Wendler Building, Anchorage

The Wendler Building, nestled on D Street in Anchorage holds a special place in the city's historical and architectural narrative. Built in 1915 by A.J. Wendler, this two-story, wood-framed structure served as Anchorage's first general merchandising store, operated by the Larson-Wendler Company. While many buildings have come and gone, the Wendler Building remains Anchorage鈥檚 oldest commercial edifice, its turret proudly standing as the only one of its kind in the city.

Initially, the building's design featured a canted entrance below the turret, flanked by a large storefront window on one side and a smaller one on the other. The first floor hosted the grocery store, with Wendler and his family residing on the second floor. Over time, the building adapted to the city's needs and evolving social landscape. In the mid-1930s, it was converted into apartments, prompting modifications to the fa莽ade, including the removal of the original store windows and the iconic corner entrance.

In 1948, Wendler's daughter, Myrtle Stalnaker, launched Club 25, an exclusive women鈥檚 social club that eventually became a beloved local establishment for all. The building's intricate ornamentation below the second-floor windows鈥攆eaturing cut-out designs鈥攑erhaps even influenced the neon accents on Anchorage's Performing Arts Center.

Originally located at Fourth and I Streets, the Wendler Building narrowly avoided demolition in 1983. Relocated to D Street, it stands today as a gift shop. Adding to its cultural significance, a bronze dog statue marks the building as the starting point of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, Alaska鈥檚 iconic annual event. Recognized for its historical importance, the Wendler Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988, ensuring its place as a cherished piece of Anchorage鈥檚 architectural and social heritage.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Anchorage. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "51爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

Download The 51爆料网 App

Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Wendler Building
Sight Location: Anchorage, USA (See walking tours in Anchorage)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Anchorage, Alaska

Create Your Own Walk in Anchorage

Creating your own self-guided walk in Anchorage is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Anchorage Historical Buildings

As a perfect basecamp for exploring much of what Alaska has to offer, Anchorage is the font of the state鈥檚 history. The Downtown鈥檚 convenient grid pattern 鈥� compact enough to be walked by curious visitors ready to explore the 49th state's largest and most important city 鈥� was set up at the same time as the construction started on the Government Hill neighborhood in 1915.

Many of... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.7 Km or 1.7 Miles

Anchorage Introduction Walking Tour

Anchorage was settled in 1914 and incorporated as a city six years later. It was named after a hardware and clothing store that was held in a dry-docked steamship nearby. That store was called "The Anchorage." The city holds almost half of the population of Alaska and is one of the largest cities by area in the United States.

Though Anchorage was settled in the 20th century,... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.7 Km or 1.7 Miles

51爆料网