Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center
Opened in fall of 2008, the 38,000 square-foot center is home of Explore Fairbanks, the Alaska Public Lands Information Center, Alaska Geographic Gift Store, Tanana Chiefs Conference Cultural Programs and Denakkanaaga, an Alaska Native Elders program. Visitor information, trip planning services, a 100-seat theater with varied activities, evening cultural programs, daily movies, and interpretive exhibits are available 7 days a week. Summer hours are 8 am to 9 pm.By the building’s main entrance, an authentic 1915 mining cabin on its original site was owned by Mary Gould, whose husband was a salesman and a court crier for Fairbanks. Restoration by volunteers was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Fairbanks. The surrounding garden is planted with representative foliage and produce from the 1910-20s.
Lend-Lease Memorial
The statue depicts figures of a Russian and American pilot circa WWII, commemorating the strategic and social importance of Alaska as a staging ground in the Lend-Lease program (1942-1945). In the program, nearly 8,000 aircraft and numerous other supplies were ferried to the eastern front from the Lower 48, over Canada and to Ladd Field (now Fort Wainwright, Alaska) where over 300 Russian pilots flew the planes over the Bering Strait and east to Russia. Designed and created by Alaskan sculptor and printmaker, R.T. Wallen, the memorial also commemorates the Women Airline Service Pilots (WASP) who participated in the Lend-Lease program. The ribbing-cutting ceremony took place in August 2006 at the Griffin Park site, where Russian, French, Canadian and American officials gathered to honor the program’s veterans.
The William Ransom Wood Centennial Bridge
This pedestrian-bicycle bridge connects the south bank of the Chena River adjacent to the Alaska State Court House to the north bank near Doyon, Ltd., as part of the Chena River Pathway system. The bridge’s namesake, the late Dr. William Ransom Wood, came to Alaska with his family in 1960 to serve as the fourth president of the University of Alaska. Wood continued to serve the Fairbanks community as mayor, founder of Festival Fairbanks and the Fairbanks Industrial Development Corporation, among many other civic duties. He envisioned the bridge as “a memorial to the brave indigenous people who came before and persisted through hardships, generation after generation. The Centennial Bridge is a tribute to the stamina and ability to cope with changing times.” The bridge was completed and dedicated on September 5, 2003 in honor of Dr. Wood and the centennial of the founding of Fairbanks.
Northward Building
Fairbanks’ first steel girder “skyscraper” was built from 1950 to 1952 as part of a two-year building program to alleviate the housing shortage in Fairbanks. It is still one of the tallest buildings in town. The eight-story structure was Fairbanks’s first apartment building and the setting for Edna Ferber’s novel Ice Palace, about Alaskans striving for statehood in the 1950s. A movie based on the novel was in part filmed in Fairbanks, including exterior shots of the Northward Building.
W. A. Gilcher Building
William H. Gilcher opened his first sheet metal shop in 1907. Most commercial buildings used sheet metal at that time as the building material of choice. The history of the Gilcher building that we see today is not unlike that of many cabins. Once a one-story shop housing Gilcher’s sheet metal business, the building was expanded with the addition of a second story sometime in the 1920s. The sheet metal-clad building at one time fronted both 2nd and 3rd Avenues, but gradually the 2nd Avenue portion disappeared. Today, the remaining 3rd Avenue facade represents the last vestiges of a commercial style popular since the late nineteenth century.
Mt. McKinley Bank’s Cannon Ball Safe
A round safe, built by the Victor Safe Company around 1895, adorns the 3rd Avenue entrance to Mt. McKinley Bank, (around building edge to the right) a locally owned and operated bank. It is one of the first safes constructed of manganese steel, at a weight of 3,600 pounds, and was considered one of the “safest” safes in the world. It was used by the bank from 1965 until 1972.
