The recent demise of the Cordova House (Cordova Hotel and Bar) got us looking in the archives to find some photos of it at various stages of its life. Here’s a little more to its story.
In 1908, known as the Cordova Lodging House, the building was constructed in stages and was originally just two stories high. As a newspaper article described, “The Cordova Lodging House is erecting a mammoth rooming apartment to the front structure recently built. It is put up in a most substantial way.”
A week later, original owners Frank Castle, an old-time Alaskan and locomotive engineer, and Harry Thiestad opened the 50-by-90-foot business. Ownership changed in 1909 and, by 1910, a third story was added complete with the trimmed roof eaves and boxed cornice brackets.
