Historic Anchorage Hotel

Historic Anchorage Hotel paranormal

Location submitted by: sdonley on 02/03/2011
DBA Approved: Y

Larger Map

PANICd#: 1065

Situated in the heart of downtown Anchorage, the hotel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is the only historic hotel among Anchorage lodging properties.

330 E Street
Anchorage , AK 99501
Phone: 800-544-0988
Open to the public: Unknown

http://www.historicanchoragehotel.c...

Lat: 61.2188863
Lon: -149.8916264

Database Summary:

Demographic Rank: 6
History: 2
Stories: 3
Claims: 8
Evidence: 0
Resources: 0
Retrievals: 4053
Vistor Rating: 4.0
Votes: 1

Rate this Location
<- Get Location Badge Code

History

History information is some background and history about the location. This is meant to be a basic summary. Below the history records you will find sources in which you can click on to find out more information. There may be multiple history records per location.

Walking Tour Video of the Hotel

Added by: sdonley on 02/04/2011 DB#:81
Source(s):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWI6Xj-dIAg

Situated in the heart of downtown Anchorage, the hotel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is the only historic hotel among Anchorage lodging properties. Anchorage was in its infancy when the original Anchorage Hotel structure, located on the corner of 3rd Avenue and E Street, was built. By 1936, the city of Anchorage was growing so rapidly that the Anchorage Hotel needed to expand. Our current building, the Anchorage Hotel Annex, was built across the alleyway on 3rd Avenue and a sky bridge was constructed connecting the two buildings. For many years the Anchorage Hotel served as Anchorage's primary meeting and gathering place. At one time, it was the only place in the new city where you could enjoy a meal served on fine china with linen and silver.

For dignitaries and celebrities traveling to the new territory of Alaska, the Anchorage Hotel was the premier place to stay. Will Rogers and Wiley Post stayed at the Anchorage Hotel just two days before their fateful flight to Barrow. Famous mountain man Bob Marshall stayed here as well. Perhaps the most notable guest of the Anchorage Hotel, however, was famous artist Sydney Laurence. Many of Mr. Laurence's years in Alaska were spent painting in his studio, located in the hotel lobby, while he lived in an upstairs apartment. Mr. Laurence is most remembered for his beautiful paintings of Mt. McKinley and Alaska's scenery.

Over time, the original downtown Anchorage Hotel structure was sold and eventually torn down. The Annex building continued to operate, but for many years it was neglected and allowed to fall into a state of disrepair. For a while, it even operated as various Anchorage lodging properties under different names. But in 1989, under new ownership, the building was brought back to life and the Historic Anchorage Hotel stands today as an important part of the city's heritage and a strong part of her future.

Added by: sdonley on 02/03/2011 DB#:80
Source(s):
http://www.historicanchoragehotel.com/history.html

Stories

Stories are just that. Stories and personal accounts that have been reported about the location.

A video that explains some of the claims:

Added by: sdonley on 02/04/2011 DB#:1057
Source(s):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gavkuoyj-Ng

Curtains rumbling, shower curtains swaying, pictures flying . . . it's all par for the course at the Historic Anchorage Hotel. Stories of ghostly happenings have been circulating at the hotel for many years, all thought to be related to the death of the first Chief of Police, Jack Sturgus. On February 20, 1921 at 9:15 p.m., Anchorage's first Police Chief John J. "Black Jack" Sturgus was found shot in the back with a bullet from his own gun, steps away from the Historic Anchorage Hotel. It is rumored that his ghost returns to the scene of the crime each year, haunting the location of his untimely death, seeking justice for a crime still unsolved to this day.

Sightings are so frequent that we keep a ghost log in which a number of our guests have shared their encounters. In addition to the ghost of Jack Sturgus, there are several different specters that past guests have seen make their way through our halls and facilities. A more detailed account of some of these ghosts were featured on Today MSNBC.com.

While an abundance of paranormal activity may scare some, we can assure you that the rich and interesting history of the Historic Anchorage Hotel will make for an unforgettable stay.

Added by: sdonley on 02/03/2011 DB#:1055
Source(s):
http://www.historicanchoragehotel.com/history.html

This hotel has had so many ghost sightings that it actually keeps a guest ghost log, and many guests have shared their ghostly encounters. On the second floor of the hotel, guests have reported that they have witnessed the curtains rumble. The shower curtain also sways back and forth, and the picture over the mantelpiece has reportedly flown across the room and hit the coffee table. The ghost most often reported is the city's first chief of police, John J. Sturgus. In 1921, the Anchorage sheriff was shot in the alleyway, and he died while he was being taken to the hospital. But he seems to return to the hotel frequently.

A female ghost is also apparently haunting the hotel. In the 1920s, a lady was supposed to wed her fianc`e, but when he struck it rich in the gold rush, he jilted her on the wedding day. She was so distraught that she hanged herself while wearing her wedding dress. And, you guessed it, she appears in the dress and walks the halls.

Another guest reported to the front desk that he felt restless spirits in the hotel, specifically after he encountered an insane old woman and a happy little boy. Other guests of the hotel have called the front desk and asked the staff to quiet the kids running up and down the hall, but when the staff went to quiet the children, they found none. When they checked the hotel computer, they found that no children were even registered.

Added by: sdonley on 02/03/2011 DB#:1056
Source(s):
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/21457020/

Paranormal Claims

Here are the paranormal claims for this location. These have been found through Internet research, reports from members, or reports from personal interviews. To add a claim, please contact PANICd.com, and we will review and add your information.

Claim #	Added	Added By	Claim
1350	02/04/2011	sdonley	On the second floor, guests have reports that they have witnessed the curtains rumble.
1351	02/04/2011	sdonley	On the second floor, the shower curtains also sway back and forth.
1352	02/04/2011	sdonley	A picture over a mantelpiece was thrown across the room and hit a coffee table.
1353	02/04/2011	sdonley	An apparition of John J. Sturgus, the sheriff who was killing in 1921, has been seen.
1354	02/04/2011	sdonley	An apparition of a female wearing a wedding dress has been seen walking the hallways.
1355	02/04/2011	sdonley	An apparition of a "happy little boy" has been seen.
1356	02/04/2011	sdonley	An apparition of an "insane old woman" has been seen.
1357	02/04/2011	sdonley	Children have been heard running up and down the halls, although no children were booked into the hotel.

Historic Anchorage Hotel

Database Summary:

History

Stories

Paranormal Claims

Paranormal Evidence

Additional Resources

Location Comments