Mount Edgecumbe in Sitka in Sitka Borough, Alaska — Northwest (North America)
Sheldon Jackson Museum
Founded in 1887
Photographed by Shirley A Stirling, August 5, 2026
1. Sheldon Jackson Museum Marker
Alaska's oldest continuous museum housed in the first concrete structure built in Alaska begun in 1895
National Register
of Historic Places
by the United States Department of the Interior
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Education • Notable Buildings. A significant historical year for this entry is 1887.
Location. 57° 3.036′ N, 135° 19.339′ W. Marker is in Sitka, Alaska, in Sitka Borough. It is in Mount Edgecumbe. It is on College Drive east of Lincoln Street, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 104 College Drive, Sitka AK 99835, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Alaska, in Tlingit and Haida & Tsimshian Region. It is also on the American Pacific Coast. Globally, it is in North America, in the Inside Passage, on the Ring of Fire, in the Pacific Rim, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Russian Empire.
Other nearby markers. At least
this page online
Also see . . . National Historic Landmark Nomination Form for the Sheldon Jackson School.
The form for this building, attributed as part of the Sheldon Jackson School, was prepared by Janet Clemons (Historian), Chris Allan (Historian), Linda Cook (Historian), Heidi Siegel (Historian Intern) and Amanda Zeman (Historian Intern) and edited by Patty Henry with the National Park Service's National Historic Landmarks Survey and submitted on February 9, 2001. The summary statement of significance for the historic district begins on
Photographed by Shirley A Stirling, August 5, 2026
2. Sheldon Jackson Museum Marker
The Sheldon Jackson School is nationally significant for its important role in the education of Native Alaskans during the first half of the twentieth century and in the transformation of Southeast Native Alaskan cultures during this period. Through education that emphasized English, students were taught to adopt elements of Euro-American culture. Changes in Native Alaskan life were also instigated by the removal of native students from their homes to the school, and by the promotion of skills other than those used in traditional Native occupations. The school also played an important although indirect role, through its students, in the development of Native Alaskan political organization and the pursuit of legal rights for Native Alaskans.
An architectural description of the Sheldon Jackson Museum is on page 9:
8. Sheldon Jackson Museum (AHRS No. SIT-007): The original museum was a simple wood-frame building constructed in 1889 to house the artifacts of the Society of Alaskan Natural History and Ethnology, founded by Sheldon Jackson the previous year. In 1895 the wooden structure was replaced by an octagonal concretebuilding that measured 67 feet in diameter. The building, designed by a Boston architect, John J. Smith, was the first concrete building in Alaska. Concrete was chosen to protect the collection from damage by fire, and the building's spacious, circular interior allowed easy circulation past museum displays. Sheldon Jackson Museum was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. Sheldon Jackson College operated the museum until the State of Alaska acquired it in 1983. The museum was rehabilitated between 1984-1985. Improvements to the building were done to incorporate environmental and seismic upgrades. The original unreinforced concrete walls with the exterior "ashlar" stone patterning, were reinforced at the interior with a gunite reinforced concrete shell, insulated, and then covered with gypsum board. A new steel roof structure was added that protects the original wood roof. The museum interior color was returned to its original light pink or salmon color. At this time, an L-shape addition was added to the back (east) side of the original building to serve as the main museum entryway with handicap accessibility, and to provide curatorial and office spaces. The one-story addition consists of plaster exterior wall surfaces, wood shingle roofs, and a banding of high horizontal windows which provide interior light. The addition does not mimic the historic features of the original building, although the shingle roofs and the dark brown exterior paint makes it sympathetic with the museum and other campus buildings.Photographed by Shirley A Stirling, August 5, 20263. Inside the museum
Additionally, the historical significance of the museum is mentioned on page 16:
While the school maintained a predominately English-only policy and a Western curriculum, aspects of the students' Native heritage were present. Jackson started the campus museum to collect and to preserve the disappearing artifacts of Alaska Natives, which he saw as an important link for the students as they made the transition into modern society.
Finally, on page 25, the nomination form mentions that the Sheldon Jackson Museum is owned by Alaska State Museums and is individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places. (Submitted on August 6, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.)
Credits. This page was last revised on August 7, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 6, 2026, by Shirley A Stirling of Lacey, Washington. This page has been viewed 28 times since then. Last updated on August 6, 2026, by Shirley A Stirling of Lacey, Washington. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 6, 2026, by Shirley A Stirling of Lacey, Washington. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