Courthouse Square
On this land, the first courthouse and federal jail was built by Judge Wickersham in 1904. The fire of 1906 destroyed it, and the hastily built replacement was in very bad shape by 1932. The new federal building built that same year soon became the anchor of the downtown district, serving as court building and post office. Designed in the Art Deco architectural style, the building provides the best example of this style in Alaska’s Interior region. In 1977, the U.S. government offices and the federal court moved to a new building. Renamed Courthouse Square, the building now houses a number of businesses and offices. Through private restoration efforts, much of the public spaces inside retain their original Alaskan marble and architectural detailing.
Fairbanks Distilling Company
In 1933, the city built a new city hall on the corner of Cushman Street and 4th Avenue. The two-story concrete building is a good example of a modernized Classical Revival design. The building was used as city hall until 1995 and for many years also housed the fire and police departments and town jail. The building now houses Fairbanks Distilling Company.
Old Main School Building
The original public school building that was built at this location in 1906 burned down in 1932. The “fireproof” steel and concrete replacement was completed in 1934 and was the most modern school facility in the Territory of Alaska. It was the only public school in Fairbanks until 1951, the focus of much community social activity. Additional classrooms were added in 1939 and 1948. Fairbanks school children attended classes at “Main School” from 1934 until 1976, when the building was converted to administrative offices. The building is part of the community’s heritage and symbol of the gold rush community’s commitment to education. Since 1996, the building has been the seat of Fairbanks’ city government.
Old Main School Building Features & Quilt
In front of City Hall and to the left of the front doors you’ll see a sculpture called Il Ponte which means “the bridge” in Italian. The sculpture was a gift from the Italian town Fanano, the birthplace of Felix Pedro. It represents the long journey the two cities took to establish a Sister City relationship, which permanently links our shared histories. On the second floor of City Hall, look for a quilt hanging in the city council chambers. Stop by the mayor’s office first to check-in. Local community activist Janel Thompson spearheaded the project by selecting a number of historical photographs depicting the evolution of Fairbanks. Those photographs were transferred to fabric and local volunteers who quilted them together forming a distinctive and beautiful visual portrayal of how life in Fairbanks changed from mining camp to a thriving community.
"The Line"
From 1905 until the mid 1950s, the stretch of 4th Avenue between Barnette and Cushman Streets was a “Red Light” district. Small cabins, some no bigger than 6 by 9 feet, were tightly packed along both sides of the street, and the area was surrounded by a 12-foot board fence. The fence was built to protect the delicate sensibilities of women and children, while openings on either end provided access for delivery trucks and “pedestrians.” According to research by University of Alaska Fairbanks students in 1940, the Fairbanks red light district ranked high among the top ten city industries and was one of the last in Alaska to close, still generating at least $100,000 a year in revenue up to its closure in the mid 1950s. By the way, the closure was not the result of local initiative, but ordered by the federal government. To view some of these cabins, visit Pioneer Park.
Boardwalk
Back when Fairbanks was young and all of the roads were dirt, raised wooden boardwalks allowed citizens who were walking around town to stay clean and dry. The last remaining piece of that boardwalk is visible to the left of the concrete sidewalk in front of a cabin from the same time period. Sawdust was used as insulation in the walls of these homes; when concrete became available, it was used to “chink” gaps between the logs.
Ski Fence
Fairbanksans are creative and resourceful people who make the most of available materials. These traits are reflected in the construction – shortened army surplus skis – chosen to build this fence.
Falcon Joslin Home
Falcon Joslin came to Fairbanks in 1904 and started the Tanana Valley Railroad; he was also vice president of the Washington-Alaska Bank when E.T. Barnette bought it. Joslin built this two-story home in 1905, which makes it the oldest frame house still in its original location. He built this pretentious home hoping to convince his wife and children to move to Fairbanks, but they remained in Seattle, where he finally joined them in 1916. The two-story American four-square house has novelty siding and a shallow-pitched roof with a hip-roofed dormer. Additions include a one-story enclosed porch across the front and an addition to one side.
The Patty House
This house is an example of a style popular during Fairbanks’s “second gold rush,” the 1930s. In 1937, Dr. and Mrs. Ernest Patty had the house built around an old 1907 log cabin. Dr. Patty was the President of the University of Alaska from 1953-1960. The house is typical of period houses made popular in the 1930s that emulated a variety of earlier styles. Mrs. Patty designed the landscaping theme to complement the house. The garden has been largely retained and is a haven of serenity and charm. After serving as a delightful bed and breakfast, the house is now once again a private home. All owners retained the essential quality; the graciousness of a period house in a town whose past is steeped in gold-rush history.
