This Alaska fort imported Italian craftsmen to build America’s northernmost military palace

Fort Seward’s Italian Stonemasons Build Alaska’s First Army Post

In 1902, Alaska got its first real army post when Fort William H. Seward broke ground near Haines.

The Army didn’t cut corners. They brought in Italian stonemasons to craft granite foundations and built 85 cedar-sided buildings across 4,000 acres of spruce forest.

Officers enjoyed luxury living with marble washstands, claw-foot tubs, and tile fireplaces, while enlisted men stoked their fires. After 1925, as other bases closed, Fort Seward stood alone.

Just 255 soldiers watched over the entire territory until 1940.

The fort’s grand buildings still stand today, waiting for history lovers to walk the same parade grounds where Alaska’s military legacy began.

McKinley Signed Off on Alaska’s Showpiece Fort During Gold Rush Fever

President McKinley approved Fort William H. Seward in December 1898.

Army troops already camped around Haines that year without formal approval.

This happened right during the Klondike Gold Rush when about 100,000 people rushed north looking for gold. The fort got its name from William H. Seward, who bought Alaska from Russia in 1867 for just $7. 2 million.

Many people called it “Seward’s Folly” until gold changed their minds.

Haines Won the Location Lottery for Smart Military Reasons

The Army picked Haines in July 1902 as the perfect spot for their permanent fort along the upper Lynn Canal.

They built it just 17 miles from Skagway, giving them a clear view of four main gold rush trails: Dalton, Chilkoot, Chilkat, and White Pass.

The spot worked great for watching the sometimes rowdy gold seekers heading to the Yukon. The location also gave the U.S. military a strong presence during ongoing border disputes with Canada, which settled in 1903.

Captain Richardson Brought in European Craftsmen for the Job

Captain Wilds P. Richardson returned to Alaska in 1902 for his second tour to oversee building the fort.

Work started that same year with plans to make the fort showcase Army power in the territory. The project covered 4,000 acres of beautiful spruce forest.

The Army needed expert help with foundations, so they brought in skilled Italian stonemasons from Europe to cut and shape local granite into building blocks.

Luxury Living Came Standard in This Frontier Outpost

Workers covered the 85 wood-frame buildings with cedar siding over diagonal pine boards for strength and warmth. Soldiers from the 3rd Infantry helped with construction and built the rifle range.

Officers’ houses came with fancy features: indoor flush toilets, six-foot bathtubs with claw feet, and marble-topped wash stands.

The homes even had coal stoves built into fireplaces with decorative tiles and oak mantelpieces. Regular soldiers kept these fires going and helped during officers’ parties.

Colonel Woodbury Found His New Home Ready and Waiting

Colonel Thomas C. Woodbury arrived as the first commander in November 1904 and found a complete military community.

The fort featured two large barracks and officers’ houses around a grassy parade ground.

He also took charge of a fire hall, guardhouse, Post Exchange, dock, icehouse, warehouse, stables, and telegraph office.

About 90 buildings made up the complex, including homes for non-commissioned officers and a fully equipped hospital.

Soldiers Enjoyed the Good Life in Wild Alaska

Three companies from the Third Infantry moved in first from Camp Skagway.

Over the years, the fort housed several different units: the 7th, 4th, and 32nd Infantry regiments all lived there at different times. From 1912 to 1913, the famous 30th Infantry band brought music to the remote outpost.

Soldiers spent free time hunting, fishing, and took three-day passes to stay at wilderness cabins in the surrounding forests.

Too Many Sewards Forced a Name Change

The Army changed the fort’s name to Chilkoot Barracks in 1922 to honor the local Chilkoot people.

The switch fixed a big problem for the Post Office and government agencies who mixed up mail between Fort Seward, the town of Seward, and the Seward Peninsula.

The new name also linked the fort to the famous Chilkoot Trail that thousands of gold seekers climbed during the rush. Despite the official change, many locals still called it Fort Seward.

Alaska’s Last Military Outpost Stood Alone for 15 Years

Between 1921 and 1925, the Army closed every other military installation in Alaska.

This left Fort Seward (now officially Chilkoot Barracks) as the only active military facility in the entire territory from 1925 to 1940.

By 1927, the fort kept just 255 soldiers who somehow covered the whole territory, an area about one-fifth the size of the continental United States.

For fifteen years, this small force served as Alaska’s only military guardian.

War Brought New Purpose to the Remote Outpost

During World War I, the fort trained Alaskans drafted into military service.

When World War II started, the fort’s role grew as a recruitment station, rest stop, and training facility.

The base supported troops fighting in the Aleutian Campaign after Japanese forces invaded Alaska’s Aleutian Islands in 1942.

Despite its remote location, the fort kept its strategic value throughout both global conflicts.

Veterans Bought Their Old Base After the Army Left

The Army closed the fort in 1945 after World War II ended.

Two years later, in 1947, they sold the property to the Port Chilkoot Company, a group formed by Army veterans who served there.

These former soldiers started new lives by setting up homes and businesses on the grounds where they once served.

The sale ended 47 years of military presence in the Haines area, turning a military base into a civilian community almost overnight.

America’s Best-Preserved Alaskan Fort Earned Special Status

The federal government added the old fort to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, recognizing its historical importance.

Six years later, in 1978, they upgraded its status to National Historic Landmark, marking it as a place of national significance.

Over the years, the historic buildings found new life as a hotel, bed-and-breakfasts, an art center, and private homes. With its landmark status, the site went back to using its original name, Fort William H.

Seward, bringing its story full circle after more than seven decades.

Visiting Fort William H. Seward (Chilkoot Barracks), Alaska

Fort William H. Seward is half a mile from downtown Haines at Port Chilkoot.

You can explore 85 original wood-frame buildings from 1902-1904 for free year-round. Walk around the old parade grounds to see the quartermaster building, fire hall, and officer homes.

Check out Port Chilkoot Distillery in the historic bakery and Chilkat Center for the Arts in the former hospital. It’s a 5-10 minute uphill walk from the cruise dock.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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