Of course, not all residents are friends with each other, but they help each other if required. Most of the local businesses in Whittier are in the triangle by the waterfront or Anchor Inn building, but employment options are limited. Too costly and dangerous to demolish, the building is still there today. A tiny community in Alaska takes standard "small town" vibes to a whole new level though. In the winter he keeps warm with space heaters and staves off boredom by watching movies and reading books on his iPad. The town of Whittier, AK is served by a tunnel with a toll of $13 per round trip. "You do! Most of the 200-odd residents of the Alaskan town of Whittier all live in the same 14-story condominium - Begich Towers - located on the edge of town. Each office independently owned and operated. The buildings former jail, now apartment 411, was appraised at $19,500 and listed for sale in 1976: the old jail, complete with bars on both bedroom doors, steel bunks hanging from the wall, three authentic bullet holes in the walls and window sill, plus a front view of the city, small boat harbor, and Prince William Sound.. Avoid Scams and Fraud. Ironically, when the conversion was finished, more people moved out. Dental health aides spend two years learning basic dental care, and are then stationed in a remote community; they offer preventative services and perform basic procedures like fillings and extractions, so that when the dentist comes to town he can focus on more complex dental problems. In Whittier, Alaska, almost the entire population of 318 year-round residents live under one roof. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. But in fact, the opposite happenedpeople moved out.). Begich Towers is located in the 99693 Zip code of Whittier, AK. In 1941 the United States military took an interest in Whittier to function as the backup port to the primary one at Seward, about 50 miles to the south. The path to Whittier goes straight under a mountain, into a tunnel bored through more than two miles of solid rock. Construction started with the Hodge Building, along with the Buckner Building 660 yards (600m) to the northeast, with both opening in 1957. Close to some of Whittier's most popular landmarks, such as Begich Towers Incorporated (0.0 mi) and Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel (1.9 mi), June's Whittier Bed and Breakfast . Not everyone who tries to live in Begich Towers can take ita newcomer from Florida compared it to jailand there simply isnt much space on which to build alternate housing, I dont know where Whittier is going, the city manager told us. Theres no real threat of crime or terrorism. There's a police station on one side, and a post office on the other. June Miller runs June's Whittier Condo Suites, a bed and breakfast on the fourteenth and fifteenth floors of Begich Towers. All Rights Reserved. So it actually makes sense for the city's citizens to have everything in one place and live under the same roof. Today the asking price has risen to $35,000. It's home.". The tunnel to Whittier, Alaska was built in 1939 and is the only road accessible way to access Whittier. Now, though, Begich is much more than . Though Begich Towers and the Buckner Building provide much of Whittiers intrigue, they arent the only structures in town. It is one of Alaska's most famous buildings, mostly, because more than half of Whittier lives here. Each room has a big-screen TV, WiFi, and sweeping views of Alaska. We were tough in those days.". It's wild, but tame. This property is not currently for sale or for rent on Trulia. Call or text 9073010189 for information on Buyer's Representation Services(NO COST TO HOME BUYERS). Sold AK [ Before the tunnel conversion began, BTI condos sold for, o back to your condo and shut the door so you can avoid the noise. Access detailed information on Whittier Community School,school ratings, test scores by grade, student-teacher ratio, and much more. In Whittier's 99693 neighborhood, moving to this community offers plenty of nearby highlights. ", Beverly Walts has been bartending at the Anchor Inn ever since she moved to Whittier from Texas in the early 1990s. Whittier started out in the mid-1950s as a military outpost. What's the reason you're reporting this blog entry? Following the Army's departure, each building had to get its own system, including the Begich Towers, which had a pair of boilers in a side building. It was named the Hodge Building in memory of Colonel William Walter Hodge, commander of the 93rd Engineer Regiment of Alcan Highway. Anna said, "If I had one word, I'd say it's magical.". It was promoted as the City Under One Roof.. (Some residents opposed the tunnel retrofit, afraid that it would bring an influx of people to town. Society. "We're too small to function in isolation," said Erk. May 23, 2021 / 9:54 AM For the rest of the 1960s, Whittiers population fluctuated between forty and seventy people. In recent decades, civilians have begun to trickle into a former army barracks at the heart of the town called Begich Towers. The area where modern-day Whittier sits was developed during World War II, when it was chosen as the place to build a military harbor and a logistics base for the US Army. The first floor of the building had almost everything a city needs to function. Find similar condos for sale to the Begich Towers Condos in Whittier AK. We are continuously working to improve the accessibility of our web experience for everyone, and we welcome feedback and accommodation requests. The Hodge Building was part of a larger project meant to include the construction of ten other similar buildings for military use. Brought to you by licensed Realtors at Keller Williams Realty. The north side has two protruding modules that form two square towers. More. Protect yourself from fraud. In March of 1974 the Hodge Building was officially renamed Begich Towers in