Barrack House
Built by Ruth and James Barrack in 1929, this Dutch Colonial home still retains its original hardwood floors, stone fireplace, and sawdust insulation. Because of its size, people thought a new hotel was being built on the outskirts of town.
Claypool/Berry Home
This home was built for Judge Charles Claypool in 1911. One of the earliest frame homes in Fairbanks, it was built on the very edge of town. In 1925, a new owner, Otis Berry, raised the home and installed a huge center cross-beam from a beached sternwheeler under it for support. During this time, the stretch of the Chena River across 1st Avenue was a shipyard.
1323 1st Avenue
This home is a wonderful example of a “grow-house.” The original cabin has settled and the five additions are very obvious. A couple would start out with a square cabin and as their family grew, so did their home. Each new addition to the family brought with it an extension to the house.
St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church
The Episcopal Church began its mission work in Fairbanks in 1904. The log church was founded by Bishop Peter Trimble Rowe of the mission at Circle City and opened August 15, 1905, with Archdeacon Hudson Stuck presiding at the service for 40 parishioners. When the original church burned in February 1947, only the hand-carved lectern, the altar rail, and the original bell were saved. The new log church was built in the same pattern as the original structure in 1948. The stained glass behind the altar depicts Alaska Native people in biblical scenes. The original bell, inscribed with “Oh ye Frost and Cold, Bless the Lord,” still tolls each Sunday.
R.C. Wood House
R.C. Wood’s banking career in Fairbanks began as cashier for E.T. Barnette’s Fairbanks Banking Company. In 1909, Wood took over the management of the First National Bank of Fairbanks. His original one-story house was built on this site in 1906. When President Harding came to town in 1923, he had dinner at this beautiful home overlooking the Chena River. The ravages of time took their toll and the original structure had to be destroyed in 1997. The recent reconstruction of this house duplicates the original design.
George C. Thomas Library
Fairbanks’ first library from 1906 to 1908 was a screened-off section in St. Matthew’s Church. When Philadelphia banker George C. Thomas read an appeal for more reading material in a church publication, he donated $4,000 toward a new building and $3,000 toward the operation of the library. Thus a library building was constructed in 1909 on the corner of 1st Avenue and Cowles Street and named after its benefactor. In its first year of operation, the library circulated over 10,700 books. The library was the site of a meeting between Judge Wickersham and Athabascan Indian chiefs to discuss Native land issues and is recognized as the site of the first Native land claims meeting. In July 1942, the Episcopal Church turned the building over to the city of Fairbanks, which continued to operate the library until 1977, when the new Noel Wien Library opened. The building ownership reverted back to the Church and was later sold.
Golden North Rebekah Lodge
Built in 1907 and owned by Cora Madole, a fortune teller from Dawson City, the building served as the 1st Avenue Bathhouse until 1910, when the pipes froze and burst. The story of the building’s early years as a bathhouse is well told in the book This Old House by Jo Anne Wold. The front first floor housed “Doc” Overgaard’s clinic, and the front second floor served as Mrs. Madole’s apartment. The bathhouse was in the rear of the building. Shortly after the bathhouse closed, the Odd fellows purchased the building (Felix Pedro, whose gold discovery in 1902 precipitated the Tanana Valley gold rush, was a member of the organization). In 1963, the Golden North Rebekah Lodge purchased the building and has maintained the hall until a recent short venture as Historic Hall, a local museum of ephemera and Alaskana. (The building is currently for sale) The building retains its original appearance and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Masonic Temple
Fraternal organizations played an important role in Fairbanks’ formative years as they do today. Formed in 1904, the Tanana Masonic Club was one of the first. The original one-story structure, built in 1906 by the Tanana Commercial Company, was purchased by the Masons on 1908 from E.T. Barnette himself. The front of the simply-designed building had bay windows; the rest of the building was sheathed in tin. Over the next few years, the Masons built the rear addition and added a second story for lodge rooms and the Main Hall. Continuing to rent out the first floor as a store, they built a basement under the building in 1913. In 1916, the Eclectic Renaissance Revival style facade was added, providing a perfect backdrop for President Harding when he addressed Fairbanksans from the steps of the building in 1923. The roof of the vacant building collapsed on March 17, 2018, and the rest of the building was demolished the next day. It was delisted from the National Register of Historic Places in August 2018.
