Point Barrow Refuge Station

The Point Barrow Refuge Station is a historic building in the Browerville section of Utqiagvik, Alaska (formerly Barrow). Built in 1889, it is the oldest wood-frame building in Utqiagvik. Its main portion is a rectangular structure with a steeply-pitched gable roof, to which a number of additions have been made. One early addition was a shed-roof section, with the capacity to hold 20 tons of coal; this structure later became the main room of Brower's Cafe. The building is now finished in weatherboard, but was original sheathed in vertical planking.

Point Barrow Refuge Station
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Alaska Heritage Resources Survey
Location	Along Brower Street, Browerville, Utqiagvik, Alaska
Coordinates	71°17′54″N 156°46′23″W
Area	less than one acre
Built	1889 (1889)
Built by	US Revenue Service;Captain Michael A. Healy
NRHP reference No.	80004563[1]
AHRS No.	BAR-012
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	December 2, 1980
Designated AHRS	November 24, 1972

The building was originally erected to house a rescue and support station for whaling ships, but served in this role only until 1896. It was adapted for use as the Captain Smythe Whaling and Trading Company, a retail establishment, and most recently housed Brower's Cafe.[2]

The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.[1]

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in North Slope Borough, Alaska

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
2. "NRHP nomination for Point Barrow Refuge Station". National Park Service. Retrieved 2015-03-21.