honor of Alaska Congressman Nick Begich(pictured), who went missing in October of 1972 after control towers lost contact with his Cessna 310. Non-residents can enter the 1s floor where the city offices are and the top two floors where there is a bed and breakfast. Behind Whittiers everyday peculiarities is a community thoroughly circumscribed by geography, architecture, and weather. Watch this video link to tour the Begich Towers. In fact, what makes Whittier unique is that all the locals live in one large 14-story building! Over 700,000 people visit Whittier annually, but most tourists dont stay in town for longer than an afternoon, if that. A fitness centre and several cafes located near the house have also been built to the service of local residents. Built in 1943, this self-contained secure facility housed the radio and telegraph communications equipment. The massive structures were, for years, the two largest buildings in Alaska. Its a concrete building, Good Friday (or Great Alaskan) Earthquake, Where to Download and Play RetroPie ROMs with Emulators, 5 reasons why a student needs to follow the daily routine, Summer Will Never Be Hot Again with These Home Cooling Tips, Canadas Approach to Online Gambling Over the Years, Employee Motivation: How to Empower Your Team Motivation, Comprehending the Difficulties of Android Device Management. ]. What is now the Begich Towers was part of that plan. Business development is a challenge, as there is very limited buildable land in Whittier. Whittiers school is connected to Begich Towers by an underground tunnel, so young residents never have to brave harsh wind and snow on their way to the classroom. Proving the Whittier experience is not for everyone, it hasmixed reviews on TripAdvisor. Enjoy waterfall views from the 6th floor and an abundance of awesome outdoor activities. Kids with questions on their homework can go down the hall and knock on the door to the teachers apartment. Winters paint a different picture. Of the thirteen Whittier residents who perished in the Good Friday (or Great Alaskan) Earthquake, only one body was recovered. The new Begich Towers includes 196 units, enough to house the entire town. The mostly unused Buckner Building was not repaired following the earthquake, and remained unused. The weather in this corner of Alaska is very unpredictable - winds blow at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour and snowfall reaches 250 Some have a combination of all four!. The Hodge Building was transformed into a public building with several units, including the headquarters of the major institutions and commercial services of Whittier. Our suites are located in a historical building "Begich Towers", built by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1957. The building has Internet access and cable, and most rooms have WiFi. The Buckner Building over here was named after General Buckner. Walk a little into the room and you will see government offices, as well as Kozy Korner convenience store, a shop where everyone is shopping. Mayor Lester Lunceford recently moved from Whittier to Anchorage; his is a part-time, unpaid position, so he commutes into town when he can. Because the weather can be so extreme, kids often walk to school via an underground tunnel. The Begich Tower where everyone lives together, Police station to hospital everything inside one building, 'Itna Showoff', Internet Reacts To Urvashi Rautela Spending Rs 93 Lakhs For Her Birthday Bash, 'Suck Up To Serial Sexual Perverts Like Sajid Khan', Sona Mohapatra's Indirect Jibe At Shehnaaz Gill, Was There A Tiff Between Nawazuddin Siddiqui And Irrfan Khan? This has earned Whittier the nickname of a "town under one roof". Karen Dempster, who owns two units in the building, an attorney and a professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, helped write a grant, which will pay for several upgrades to the building. It was named the Hodge Building in memory of Colonel William Walter Hodge, commander of the 93rd Engineer Regiment on the Alcan Highway. The name of the 14-floor building is The Begich Tower which is the residence for nearly the entire population of the city. The 14-story building is a former Army barracks built in 1956, yet it houses all the amenities youd expect from a small town: a laundromat, health clinic, corner store, police station, church, video store, city offices and the homes of nearly 200 residents.Photo via California Sunday Magazine. Google India Employee Gets Laid Off After Earning 'Star Performer' Award, Asks 'Why Me? "But, everything's here. It now owns almost all of the inhabitable land in Whittier. While following the Rolling Stones across the country during their 1972 tour, Jim Bell found a discarded cardboard sign on the side of the road that read: ALASKA. On a whim he picked it up and stuck his thumb out. Ratings are on scale of 1 (below average) and to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. Some keep them for watching whales or goats grazing, but one resident admits theyre for determining if your husbands at the bar.. The listing content relating to real estate for sale on this website comes in part from the IDX Program of Alaska Multiple Listing Service, Inc. (AK MLS). What is now the Begich Towers was part of that plan. The building was named for Army civil engineer Colonel Walter William Hodge (pictured), the commanding officer of the 93rd Engineer Regiment on the Alcan Highway. During the summer the towns population swells as boaters, fishermen, seasonal workers, and tourists descend upon the small port. It was built in 1954 . booj. Still, he has convinced some of them to be baptized again; the harbor is too cold, so he sets up a large inflatable pool in the middle of the church room. It is a must see in Whittier . Another Good Friday disaster would strike in March of 1989. 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