House of Wickersham

On a ridge above downtown Juneau, where mountains rise behind and the Gastineau Channel gleams below, stands a house that has quietly watched more than a century of Alaskan history unfold. Perched at 213 Seventh Street, the House of Wickersham was built in 1898–99, the first grand home on the hillside once known as Chicken Ridge. Back then, Juneau was still a gold rush town, and mining executive Frank Hammond wanted a residence that showed both stability and success. The result was a sturdy, wood-frame home—simple yet commanding, with a cross-gabled roof, wide bay window, and wraparound porch. It lacked the ornate trim of Victorian homes down south, but its clean lines and solid frame suited the frontier perfectly.

In 1928, Judge James Wickersham—Alaska’s first federal judge and one of its most passionate advocates for statehood—made this his home. From here, he worked on legislation that would lead to the University of Alaska, pushed for self-governance, and dreamed of the day Alaska would join the Union. He filled the rooms with books, papers, and artifacts, turning the house into part office, part museum, and part refuge. Wickersham enclosed the front porch, added a sunroom to catch more light, and converted rooms to suit his restless energy for writing and debate.

Today, the house still breathes with that same presence. Original hardwood floors creak softly underfoot. Lace curtains filter light onto the double parlors, one meant for company, the other for quiet work. The sun porch offers a sweeping view of Juneau, the same one Wickersham once admired while drafting letters and laws that would shape Alaska’s future.

After his death in 1939, Wickersham’s niece, Ruth Allman, opened the home to the public, eager to share his legacy. By 1984, the State of Alaska had purchased it, preserving it as the Wickersham State Historic Site. Visitors today can walk through the rooms, see Wickersham’s furniture and papers, and feel the hum of history that still lingers in the air.

From its perch on Chicken Ridge, the House of Wickersham doesn’t shout its story—it simply endures. Its walls remember the footsteps of miners and lawmakers, its windows still frame the same wild beauty, and its quiet strength reminds visitors that some places are built not just to last, but to bear witness.