Barnette Landing Beautification Project
This riverside beautification project celebrates the landing of E.T. Barnette on the south bank of the Chena River on August 26, 1901. Festival Fairbanks, Inc., a local community service organization, which plans, organizes and coordinates commemorative activities for the Centennial of the City of Fairbanks, has undertaken this extensive project. A three-year plan, which began in 2000, called for the development of a multi-use bikeway and promenade along 1st Avenue from Cushman Street to the power plant featuring seven water-fed flower beds, decorative fencing and three Chena River overlooks. Funding for this project came from contributions from local businesses, corporations, social, civic and service clubs, individual and family donations and grants. As you look at the decorative fencing, see if you can find the little people in the carvings looking back at you!
Key Bank of Alaska
The current building may have been completed in 1982, but the history of the bank on this lot goes back to the early 1900s. It was here that “Square Sam” Bonnifield – a miner turned gambler turned banker who was given his nickname because he had been an honest gambler in Circle City – built the First National Bank of Fairbanks in 1905. Bought by Barnette in 1909 and subsequently run by his partner, R.C. Wood, the First National Bank of Fairbanks survived the 1911 banking fiasco that caused Barnette to flee from Fairbanks in the middle of the night. In 1952, First National Bank had a time and temperature sign installed that became one of the most photographed signs in Fairbanks. First National was the oldest national bank in the state before becoming Key Bank of Alaska in 1989.
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
First published in 1903 by Judge Wickersham as the Fairbanks Miner, the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner carries a long newspaper tradition and is currently the only daily newspaper in Fairbanks.
Former Railroad Depot
This location served as a railroad depot from 1905-2004. It first served the Tanana Mines Railroad, that was later renamed Tanana Valley Railroad, which made runs to gold camps in the area. The president and founder was Falcon Joslin, whose home was seen earlier. The Alaska Railroad, connecting Anchorage and Fairbanks, was completed in 1923. President Harding attended the ceremonies to celebrate the completion, driving a commemorative golden spike in Nenana and visiting Fairbanks as the first American president to ever do so. He addressed Fairbanksans from the steps of the Masonic Temple (#21 on walking tour). The state of Alaska purchased the Alaska Railroad from the federal government in 1985. A new depot, located at 1745 Johansen Expressway, was constructed in 2005 to improve passenger service and safety. President Harding’s railroad car can now be seen in Pioneer Park. The former depot has become home to the Spruce Tree Montessori school.
Denali State Bank/Old St. Joseph’s Hospital
The first hospital in Fairbanks was built next to St. Matthew’s Church on 1st Avenue in 1904. It was the first framed building in Fairbanks – other buildings were built of logs. Boasting forty beds, the next hospital was St. Joseph’s, opened by the Roman Catholic Church on Thanksgiving Day, 1906. For nine years, the St. Matthew’s Hospital was on one side of the Chena River and the St. Joseph’s Hospital was on the other side until St. Matthew’s Church closed their hospital in 1915. Back then, St. Joseph’s was considered by many to be “out of town,” as it was on the other side of the bridge. A new addition to St. Joseph’s was built in 1951. This building is now the Denali State Bank. The old part of the hospital was torn down in 1973. Denali State Bank is a locally owned and operated community bank.
