The Sitka Historic Preservation Plan
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The Sitka Historic Preservation Plan Sitka Historic Preservation Commission City and Borough of Sitka Sitka, Alaska Sea Level Consulting Sitka, Alaska September 2010 A Guide to Cultural Resource Management The Sitka Historic Preservation Plan Prepared for the City and Borough of Sitka Scott McAdams, Mayor Phyllis Hackett, Sitka Historic Preservation Commission Assembly Liaison City and Borough Planning Department Wells Williams, Director Melissa Henshaw, Planner II And City and Borough of Sitka’s Historic Preservation Commission James Kinsman Dale Williams Peter Gorman Pat Eliason Judith Ozment Roby Littlefield Gail Johansen-Peterson, City and Borough of Sitka Contract Secretary By Anne E. Pollnow, Author William DeArmond, Editor Sea Level Consulting PO Box 6326 Sitka, Alaska (907) 738-0794 Adopted October , 2010 Ordinance No. 10- Cover photo: Sitka from the water, ca. 1897, Frank La Roche photo. (University of Washington 2010) TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................ 1 LEGAL BASIS ............................................................................................................................... 2 A VISION FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION ............................................................................ 3 STATEMENT OF GOALS ............................................................................................................ 4 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 5 Historic Resources....................................................................................................................... 5 Preservation Planning .................................................................................................................. 6 METHOD & PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT ...................................................................................... 7 Survey Results and Trends Affecting Historic Preservation in Sitka ......................................... 8 HISTORIC CONTEXT .................................................................................................................. 9 Physical Setting and Community Status ..................................................................................... 9 General Cultural Chronology of the Sitka Area ........................................................................ 10 Ia. Prehistory (Prehistoric) .................................................................................................. 11 Ib. Native Lifeways (Historic or Proto-Historic)................................................................. 12 II. Exploration and Settlement ............................................................................................ 13 III. Military and Government ............................................................................................... 16 IV. Commerce and Economic Development ........................................................................ 21 V. Transportation and Communication ............................................................................... 27 VI. Intellectual and Social Institutions ................................................................................. 28 VII. Disasters and Natural History ........................................................................................ 33 CITY AND BOROUGH OF SITKA’S HISTORIC PRESERVATION PROGRAM ................. 34 Past Efforts ................................................................................................................................ 34 The Sitka Historic Preservation Commission ........................................................................... 38 RECOMMENDATIONS & ACTIONS ....................................................................................... 41 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................. 49 BIBLIOGRAPHY ......................................................................................................................... 50 APPENDIX A: CHRONOLOGY OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION LAWS AND ITS RELATION TO THE CITY AND BOROUGH OF SITKA AND THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION .............................................................................................. 53 APPENDIX B: CONTENT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A HISTORIC PRESERVATION ORDINANCE. .............................................................................................................................. 60 APPENDIX C: ECONOMIC REASONS FOR A MUNICIPALITY TO INVEST IN HISTORIC PRESERVATION......................................................................................................................... 61 APPENDIX D: PUBLIC SURVEY FORM ................................................................................ 62 APPENDIX E: ADGENDA FOR PUBLIC MEETING ............................................................. 63 APPENDIX F: ALASKA’S CERTIFIED LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROGRAM ................... 64 APPENDIX G: 1997 SITKA HISTORIC PRESERVATION PLAN ......................................... 73 APPENDIX H: SITKA FLOWCHART ...................................................................................... 75 APPENDIX I: COMMISSION REVIEW FORMS ..................................................................... 76 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Tlingit houses known as the Indian Village with Russian Warehouse and American Flag in foreground, Sitka ca. 1890. (University of Washington 2010).......................................... 1 Figure 2: ANB Convention, Sitka, 1914. (Alaska Digital Archives 2010) .................................. 2 Figure 3: Brevet Major General Jefferson C. Davis, Commander of the U.S. Army 9th Infantry detachment sent here for the transfer. (Alaska Digital Archives 2010) .......................................... 2 Figure 4: Class photograph, Sitka Industrial Training School, Elbridge W. Merrill Photographs, ca. 1897-1929. (Alaska Digital Archives 2010) ........................................................................... 3 Figure 5: Sitka. ca. 1913-1939. Wickersham State Historic Site Photographs, 1882-1930's. (Alaska Digital Archives 2010) ...................................................................................................... 4 Figure 6: Front view of St. Michael Cathedral. nd. Michael Z. Vinokouff Photograph Collection. (Alaska Digital Archives 2010) ................................................................................... 6 Figure 7: Chief Annahootz standing in front of Clan House in Sitka. ca. 1913. (University of Washington 2010) ........................................................................................................................... 7 Figure 8: Gathering in front of Pioneer Home. ca. 1934. (Alaska Digital Archives 2010) ......... 8 Figure 9: Map of Traditional Tlingit Country. ca. 19th century (HOPE III, Andrew, 2003) ....... 9 Figure 10: Map of City and Borough of Sitka ............................................................................... 9 Figure 11: Sitka from Castle Hill. ca. 1897. LaRoche photo. (University of Washington 2010) ....................................................................................................................................................... 11 Figure 12: Stone tools from Noow Tlein (Castle Hill) archaeological excavations (McMahan 2002) ............................................................................................................................................. 12 Figure 13: Plan of Tlingit fort at Indian River as drawn by Lisianski 1805. (Alaska Digital Archives 2010) .............................................................................................................................. 13 Figure 14: Sea Otter, a sketch from Captain Cook's journal Voyage to the Pacific Ocean. ca. 1760s (Alaska Digital Archives 2010). ........................................................................................ 14 Figure 15: Magnetic Observations being made by F. P. Ulrich at Sitka in 1929. (USGS 2000) 15 Figure 16: Baranof Warm Springs ca. 1925. (Alaska Digital Archives 2010) ............................ 15 Figure 17: Castle Hill, 1889. (Alaska Digital Archives 2010) ................................................... 16 Figure 18: U.S.S. Pinta. 1886. (Alaska Digital Archives 2010) ................................................ 17 Figure 19: Former U.S. Naval Mess Hall and Bakery now Mt. Edgecumbe H.S. cafeteria. (Alaska DNR 1980) ...................................................................................................................... 18 Figure 20: WWII military build-up on Japonski Island, ca. 1940's. (Alaska Digital Archives 2010) ............................................................................................................................................. 18 Figure 21: Figure 4. Sitka Indian Village ca. 1920’s with sealers in foreground. Merrill Photo No. 80 (Theodoratus, 1995) .......................................................................................................... 19 Figure 22: U.S. Survey 1474 originally completed in 1923 (Alaska Department of Natural Resources 2010) ............................................................................................................................ 19 Figure 23: BLM/ANCSA meetings, ANB Hall, Sitka,