"Storehouse No. 4, on International St. in Hyder, Alaska, was built in 1896 under supervision of engineer David du Bose Gaillard. It has also been known as AHRS Site No. KET-030 and as Eagle Point Storehouse. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
Its interior dimensions are 10 by 15 feet (3.0 m × 4.6 m) and its walls are 12 to 18 inches thick; along with three similar other storehouses it served the Portland Canal (a 71-mile (114 km) fjord, not truly a canal) in what is believed to have been partly in a military way, related to potential for boundary dispute with Canada."
-- Source
Three markers at the site provide the following additional information:
MARKER #1 (on the building):
This storehouse, Alaska's first masonry building, was built in 1896; under the direction of Captain David D. Gaillard, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
In August 1896, Captain Gaillard was ordered to investigate Portland Canal, the waterway marking the Alaska-Canada boundary. He was also to build four storehouses, in Alaska, along the Canal's west bank. The lighthouse tender Manzanita was assigned to the mission. Loaded with coal, supplies, equipment,a nd materials (including cement, lumber, nails, and shingles for the storehouses), she left Seattle August 29, reaching the head of the Channel four days later. Workmen and supplies were unloaded here at Eagle Point, and, as the tender returned down the Channel, at three other locations. This building, Storehouse Number 4, was completed September 21, 1896. Storehouse Number 3, at Halibut Bay, was completed five days later. Storehouses 2 and 1, on Pearse and Wales Islands, were finished September 28. As the result of the decision of a 1903 Boundary Tribunal, the Alaska-Canada border was re-established north of Pearse and Wales Islands, and thereafter Storehouses 1 and 2 have been on Canadian soil. Gaillard subsequently served on the US-Mexico International Boundary Commission, in the Spanish-American War in Cuba as a colonel of engineers, and with the Isthmian (Panama) Canal Commission. His contributions to the construction of the Panama Canal where it crosses the Continental Divide at Culebra were recognized by the naming of that most difficult cut in his honor - Gaillard Cut. He died in Baltimore December 5, 1913, at the age of 54, and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery
MARKER #2:
This humble storehouse was Alaska's first masonry building.
Built in 1896 by the Army Corps of Engineers, "Storehouse #4" was for many years a mystery to residents and visitors. In 1975 its true story was unravelled by curious residents.
They discovered that their small brick building was part of an Army Corps of Engineers' expedition to Alaska in 1896. In August, Captain David D. Gaillard was ordered to investigate Portland Canal, the waterway marking the Alaska-Canada border. He was also to build four storehouses along the Canal's west bank. The lighthouse tender Manzanita was assigned to the mission. Loaded with coal, supplies, equipment, and materials (including all the cement, lumber, nails and shingles for the storehouses) she left Seattle on August 29 and reached the head of Portland Canal four days later.
Workmen and supplies were unloaded here at Eagle Point, and, as the tender returned down the Canal, at three other locations. Working quickly amid rain and mosquitoes, the crew completed Storehouse #4 on September 21, 1896.
As a result of the decision of a 1903 Boundary Tribunal, the Alaska-Canada border was re-established north of Pearse and Wales Islands, and thereafter Storehouses #1 and #2 have been on Canadian soil.
Where Are They Now?
Gaillard's expedition constructed four masonry storehouses, spaced along the Portland Canal.
In many cases, these small structures have been reclaimed by the surrounding rain forest. All four structures have been located by area residents, although only Storehouse #4 has been restored.
A Life of Service
West Point graduate Captain David DuBose Gaillard, spent his life building the foundations of the new country.
After his Alaska expedition, Gaillard served on the US-Mexico International Boundary Commission, in the Spanish-American War in Cuba, and with the Isthmian (Panama) Canal Commission.
His work on the notorious Culebra Cut through the backbone of the isthmus is legendary. Sadly, he died of a brain tumor before seeing the canal completed. The Panama Canal opened nine months after his death, and Culebra Cut was renamed Gaillard Cut in his honor. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
MARKER #3:
Storehouse #4 is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Built in 1896 by the Army Corps of Engineers, the sturdy rubble masonry structure survived the harsh southeast climate--although many of its wooden components were replaced as they weathered away.
Today the building is cared for by the Bureau of Land Management and is treasured as a national historic place. In 2004, Forest Service crews worked to restore the building to its original condition.
Many Uses Over Many Years
After its hasty construction in 1896, Storehouse #4 was never used by the Army Corps of Engineers. Instead, it found itself home to a variety of community uses over the years.
For many years the building was an enigma to area residents. They used the small structure for shops, lodging and even a jail! Iron bars across the windows still echo these bygone days.
Today, the building is a reminder of the rough and rugged history of the region.
Border Incident with Friendly Flags
Scarlet tunics of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the sky-blue jackets of the Alaska State Troopers contributed to a colorful event on the international border on July 4, 1976.
The occasion was the rededication of Storehouse $4 which sits astride the Alaska-Canada border. The international boundary marker, resembling a miniature Washington Monument, sits only 10 feet from the building's thick stone walls.
In Partnership...
Storehouse #4 has been maintained and restored through a partnership between two public land management agencies--the Bureau of Land Management and the USDA Forest Service.
Although this historic building is a BLM site, Tongass National Forest crews have carefully restored the building and provide on-site care.