Immaculate Conception Church
This is Fairbanks’s first Catholic Church, built in 1904 by Father Francis Monroe, a Jesuit, and originally located on Wendell Street on the other side of the river. In the winter of 1911, the church was moved closer to St. Joseph’s Hospital, which is now Denali State Bank. Volunteers jacked the church off of its foundation and, using horses to pull it and logs to roll it, moved the building across the frozen Chena River. In 1914, the church roof was raised, a vestibule and a bell tower added, and a two-story rectory on one side of the church built. When visiting the church, note the tin-covered walls and ceiling, the handsome wood wainscoting, and the beautiful stained-glass windows, which celebrate the mysteries of the Rosary and detail events in the life of Jesus and his mother Mary. The church has changed little over the years.
Chena River & Gordon Wear Garden Overlook
As the story and photos on the sign in this small park show, the Chena River has been integral in the development of Fairbanks. The Chena flows into the Tanana River, which joins the Yukon River and empties into the Bering Sea. The Chena flooded Fairbanks in 1905 and was one of the rivers to flood the area in 1967, covering downtown in seven to nine feet of water and causing over $75 million in damage.
Doyon, Limited Headquarters
Doyon, Limited is one of the thirteen Native regional corporations established by Congress under the terms of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA). With the land entitlement of 12.5 million acres, Doyon is the largest private landowner in North America. Their mission states: “Doyon’s mission is to continually enhance our position as a financially strong Native corporation in order to promote the economic and social wellbeing of our shareholders and to assist in promoting and preserving the cultural heritage and land base of our shareholders.” Be sure to visit the displays of Native Alaskan crafts and art located within the lobby.
Golden Heart Plaza
The idea of this downtown plaza stemmed from a celebration of the silver anniversary of Alaska’s statehood in 1984. Through the work of Festival Fairbanks, Inc. ’84 Director, William R. Wood, the Fairbanks City Council supported the creation of the Golden Heart Plaza. Construction was completed in 1987 and funded by donations from Fairbanks citizens, families, businesses, and associations. The clock tower, donated by the Fairbanks Rotary Club in 1990, commemorates this organization’s first fifty years of service to Fairbanks and the Interior. In the summer, Golden Heart Plaza is filled with flowers of all colors. In the winter, the park is strung with twinkling white lights. Year-round it plays a central role in any downtown Fairbanks celebration. The statue is Malcolm Alexander’s “Unknown First Family,” which in his words is “Portraying the family of all man-kind, the family of Fairbanks, and the nuclear family, let this statue symbolize, for families present and future, the pride and dignity of this great land.” A time capsule, to be opened January 3, 2059, is buried in the Plaza.
Yukon Quest Log Cabin
The well-constructed, log cabin that houses the Alaskan headquarters of the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race was constructed in 1958-59 and has been nicknamed the “All Alaska Cabin” because it was built entirely of Alaskan products. The log cabin was dedicated in memory of Mr. George Nehrbas, a longtime Fairbanks resident and local businessman, whose idea it was to construct the building. It was his direction and uncompromising spirit which brought the idea to reality. The Log Cabin was home to the Fairbanks Convention & Visitors Bureau for many years. (#1 on walking tour)The cabin measures 75 x 35 feet. The logs are native spruce and were cut at Rosie Creek, which is approximately 30 miles southwest of Fairbanks. Most of the ground in the Fairbanks area is permafrost—permanently frozen ground beneath the surface. The frozen ground prevents trees from gaining nutrients from the soil; therefore the trees don’t grow very large. The Rosie Creek area, where these trees were found, is permafrost-free which is why the logs are so large. The counter is made of birch wood. During the winter of 1983-84, the interior of the cabin was remodeled. The interior doors and trim work, including the wainscoting, are all locally-produced birch. The ceiling is 10-inch tongue-and-groove fir and the window frames are hand-finished 4x6” fir. The fir doors were made locally. The fireplace mantle was designed from an Alaska Railroad tie located near Healy. The rocks for the fireplace came from Denali National Park, approximately 120 miles south of Fairbanks. The roof is sod. Sod roofs were used by the early pioneers to provide insulation during the cold winters and to grow gardens during the summer—far from the reach of animals. This sod roof is watered and even mowed during the long summer days! One quarter of the building sits on part of the Chena River which was built up for this purpose.
