Making our way past Mt. Eccles, we’ve reached the Federal Building which now houses the U.S. Forest Service Cordova Ranger District Offices. Built in 1924, the Federal Building was the post office, the courthouse and held the marshal’s office and territorial jail.
The exterior of the building was completed with concrete in what has been described as “bush hammering” — a technique designed to give the appearance of being one solid piece of granite.
Even with extensive remodeling, the historic pieces remain intact, and the building is on the National Register of Historic Places.
As the City of Cordova begins preparations for the revamping of Second Street, the folks at the museum have been assisting the State Office of History and Preservation as well as the Alaska Department of Transportation in researching the historic areas of Second Street. Over the next few months, the museum will share some of the stories of those buildings we see every day and their unique history.
These photos are from the collection of the Cordova Historical Society. Much of the information for this article was gleaned from the book: From Fish and Copper Cordova’s Heritage and Buildings by Nicki Nielsen.
