Sitka United States Post Office and Court House explained

Sitka U.S. Post Office and Court House
Location:100 Lincoln Street, Sitka, Alaska
Coordinates:57.049°N -135.3386°W
Built:1938
Architect:Gilbert Stanley Underwood
Builder:J.B. Warrack Company
Architecture:Modern Movement, Moderne, Art Deco
Added:December 31, 1997
Area:less than one acre
Refnum:97001584
Designated Other1:Alaska Heritage Resources Survey
Designated Other1 Name:Alaska Heritage Resources Survey
Designated Other1 Color:
  1. A8EDEF
Designated Other1 Abbr:AHRS
Designated Other1 Number:SIT-313
Designated Other1 Num Position:bottom

The Sitka U.S. Post Office and Court House, also known as the Sitka Post Office and now serving as Sitka City Hall, is a Moderne style building located at 100 Lincoln Street in the center of Sitka, Alaska. One of eight Federal buildings constructed in the Alaska Territory in the 1930s, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.

It is a poured-concrete structure that is rectangular in shape, set on a raised basement. The reduced-width second level gives the building the appearance of having wings on either side. The building was historically accessed through an entry on the first floor, about 10 feet above street level, and accessed via symmetrically placed stairways. Its main entrance has since been relocated to the basement level. The main block is divided into five bays, each of which has slightly recessed windows, with a decorative panel between the first and second levels.[1]

The building housed a number of federal offices, and housed the Sitka Public Library as well between 1938 and 1943. The post office took over the entire first floor in 1963, and was moved in 1986 to a location outside the city center, despite public protests. The building then sat vacant until the city took it over for use as city hall in 1993.[1]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: [{{NRHP url|id=97001584}} National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Sitka U.S. Post Office and Court House / Sitka Post Office / Sitka City Hall / AHRS Site No. SIT-313 ]. August 18, 1997 . Linda Millard and Amanda Welsh . National Park Service. and