Chena Pump House - Fairbanks, Alaska
Posted by: 
BruceS
N 64° 49.889 W 147° 53.079
6W E 458021 N 7189967
Historic gold mining pump house now a restaurant in Fairbanks, Alaska.
Waymark Code: WMAR3R
Location: Alaska, United States
Date Posted: 02/15/2011
Views: 4
"The Pump House was once an unprepossessing, tin-sheathed structure which housed the equipment used to pump mater from the Chena River, over Chena Ridge to the Gold Dredging operations of the Fairbanks Exploration Company on Cripple Creek, near Ester. It was around 1930 that the Chief Engineer of the Company, which was already operating on Creeks North Of Fairbanks, evolved a scheme for mining Cripple Creek and its tributaries by pumping water from the Chena River up over Chena Ridge. This provided enough pressure to operate the hydraulic giants which were used to strip the overburden. The Pump House was completed and began operations in 1933. It was constructed by the F.E.CO., a subsidiary of United States Smelting, Mining and Refining Co.
The original building was 20'wide and 108' long, with a shallow gabled bay, 8'deep and 20'wide, projecting from the middle of the south side. A simple gable roof ran the length of the building. It was entirely sheathed and roofed in corrugated sheet metal. Five skylights spanned the roof gable and gave access to the interior...
Inside the building were ten, 14", double suction centrifugal pumps rated at 6000 gpm against a 220 ft, head and direct connected to 400 hp electric motors. These pumps were mounted in series, with two to each unit, making five units which delivered the water to the top of Chena Ridge through three, 26" pipelines against a total head of 440 ft. Water was delivered from there through a three mile ditch to the site of the mining operations where it was used for stripping and thawing and for make-up water for the dredge pond when needed.
The F.E.Co. ceased operations in the Ester area around 1958, The Pump House stood abandoned, surrounded by old pipe and mining equipment and overgrown by willows on the banks of the Chena until 1978, when it was reconstructed by its present owners as a restaurant and bar. The basic structure of the building remains unchanged, and the original corrugated siding has been retained. On the interior, the main portion of the original building remains as an unbroken space housing the restaurant and bar. From the inside, the original tin roof can still be seen. A false roof, also covered with metal roofing, has been added to provide space for insulation. The entrance to the building is now on the North side, where a gabled entryway has been added. To the south, a kitchen/service wing has been provided in a tin-covered, flat roofed addition. New doors and windows have been provided throughout. On the exterior, the grounds have been cleared and landscaped, but the sluiceway and equipment to the east and northside of the building remain." - National Register Nomination form