Barnette Monument
E.T. Barnette was the founding father of Fairbanks. This tribute commemorates his accidental landing at approximately this spot on the riverbank in 1901, when the steamer Lavelle Young, which he had hired to transport a $20,000 shipment of food, tools, and other merchandise, could go no further. The anchor visible down the path to your right, found in the Chena River, was used by an old sternwheeler like the one that brought Barnette to this spot. Barnette became Fairbanks’s first mayor, its first postmaster, and the richest man in town. But he didn’t stay very long. He left Fairbanks one night in 1911 in disgrace, after being accused of embezzling one million dollars from the Washington-Alaska Bank. Even though he was convicted of only one misdemeanor by a jury in Valdez, it is said “that the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner would refer to the act of robbing banks or stealing money as ‘Barnetting.’”
Milepost Circle
On your left as you enter the circle is a plaque celebrating 25 years of Alaska statehood, 1959-1984. The obelisk marks Milepost 1,523 of the Alaska Highway. The distances between Fairbanks and cities around the world are listed. The distances are shown in either road miles or air miles, depending on the city’s location. Beyond the milepost on the left is a small monument presented by the American and Canadian Societies of Civil Engineers proclaiming the end of the Alaska Highway, an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. According to Fairbanksans, “this is where the road ends and the wilderness begins.”
Co-Op Plaza & Empress Theatre
The building now known as Co-op Plaza was once the Empress Theatre. Its construction in 1927 caused a furor because it was the town’s first structure to be built of reinforced concrete, and people believed that concrete would crumble in the cold Fairbanks winter. The theater could seat 670 people and opened to a packed house of 1,300 people on August 25, 1927. In 1961, the movie theater closed, and the building was remodeled for use as the Co-op Drug Store; today, it houses a diner, coffee shop and unique gift stores.
Lathrop Building
Austin ‘Cap’ Lathrop came to Alaska in 1896 as a captain of a schooner that ferried prospectors to Cook Inlet in Anchorage. Lathrop had an interest in the film industry and had a plan to open a chain of Empress theatres. He had theatres in Cordova, Anchorage and Fairbanks. He started a production company called Alaska Moving Company that produced “The Cheechakos,” the first feature length film shot entirely in Alaska. The film, completed in 1924 is said to have influenced Charlie Chaplin’s “The Gold Rush” and has been added to the National Film Registry list.He built the Lathrop building because he wanted to create the finest newspaper headquarters in Alaska. The building housed the newspaper, his radio station, a basement bowling alley and two floors of apartments. Lathrop is also credited with building Alaska’s first commercial station KFAR, which is still on the air in Fairbanks.
Lacey Street Theatre
The Lacey Street Theatre, one of a series of Art Deco buildings in Fairbanks, anchors the area between Cushman and Lacey streets. Its construction coupled with two public buildings, the old Federal Building and Main School, changed the downtown streetscape of the old gold rush town in the 1930s. It was built in 1939 by Austin E. Lathrop, owner of a string of movie theaters. In a 1966 fire, the interior of the building was extensively damaged with the exception of the lobby. Rehabilitated after the fire with minimal changes to the exterior, the theater closed in 1981. The building remains an excellent example of the Art Deco style. After closure, the building stood empty for a number of years. Today, it houses the Fairbanks Ice Museum.
Wickersham Monument
A plaque at the northeast corner of 1st Avenue and Noble Street marks the original site of Judge James Wickersham’s frame home (the actual house can be seen at Pioneer Park). Wickersham was instrumental in the success of Fairbanks and the one who suggested “Fairbanks” as the name for the new settlement on the Chena River. He is also credited with coining (during the ceremonies commemorating the completion of the Alaska Railroad) the phrase “Alaska’s Golden Heart” to describe Fairbanks. Even after leaving the state in 1907, he continued to support Alaska as a congressional delegate. Wickersham, who helped start the Alaska Railroad, Denali National Park, and the Alaska Agricultural College and School of Mines (which became the University of Alaska Fairbanks), also introduced the first Alaska statehood bill in 1916.
