Totem Bight State Historical Park

Totem Bight State Historical Park
Location Milepost 10 of the N. Tongass Rd. Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska, USA
Area 33 acres (13 ha)
Created 1959
Operated by

Alaska Department of Natural Resources

Totem Bight State Historic Site
Nearest city Ketchikan, Alaska
Coordinates 55°25′12″N 131°46′24″W / 55.42000°N 131.77333°WCoordinates: 55°25′12″N 131°46′24″W / 55.42000°N 131.77333°W
Area 8.5 acres (3.4 ha)
Built 1940
Architect Brown,Charles; Et al.
Governing body State
NRHP Reference #

70000916

[1]
Added to NRHP October 27, 1970

Totem Bight State Historical Park is a 33-acre (13 ha) state park in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is located north of Ketchikan.

Description and history

The park is located on the former site of a traditional Native campground. It contains a collection of totem poles and a replica of a traditional chieftain's house. This wood-frame structure has a low oval entrance, leading into a square chamber with a central fire pit, decorated with carved "house posts". A stylized raven adorns the main facade. The carvings on the house were executed by Charles Brown, a Native from Saxman.[2]

The United States Forest Service used Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) funds to hire skilled carvers from among the older Native Alaskans to repair or duplicate totem poles that were abandoned when the natives moved to communities where work was available. The CCC project built the community house and placed 15 totem poles, most of them replicas of 19th-century poles.[2] At statehood in 1959, title to the land passed from the federal government to the State of Alaska.

The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 27, 1970.[1]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2009-03-13.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "NRHP nomination for Totem Bight State Historical Park". National Park Service. Retrieved 2014-10-24.

External links