Victor Shen also works with students here and he's also a graduate. The towers are not 100% occupied. During World War II the US Army set up military facilities in what is now the town of Whittier. The complex has a shop . The Alaska Railroad Corporation is the majority landowner in Whittier, but it doesnt pay property taxes, and it employs few residents. 2021 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Photos from a recent listing: In Whittier population turnover can be high, understandable given the lack of consistent, year-round work. Because Whittier is surrounded by mountains, connecting it to other towns required significant tunneling. He is also the only officer who lives in town. Erika lives in high up in the Begich Towers, a large pastel building that like it would be more at home in New Jersey than small town Alaska. Disclaimer: ActiveRain, Inc. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. A visitor recounted a conversation with the resident volunteer firefighter when apainfully loud fire alarm went off inside BTI. Are you sure you want to report this blog entry as spam? Three years later, the Army transferred ownership of the two giant Cold War-era buildings (Buckner & Hodge) to the state of Alaska, which then deeded them to Whittier in 1973. Dickason said, "No one's going to build a home on property that they don't own.". Home Details for 401 Begich Towers Property Information Year Built Year Built: 1940 LGBTQ Local Legal Protections Homes for Rent Near 401 Begich Towers Off Market Homes Near 401 Begich Towers 401 Begich Towers, Whittier, AK 99693 is a 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom, 740 sqft property built in 1940. The building was designed in 1953 to host the headquarters of the US Army Corps of Engineers. Outsiders have called Whittier the strangest town in Alaska. There's a post office, a notary, even a church, all just an elevator's ride away. It was named the Hodge Building in memory of Colonel William Walter Hodge, commander of the 93rd Engineer Regiment on the Alcan Highway. The Begich Towers Condominium Association of Apartment Owners was incorporated in 1974 as a 196-unit condo community. The population drops to less than two hundred, and the streets empty as most of the town moves back indoors. When it was finished, it was the longest tunnel in America. Adjustment is not easy, nor guaranteed, for those who make an attempt. RE/MAX, LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer and supports the Fair Housing Act and equal opportunity housing. I mean, when you think of all those things that you value in a community, we found that here. The visitor asked the firefighter what he should do. It is 14 floors high and is made up of three modules connected together. Wealthy residents of New York who pay big bucks for condos with in-house amenities could only dream of such lavish luxury. Contact Address: 110 Kenai Street Whittier, AK 99693 Phone Number: (907) 472-2484 Home AK Whittier Begich Towers Apartments Report an Issue Contact this Property (907) 472-2484 On our first night in town, a small earthquake hit, but we thought it was just another gust of wind rattling the windowpanes. After its military service the building was modified for civilian life. Call or text 9073010189 for information on Buyer's Representation Services(NO COST TO HOME BUYERS). This has earned Whittier the nickname of a "town under one roof".[1]. Enjoy waterfall views from the 6th floor and an abundance of awesome outdoor activities. 301, begich towers condominiums, as shown on the floor plans filed in the office of the recorder of the anchorage recording district, third judicial district, state of alaska, under plat number w74-1, and as identified in the declaration recorded march 26, 1974, book 2, page 571, and in any The only way to get to Whittier is to drive through a one-lane railroad tunnel through the middle of a mountain. Whittier AK is located just fifty miles outside of Anchorage. Begich Towers is located in the 99693 Zip code of Whittier, AK. While the United States was engaged in World War II, resources were temporarily diverted away from Whittier, leaving little activity in the area for the next five years. In fact, what makes Whittier unique is that all the locals live in one large 14-story building! This propelled Whittier into a more important role as other regional ports who suffered more damage were inoperable. from . Completed in 1957, the building has a rectangular plan and a flat roof. The area where modern-day Whittier sits was . It was named the Hodge Building in memory of Colonel William Walter Hodge, commander of the 93rd Engineer Regiment on the Alcan Highway. The plumbing system is certainly overworked. What is now the Begich Towers was part of that plan. On Good Friday in March of 1964, the second most powerful earthquake in recorded history buckled the floor underneath Prince William Sound, registering a whopping 9.2 magnitude on the Richter scale. During our time in town, a number of residents alluded to Whittiers wilder days, when you could go there to escape life on the other side of the tunnel. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); UnusualPlaces.org is your guide to quirky, weird and beautiful places to visit around the world. At night the tunnel is closed. The average 3 Bedroom Apartment in Whittier is $1,585. When Pastor Kevin Jones got a call from God to become a missionary, a friend suggested he go to Alaska. Editor: Steven Tyler. Real estate listings held by brokerage firms other than , are marked with either the listing brokerage's logo or the AK MLS logo and information about them includes the name of the listing brokerage. Whittier was an active military port until September 1st, 1960, at which time the facilities were placed on inactive status. Some have a combination of all four!. A 1956 Fairbanks Daily News-Miner articlereported the new construction in Whittier: The tower steel and concrete Hodge Building might have been lifted out of New York City and dropped into the Alaskan wilderness intact. Thank you for reading about Begich Towers