordata/sqlassessor.php (accessed November 4, 2010).

________.

Report of the Casey-Shattuck Neighborhood Historic Building Survey: From Dairy Farm

to Neighborhood. Juneau: City/Borough of Juneau, 2004.

Cole, Dermot

North to the Future: The Alaska Story, 1959-2009. Kenmore, WA: Epicenter Press, 2008.

Cudney, Margaret Femmer

“David Benjamin Femmer.” In Gastineau Channel Memories, 1880-1959, pp. 152-153.

Juneau: Pioneer Book Committee, 2001.

DeArmond, R. N.

The Founding of Juneau. Juneau: Gastineau Channel Centennial Association, 1980.

ECI Hyer, Inc.

Alaska State Museum Building Condition Survey. Library Archives Museum Project.

June 2010.

Gastineau Channel Centennial Association (GCCC)

Memorandum to William A. Egan, Governor of Alaska. “Synopsis of Progress for the

Proposed State Museum Building.” N.D. Copy on file at Alaska State Museum Archives,

File: Centennial Museum Project History, 1965-1968.

________.

Site Plan/As Built Drawings for Alaska State Centennial Museum. Linn A. Forrest

Architects, A.I.A., Juneau, 1966.

Hogan, Keith

Notes and timeline pertaining to early history of the Alaska State Museum. Copy on File

at the Alaska State Library Collections: Gastineau Channel Centennial Association

Records, MS4 Bx3, Projects 1964-84.

Juneau Alaska Empire (JAE). 1 January 1966 – 31 January 1968.

National Park Service

How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation. National Register Bulletin

No. 15. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of the Interior.

http://www.juneau.org/assessordata/sqlassessor.php


30

Schneider Associates Structural Engineers

Structural Condition Assessment: State of Alaska Museum, Juneau, Alaska Prepared for

ECI/Hyer Architects. Library Archives Museum Project. 2010.

Spencer, Arthur, C.

The Juneau Gold Belt, Alaska. U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin No. 287. Washington,

D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1906.

Stewart, Hilary

Looking at Indian Art of the Northwest Coast. Seattle: University of Washington Press,

1979.

U.S. Department of Commerce

Federal Participation Alaska Purchase Centennial Celebration 1967. U.S. Department of

Commerce, 1968.

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Documents