News Release
Anchorage Historic City Hall Turns 70
Anchorage, Alaska – Nov. 6, 2006 – On Nov. 15, 2006, Anchorage Historic City Hall will celebrate its 70th anniversary. Today, the restored structure houses the Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau (ACVB). In 1936, when the building opened, City Hall housed the mayor’s office, the clerk’s office, the telephone switchboard, city council chambers, the police chief’s office, the city engineer’s office, the office of the superintendent of public utilities, the library, three jail cells, a “tank room” for overnight drunks, a caretaker’s apartment and firemen’s quarters.
“The old fire pole used to be right by my desk,” says Courtney Munson, ACVB convention sales and research manager. Other remnants of the past include the original safes, now used for storage.
Designed by E. Ellsworth Sedille, a resident architect, and contracted by Gastineau Construction Co., the Historic City Hall was a marvelous addition to Fourth Avenue. The City Hall was built for $75,000, half of which was paid by the Public Works Administration. Although the building was made of concrete, the details still retain elements of classical architecture, including the dentils of the cornices, the simulated rustication of the exterior walls and the circular arched entrance.
The building is significant as a symbol of local government and as a part of the city’s architectural heritage. City Hall is a counterpart of what the old courthouse is to the counties of the Lower 48, representing the center of governmental affairs.
Following city and borough consolidation, City Hall became the administrative headquarters for the Municipality. In 1980, the building was leased to Alaska Pacific Bank Corp. and the interior was remodeled as a 1930s-era bank and office space. This well-done remodeling won a National Trust for Historic Preservation Honor Award for Alaska Pacific Bank.
Today, visitors and locals are welcome to step into the lobby of the Historic City Hall to view a permanent exhibit of photos and artifacts from early Anchorage. Friendly volunteers greet visitors at the ACVB Log Cabin Visitor Information Center and the Downtown Partnership puts on free shows in Peratrovich Park during the summer, making the Historic City Hall a bustling hub of activity year-round.
The Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau’s mission is to attract and serve visitors to the Municipality of Anchorage. ACVB’s marketing functions are funded by one-third of the bed tax collected by the lodging association. One-third goes to the Municipality’s general fund and one-third goes to the Dena’ina Civic & Convention Center construction project. ACVB receives no state or federal funds. For more information, explore www.Anchorage.net
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Media Contacts:
Laura Tanis
Public Relations Manager
Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau
ltanis@anchorage.net
(907) 257-2331 direct
(907) 250-5285 cell
(907) 222-3752 fax
Nance Larsen, APR
Vice President, Communications & Marketing Programs
Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau
nlarsen@anchorage.net
(907) 276-4118 direct
