Built in 1908, this attractive, hip-roofed building was the northern terminus of Alaska’s first telegraph connection to the contiguous United States, the Washington-Alaska Military Cable and Telegraph System. The submarine cable was the first of its kind. Along with an Army fort built in Haines, it was part of a U.S. military effort to shore up the nation’s claim to Alaska during a border dispute with Canada. The building houses Sitka’s public radio station upstairs and ground-floor Beak Restaurant. The deck’s a great spot to watch the sunset. Apple trees on the grounds are part of Sitka’s efforts at developing locally grown foods.
