What is the Anchorage Hotel Annex?
This extension of the original Anchorage Hotel is the only remaining historic hotel in the city of Anchorage!
What Makes It Historical?
Even though Anchorage was more or less a railroad company town in its early days, it had a luxury hotel almost from the get-go! The Anchorage Hotel, built by C.B. Wark in 1916, then bought and renovated by Frank Reed the following year, offered guests modern amenities, including electricity, and even comfy kennels for the dogs who had pulled guests to town!
By 1936, the hotel was ready for expansion, so new owner, A.B. Cummings, brought on architect, Eugene Sedille, to design an annex across the alley from the hotel, connected by a walkway above and a tunnel below. It was suggested that they plant gold flakes on the property so gold rushers would dig them a basement free of charge, but that ended up not coming to fruition. Nonetheless, the annex, on completion, was one of the tallest buildings in Anchorage, incorporating elements of Gothic style and skyscraper construction! The ’50s and ’60s weren’t kind to the Anchorage Hotel, and ultimately the original hotel was razed!
Today, only the annex remains, but it’s still a hotel, boasting such historic guests as Warren Harding, Walt Disney, and Will Rogers, who died only two days later in a plane crash near Barrow! While his ghost doesn’t haunt the annex, the modern hotel keeps a ghost log for guests to record their sightings! Many specters haven’t been named, but at least one is believed to be Police Chief John “Black Jack” Sturgus, returning each February 20th to the scene of his 1921 murder!
How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?
- Spend the night at the Historic Anchorage Hotel!
- Become a member of the Cook Inlet Historical Society!
- Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!
How Do I Get There?
330 E St
Anchorage, AK 99501
(Take Me There!)
When Should I Visit?
Whenever the mood strikes you!
More Photos
