US Coast Guard and Geodetic Survey Seismological and Geomagnetic House - Sitka, Alaska - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

From Wikipedia.com

The US Coast Guard and Geodetic Survey Seismological and Geomagnetic House, also known as the Forest Service House, is a historic house at 210 Seward Street in Sitka, Alaska. It is a two story wood frame structure, resting on a concrete foundation, with a gambrel roof. The house was built in 1916 by the United States Department of Commerce to house employees of the U.S. National Geodetic Survey working at the Sitka Geomagnetic Observatory. In 1929 modifications were made in its basement to house seismological instruments here, instead of in the observatory buildings to the north. The observatory was moved in 1940 to a new site further northwest; this house was acquired by the United States Forest Service, which has used it in a variety of ways, including office space and housing, since then.

The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.

From NPS nomination:

The Forest" Service House is one of the last surviving, examples of gambrel-roof cottage architecture, in Sitka today. /A 2-stpry house with a cement basement built into solid rojck, used to house the scientific instruments of the Geodetic Observatory, the site commands a spectacular view of the surrounding area.

The land for the House was acquired from the Russians under Alexis Pestchouroff, Commissioner for Russia. Records of the transaction are published in House Executive Document Number 125, 40th Congress and session to wit. Under terms of the treaty for the purchase jof Alaska, certain areas of Sitka were set aside for governmental use; this parcel of land was withdrawn under that agreement.

Since its construction in 1916, the Forest Service House has had a long history of government use. Originally owned by the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey(U.S.C.& G.S.), the house functioned as office and living space for the observers in charge of the first United States magnetic and seismic observatories in Sitka. (A Russian magnetic observatory was in operation between 1842 and 1867 on Japonski Island just west of Sitka.


Sitka was selected as the site of a permanent magnetic observatory for several reasons. First, of the then-existing magnetic observatories, Sitka was nearest the North Pole at 61 degrees north latitude. Further, Sitka is only a short distance from the auroral zone. Records from the Sitka magnetic observatory have proven to be valuable in the study of magnetic phenomena in the Arctic as well as for regions of lower magnetic latitude. Also, in higher magnetic latitudes, there is a tendency for greater fluctuations in the ranges of the magnetic elements. By situating the magnetic observatory in Sitka (a relatively lower magnetic latitude), it is possible to avoid the expense of special instruments which would have been required at higher magnetic latitudes in order to collect the same data. Other factors influencing the decision of locality included temperature considerations, accessibility, and uniformity in the distribution of magnetism for the general locality. A field survey by J.A. Fleming in the summer of 1901 confirmed that the Sitka locality was unusually free from local magnetic disturbances.

Street address: 210 Seward St. Sitka, AK USA 99835 County / Borough / Parish: Sitka, AK Year listed: 1986 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Orignal site for the scientific instruments of the Geodetic Observatory in Alaska Periods of significance: 1900-1924 Historic function: Politics/Government, Science, Architecture Current function: Education and government Privately owned?: no Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Season start / Season finish: Not listed Hours of operation: Not listed Secondary Website 2: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

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