Anchorage Hotel Annex (Anchorage, AK)

It sure has been a busy week.  I started this blog because I had a little too much free time on my hands and somehow it's almost vanished this past week.  I started a new job, had a house guest and have been trying to soak up as much vitamin D as possible.  Doesn't leave much time for blogging.

At any rate, today I'm posting a bit on the Anchorage Hotel Annex.  Located at the corner of 4th and E, this building gets overlooked for an obvious reason.  A bear.  Yup, a bear.  The first floor retail space is a souvenir shop and to get tourists' attention, they've placed a pretty large bear on the corner of the building.  I honestly didn't notice that the building was historic until walking around the side to the hotel entrance.

If you can get past the bear (which could be considered an adverse effect if you really think about it), you'll notice that the building has a sorta gothic moderne style to it.  It was designed by E. Ellsworth Sedille in 1936 as an addition to the original Anchorage Hotel which was located where the Hilton currently stands. 

I found a few photos online of the original Anchorage Hotel and this was the only photo that showed the two buildings together and how they compliment each other.  Below is the current juxtaposition:

The Anchorage Hotel Annex is a good example of second generation Anchorage architecture. 

I think as the weather continues to get nicer and the days continue to get longer, my posts will continue to get shorter.  I'm sure I'll make up for it in December...