Condos in Whittier AK. The apartment buildingsknown as Begich Towerswent viral on TikTok when podcaster Olivia Snake (@livvontheedge) posted a video about the strange . "I read yellow is a happy color," Dempster said. Hes been here ever since. The state of Alaska is rugged and beautiful beyond compare. Those who stayed behind occupied the first four floors of the Hodge Building; other floors remained unoccupied. Each room has a big-screen TV, WiFi, and sweeping views of Alaska. ", Beverly Walts has been bartending at the Anchor Inn ever since she moved to Whittier from Texas in the early 1990s. During his tenure, Lester has been interested in gaining exposure for Whittier and really putting it on the map; he has recently been in talks with two reality television production companies and the producers of a Gerard Butler submarine movie. When completed, the one-mile railroad tunnel through Begich Peak and the 2.5-mile railroad tunnel through Maynard Mountain combined for 13,300 feet. The weather in this corner of Alaska is very unpredictable - winds blow at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour and snowfall reaches 250, The building was built in 1956 and during. Owner Financing is Available! Adventure Tours. As the closest town to the disaster, Whittier was an important base camp for authorities and clean-up crews, and its rail barges shipped the hazardous material out of Alaska. With most of the residences within the town of Whittier AK being located in the Begich Towers Condos, it is no surprise this really is the center of town. When the Army pulled out of Whittier in 1960, the handful of remaining residents turned BTI into a condo, but the Buckner Building was simply abandoned. He was born and raised in Whittier, and came back because it's home. Public accommodations protections include being unfairly refused services or entry to or from places accessible to the public (retail stores, restaurants, parks, hotels, etc). In 1941 the United States military took an interest in Whittier to function as the backup port to the primary one at Seward, about 50 miles to the south. It can shatter windshields and rip your car doors right off. In 1964, the area was hit by a tsunami caused by the Good Friday earthquake, but the damage was not extensive. And you always have someone to talk to.". In March of 1974 the Hodge Building was officially renamed Begich Towers in honor of Alaska Congressman Nick Begich(pictured), who went missing in October of 1972 after control towers lost contact with his Cessna 310. Your email address will not be published. Until he moved away, Pastor Kevin Jones, a Southern Baptist, presided over a mostly Catholic congregation. ActiveRain, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, ]. "But, everything's here. The Hodge and the Buckner Composite building, dubbed a city under one roof, are the largest most modern inhabited structures built by the Corps of Engineers since the Pentagon.. Colonel Hodge died in a B-26 crash over Mount Hood in 1949. Do additional legal protections exist for the LGBTQ community at the state level in Alaska? Most of the 200-odd residents of the Alaskan town of Whittier all live in the same 14-story condominium - Begich Towers - located on the edge of town. Depending upon placement within the towers, each unit has an unobstructed view of the harbor and bay or the mountains and waterfalls. In the basement of the Hodge Building, the plastic-lined water containers were also undisturbed. June Miller runs June's Whittier Condo Suites, a bed and breakfast on the fourteenth and fifteenth floors of Begich Towers. That's why people prefer to live in the building. Begich was flying with House majority leader Hale Boggs from Anchorage to Juneau when the incident occurred. Did you know about these amazing buildings before? On our first night in town, a small earthquake hit, but we thought it was just another gust of wind rattling the windowpanes. In the summertime you can look out and see whales breaching in the harbor, or mountain goats grazing on the slopes across the water, but mostly people use binoculars to spy on their neighbors. The Hodge Building was transformed into a public building with several units, including the headquarters of the major institutions and commercial services of Whittier. Jim carves figures of Alaskan animals out of native Alaskan ivory. ]. The search was called off after 39 days; the plane and its four passengers were never found. In the winter he keeps warm with space heaters and staves off boredom by watching movies and reading books on his iPad. And for good reason: Sustained winds of sixty miles per hour are not uncommon. Ironically, when the conversion was finished, more people moved out. The military was drawn to Whittier for many reasons, primarily because it is the states only year-round ice-free deep-water port. The drive through tunnel closes every night at 10:30 pm. Today the asking price has risen to $35,000. Non-residents can enter the 1s floor where the city offices are and the top two floors where there is a bed and breakfast. All desirable qualities for the military, to be sure however its drawback was its isolation; at the time the region had no rail or vehicular access. Post with kindness. He was a violent racist and he hated blacks and Natives, so I always thought that building reflected him: all torn-down and abandoned.. About an. The east tower was built first, followed by the middle tower, and finally the west tower, which was finished in 1957. To some, it may just be the strangest town in Alaska, but for residents Whittier seems to be the answer to the call of the wild. Begich Towers also has a bed and breakfast, and guests are welcome to come. It was built by the military in 1956 for soldiers and their families and later became a home for civilians in 1973. (See it on Google Street view). Theres no real threat of crime or terrorism. The firefighters response:Go back to your condo and shut the door so you can avoid the noise. CV Raman Birth Anniversary: Rare Footage Of Indian Scientist In Sweden To Receive Nobel Prize. "We don't need all of the big box stores," said Dave. However, things are changing here. Despite the ambitious plan, these buildings were the only two to be built, and they were used by the US Army until the early 1960s; the Buckner Building has been abandoned since 1966.