 The Boathouse during World War II (Sitka Historical Society collection) The Japonski Island Marine Ways The Boathouse, or marine ways, was built just before World War II as part of the Sitka Naval Air Station, the only defense installation on the North Pacific when the United States entered World War II. The Air Station, later a Naval Operating Base, and its Harbor Defenses are now a National Historic Landmark.
After the war, the military facilities including the Boathouse were turned over to the Department of the Interior for reuse as a tuberculosis sanitarium and boarding school for Alaska Natives. The Boathouse was used for maintaining shore boats, the ferries that connected Japonski Island to the town of Sitka before construction of the O'Connell Bridge. The building has been vacant since the early 1980s, and had been owned by the state until the Sitka Maritime Heritage Society facilitated a transfer to the City and Borough of Sitka. SMHS now leases the Boathouse from the city under a long-term lease agreement. One condition of the lease is that SMHS rehabilitate the building as a museum. Plan for Rehabilitation The Boathouse, as part of a National Historic Landmark, will be restored to historic preservation standards. The marine ways (boat haul-out) will be restored, and the public will be able to view work on historic boats. One wing will house hands-on historical exhibits on maritime heritage, such as commercial fishing. A small addition on the back will have an entry and bathroom. The facility will have programs such as historical research, boat and canoe building, and navigation classes. The community's traditional Tlingit canoe will be stored outside, and a public kayak and rowboat storage/launching float will be a marine trail head for accessing the World War II Causeway portion of the NHL, which is accessible only by water. Interpretive signs and the building itself will tell the story of World War II in Sitka and the history and significance of the Naval Air Station and its U.S. Army Harbor Defenses.
Plan for Sustainable Operations The Sitka Maritime Heritage Society has a business plan for sustainable Boathouse operations through boat haul-out fees, classes, visitor admissions, and eventual kayak float operation. Furthermore, fuel distributor Delta Western is currently designing a fuel dock which will operate from the tip of the Boathouse property, about half way between the Boathouse and the City of Sitka work float. Once they are in operation, which could be late this year, Delta Western will pay SMHS a minimum of $50,000 and up to a cap of $75,000 annually in rent payments.
 Looking down the Boathouse marine ways | Current Renovation Status The renovation began in July 2011 with the replacement of the original Boathouse roof. This work is now complete and the Sitka Maritime Heritage Society is preparing for the second stage of the renovation, which will include the installation of a ground-source heat pump funded by an Alaska Energy Authority grant. Once the heat pump is installed in 2012, we will only need new bathrooms to get the building operational.
Replacement of the marine ways (haul out) will occur at a later stage. Stairs and a ramp also will be added later along with final mechanical, electrical, and sprinkler installation. Much of the work to date has been funded by grants, including a $325,000 grant from the federal Save America's Treasures program. We are now seeking individual donations to match grant funds and help us complete the project. DONATE TO THE PROJECT FUND HERE. Check back for photos of the project and updates as we progress toward completion. Past Volunteer Renovation Work Foundation work in 2006
When the Sitka Maritime Heritage Society signed a long-term lease for the Boathouse in 2003, the building was suffering from years of disrepair. Since then, SMHS volunteers have logged thousands of hours making improvements to the building.
Notably, in the summer of 2005, volunteers, with the help of a contractor cleaned, painted and stabilized the building. Then, in 2006, many of the same volunteers worked to replace the foundation under two wings of the building. This involved replacing beams, joist, posts and concrete pads. Other volunteer work has included clearing brush and cataloging thousands of items inside the Boathouse. The Need for a Maritime Center The Princeton Hall (SJC Collection)
There are dozens of maritime museums around the country, but Southeast Alaska, a region with tremendous maritime history, still does not have a museum of its own. The maritime history of Sitka and Alaska, are important and mostly undocumented. There is a wealth of tradition and information the older generation is eager to pass on to younger people. The Maritime Center in Sitka will take this information and use it to educate the public. The focus will not be on teaching history alone, but also on skills such as boat building and boat handling that will help develop a sense of place and identity.
The Sitka Maritime Heritage Society is dedicated to authenticity, education and preserving local culture. We see our way of life slipping away as Sitka becomes more like everywhere else. The Maritime Center will help save our material culture, traditions, skills and knowledge. It will also be a step toward preserving the historic landscape of central Sitka through the preservation of the historic Boathouse, and it will be a resource for the owners of historic boats who can benefit from the haul out. |
