The McCabe College building, currently occupied by the Skagway Museum and City Hall, was built in 1899 of native granite brought from Clifton on the WP & YR railroad. The Methodist school, named for Bishop McCabe, was Alaska’s first institution of higher education. Facing financial difficulties, private McCabe College closed after only three terms. From 1901 until 1956, the building served as the U.S. Court House with the U.S. Marshal’s office and jail on the first floor. District Court was held on the second floor in the former chapel of McCabe College. In 2000, the City of Skagway completed a new addition to the venerable McCabe building. The Skagway Museum, open daily in the summer, is a fascinating storehouse of Skagway history from the gold rush to present.
