Sitka Pioneer Home
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The Sitka Pioneer Home is an assisted living home in Sitka in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the oldest of the six homes in Alaska's Pioneer Home system.
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[edit] History
The Sitka Pioneer Home was opened in a derelict U.S. Marine Corps barracks in 1913 on a $10,000 budget. The home struggled financially until the 1930s, when the federal and territorial governments appropriated around $400,000 to replace the dilapidated and fire-prone buildings, creating a new home capable of caring for 170 men. In 1949, upon mandate from the territorial legislature, an expansion was constructed, with women permitted to be taken under care.
The Sitka Pioneer Home is listed in the National Register of Historic Places[1].
[edit] Current status
Currently the Sitka Pioneer Home is the third largest Alaska Pioneer Home and can care for 75 patients including those suffering from Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia. The home uses a three-tiered system of care: tier I or "Independent", tier II or "Basic Assistance", and tier III or "24-Hour Care".
The Pioneer Home also plays a large part in Sitka's Alaska Day festivities. The parade through downtown ends close to the grounds and hundreds of people mingle at a free reception inside the home with live entertainment traditionally provided by the New Archangel Dancers. The annual Alaska Day croquet tournament takes place on the grounds at the same time.
[edit] Prospector statue
One of the most popular tourist attractions in Sitka is the famous prospector statue which serves as the centerpiece of the grounds of the Sitka Pioneer Home. Officially entitled The Prospector, the statue was sculpted by the late Alonzo Victor Lewis. Records show that the sculpture was supposed to be modeled after real-life pioneer William "Skagway Bill" Fonda originally of Fonda, New York. This statue is actually the larger of two models with Victor Lewis creating a smaller version that currently sits in Seattle's Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park in Pioneer Square. After more than three tons of clay and 21 years of fundraising haggling, the sculpture was finally shipped to Sitka in time for its dedication at 1949's Alaska Day.
