Buckner Building

History

During the early stages of World War II, General Simon Buckner commanded the defense of Alaska and was concerned they would be attacked by air. To protect the troops, General Buckner recommended a facility that was independent from local power plants, bomb-proof, and that had sufficient storage spaces. Whittier, Alaska was the perfect place to have this military base.

First, the bay area around Whittier, Alaska has deep-water ports that stay ice-free year round. With Whittier being one of two all-weather railroad ports that supplied Anchorage with military necessities, it was important that it would stay functioning and safeguarded. Second, the almost constant cloud coverage would protect the facility from air strikes.

Annex

The Cold War triggered the United States Army Corps of Engineers to quickly build housing and recreational spaces for 1,000 soldiers moving to Whittier. The Composite Bachelor Housing Service and Recreation Center, also known as the Buckner Building, was completed in 1953. This combined building had a mess hall, sleeping quarters, movie theatre, bowling alley, small jail, and tunnels connecting the town of Whittier, Alaska.

The building used to be one of the largest in Alaska, often being referred to as "the city under one roof". The building is six stories tall, about 500 feet long by 50–150 feet wide and is approximately 275,000 square feet. The building was cast in place by reinforced concrete on slate/greywacke bedrock, 8,1.

Earthquake

In 1964, Whittier was hit by an earthquake that lasted about four and a half minutes. A total of 13 people died in Whittier and damages to federal and privately owned land was estimated to cost over $5 million. The Buckner Building was slightly damaged, though it was minimized due to the foundation being on bedrock, as opposed to the majority of the town which rests on unconsolidated sediment and therefore received more damage. The Buckner Building also runs northeast–southwest, oblique to the seismic motion, decreasing the effect of the earthquake on the building. There was no structural damage to the building, and subsequent inspections found the building to be in good condition.

Decline

The building continued to operate until 1966, at which point the military pulled out and the Port of Whittier was transferred to the General Services Administration. After the military left, the ownership of the Buckner Building went through a handful of private citizens, starting in 1972. At one point, it was owned by Pete Zamarello who wanted to turn it into the state prison. With the windows and doors missing, the elements began to take it over in the 1980s. Water infiltrated, leaving the building in a constant state of freezing and thawing.

The building went into foreclosure in 2016. The city assumed ownership and a fence was built to keep trespassers out. A structural assessment of the building in 2016 concluded that it was unlikely that any significant portion of the building could be rehabilitated for occupancy.

References

References

1. "Shadow of abandoned Buckner Building looms over Whittier".
2. "Chapter IX: The Garrisoning of Alaska, 1939-41".
3. "Whittier History".
4. Kachadoorian, Reuben. (1965). "Effects of the earthquake of March 27, 1964, at Whittier, Alaska". U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper.
5. "Whittier Alaska : Reed Young".
6. "DEC's Brownfield Assessment and Cleanup Projects".
7. Earthquake, National Research Council (U S. ) Committee on the Alaska. (1968). "The Great Alaska Earthquake of 1964". National Academies.
8. Reitter, Bart. (2011). "The Horseman: A Travel Memoir". iUniverse.
9. (1973). "The Great Alaska Earthquake of 1964, Part 1". National Research Council (U.S.). Committee on the Alaska Earthquake.
10. "In isolated Whittier, officials crack down on Buckner Building trespassers".
11. Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation. (27 January 2016). "Structural Assessment for Remedial Design The Buckner Building". Coffman Engineers.
12. Edge, Megan. “In Isolated Whittier, Officials Crack Down on Buckner Building Trespassers.” ''Anchorage Daily News'', 15 May 2014. https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/article/trespassing-buckner-building-actually-enforced/2014/05/15/
13. Fitzgerald, Clare. “Alaska’s Buckner Building: A Former Cold War-Era Military Base.” ''AbandonedSpaces.com'', 20 Apr. 2022. https://www.abandonedspaces.com/conflict/buckner-building-whittier-alaska.html