Sunday, July 22, 2018

Skagway Arctic Brotherhood Hall

The Arctic Brotherhood Hall in Skagway is the most photographed building in Alaska. In times past, it was a fraternal hall; the local chapter of the Brotherhood first met here in August 1899. The letters "A.B." and the "1899" above the door, and "Camp Skagway No. 1" on the overhang. The organization's symbol, a gold pan and nuggets, is up near the roof line. The facade, which dates from 1900, has been called a prime example of Victorian Rustic Architecture. Charley Walker and his fellow lodge members collected over 8,800 driftwood sticks on the shores of Skagway Bay and nailed them to the front wall. The Brotherhood, which remained active into the 1920s, once entertained President Warren G. Harding.