[3]. Each office independently owned and operated. It was promoted as the City Under One Roof.. Begich Towers is nearly earthquake and fire-proof. [2] After the war, the military planned to develop a large complex in the area. Home prices range between $45,000 to $90000. The Begich Towers Condominium is a building in the small city of Whittier, Alaska. The weather in this corner of Alaska is very unpredictable - winds blow at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour and snowfall reaches 250 inches and sometimes 400 inches. On December 17th, 1945 the Army allowed the Alaska Railroad Company (the towns chief non-government tenant) to assume operations in Whittier. About 300 or so residents live here year-round, many of them new families. Brenda Tolman is known for the two reindeer she keeps in a pen across the street from Begich Towers, but she also spends much of her time making wood carvings, dolls, jewelry and other crafts to sell to tourists at her shop on the harbor. This property is not currently available for sale. In 1974, the large, extraordinarily secure building became a large condominium complex, ideally suited to shield residents from the harsh Alaskan climate. Explore selling options, sales history, home details and more on . Dr. Michael Costa is a visiting dentist who spends nearly half his year traveling between Alaskan villages, and Erik Linduska is a dental health aide therapist based out of King Cove. There are benefits to living in the Begich Towers. Actor's Brother Spills The Beans, Cricketer Virat Kohli Says His Wife Anushka Sharma Has Made Massive Sacrifices As A Mother, New Meme Unlocked: Pakistani Cooking Show Contestant Presents Store-Bought Biryani To Judges, Goes Viral, Is Introducing A Sex Toy To Your Love Life A Good Idea? [5], Last edited on 21 December 2022, at 18:47, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Northern Enclosure: Alaska's One-House Town, Home to Hundreds", "Army's Seaport On Glacier Rim Is Unique City", "Begich Towers, home to about half the population of Whittier, gets a much-needed overhaul", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Begich_Towers&oldid=1128738094, Majority of Whittier's population, local government, public services and businesses. LGBTQ Legal Protections updated by Movement Advancement Project, Trulia is a registered Trademark of Zillow, Inc. Zillow, Inc. holds real estate brokerage, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Zillow Group is committed to ensuring digital accessibility for individuals with disabilities. Not everyone who tries to live in Begich Towers can take ita newcomer from Florida compared it to jailand there simply isnt much space on which to build alternate housing, I dont know where Whittier is going, the city manager told us. The tower was built in the 1950s and features elevators. Begich Towers also features a small bed and breakfast so that visitors can experience Whitters warm sense of community. The Pre-K through 12th grade student population of Whittier Community School typically ranges from 30-40 students. The Whittier Glacier and the eponymous town were named for American poet John Greenleaf Whittier. A tiny community in Alaska takes standard "small town" vibes to a whole new level though. Your email address will not be published. Still, he has convinced some of them to be baptized again; the harbor is too cold, so he sets up a large inflatable pool in the middle of the church room. ", A few weeks ago, Jenessa started posting about her life in the building on TikTok, and soon had millions of views and just about as many questions. "Yeah, it's a very strange town, because there's only one way in and one way out," said resident Lee Shuford. Begich Towers also has a video rental spot, laundry, and at one point there was even a tanning bed. The description and property data below may have been provided by a third party, the homeowner or public records. The post office is near the buildings entrance and the police station is just down the hall. Enjoy the excellent mountain and waterfall views from this 2 bedroom, 1 bath fifth floor condo in Begich Towers. The building was designed in 1953 to host the headquarters of the US Army Corps of Engineers. Comfortable floor plans and panoramic views will make you feel right at home in the Begich Towers Condos in Whittier AK. A few years ago, a pot grower on the 10th floor had just finished a harvest and decided to get rid of some of the evidence by flushing it down the toilet. When the second largest earthquake in recorded history leveled much of southern Alaska in 1964, the 14-story Cold War relic was one of few structures to survive. Good access to hiking and some of the area's best fishing in Prince William Sound.. Year Built: 1954. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. From 1941 until 1943 Army engineer Anton Anderson led the largest tunneling project in United States history. The structure is notable for being the residence for nearly the entire population of the city as well as containing many of its public facilities. Even a school called Whittier School is connected to a tunnel on the ground floor of the West tower so students can walk to school without going out in the cold during winter. A police station, grocery store, clinic, church, convenience store, and school are all housed within the structure. Whittier sits on the western edge of the Prince William Sound. that are written by the members of this community. Each office is independently owned and operated. Over the years the building has started to look a little rundown. Powered by "But, I've gotten used to it.". 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The structure go to Alaska is nearly earthquake and fire-proof is just down the hall western edge of 93rd...
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