City and Borough of Juneau
Historic Preservation in Juneau
The boundaries of the Juneau Townsite historic neighborhood are generally the north side of Second Street to the north side of Sixth Street and the east side of Calhoun & Main Street to the west side of Harris & Gold Street. The neighborhood is a part of the original Juneau Townsite as platted in 1881 by Navy officer Master Gustave Carl Hanus.
The neighborhood is comprised of primarily residential buildings with some commercial buildings in the area from Second Street to Fifth Street. Most buildings are wood frame construction reflecting the available materials and historic building technology. Some later structures are of reinforced concrete likely influenced by the higher technology brought to Juneau by mining engineers.
The architectural style of the historic buildings in the Juneau Townsite neighborhood can be traced to national style trends of the period. However, most are modest in detailing. This is most likely a result of the economy of shipping materials to this remote part of the world and the limited availability of skilled craftsmen in the region. Buildings in the neighborhood are truly representative of the historic socioeconomic diversity of the Juneau population at that time ranging from the finely detailed Queen Anne homes of the wealthy to the simple houses of the working class. The neighborhood was under extreme developmental pressure during the turn of the century as the community grew rapidly during the period of gold mining expansion.
The Juneau Townsite neighborhood comprises a unique historic area featuring many fine examples of early period architecture reflective of the geographic and economic influences of the early development of Juneau.