Idea Guide

Alaska Bungalows

So, we've been in Alaska for the past few days. We went up for the wedding of Aaron's sister, which was held at a quaint, functioning gold mine just outside of Anchorage. (Kjerstin and Joe have lived nearby in the small ski-town of Girdwood for several years.) So, the trip allowed us a few extra days of vacation to celebrate our anniversary--part of which we spent looking for bungalows around Anchorage! We know, we are officially bungalow-geeks.

Yes, there ARE bungalows in Alaska. In fact, one of the most famous historic homes in town--the residence of the first mayor--is an attractive, privately owned craftsman-style bungalow. The 'Leopold Davis House' is located just north of downtown at 605 W. 2nd Avenue. It's somewhat obscured by trees but you can get a decent look at it from the side.

Close to the first mayor's house is another bungalow which is undergoing restoration. We got a chance to speak with the occupant--an architect--who related the local story that his house was actually the home of Anchorage's first architect, who built and funded his own home through payments for designing the homes of Anchorage's other original settlers. The shingle siding was recently stripped and is due to be painted within the next several days.

Walking around the neighborhood we found a few other houses that looked to be from the same era--Anchorage was founded in 1912. Locals explained that many of the original structures were picked up and moved over the years, so there are actually old bungalows scattered around town.

We saw vintage photos of the first Anchorage homesteads at the local history museum. Many of these were attractive examples of craftsman architecture. It's amazing to see such strong similarities between these homes and our own, built within a few years of each other but more than half a continent apart.

Posted by aaron on June 11, 2004 at 11:51 PM