If you walk around the Sheldon Jackson campus this month, the pounding of hammers may draw you toward the Laundry Building, also known as the Smokestack. Up on the roof, not construction workers, but a group of young adults are enthusiastically ripping, sawing, and shingling. Since mid-July, a group of 26 college-age students and recent graduates from all over the country and abroad have been hard at work rehabilitating the roof of this historic landmark, built over 100 years ago. The critical repair will buy much-needed time for the building, which was in danger of eventual collapse.

Decked out in hard hats, goggles, and work gloves, the restoration team gathers in Whitmore Hall at 8 o'clock in the morning to hear the plan for the day. Team members, who hail from 13 colleges and hometowns ranging from Rio de Janeiro to Boston, listen as Larry Jackson, program facilitator and 18-year veteran of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, starts the meeting off with a few safety reminders. Larry is known to keep everyone's attention with gruesome stories of workplace hazards (ask him about nail guns if you get the chance). Next, local contractor Pete Weiland lays out the day's tasks. For most of the team, this project is an introduction to construction work, and Pete's teaching and guidance is invaluable. Over the course of the four-week project, team members have been learning how to build scaffolding, replace skip sheathing, measure rafter angles according to the Roof Framer's Bible, and protect a roof from the unpredictable and wet weather of coastal Alaska. In workshops and lectures from local guest speakers, the team has also gained a deeper understanding of the process and importance of historic restoration, learned how to restore and re-glaze windows, and become acquainted with the fascinating history of the campus. Today, armed with new skills and eager to learn more, the students climb the scaffolding, scale the roof, and get to work. And what dirty work it is!

Relief comes every day in the form of Carol Odess, Sitka Fine Arts Camp donor, cheerleader, and hard-hat wearing member of the restoration team.  Carol arrives each day at 10am and 3pm with abundant refreshments and snacks for the whole crew, along with fishing stories, a bright smile, and unfailing energy.

Carol is invested in the project for good reason. Not only is the Laundry building important to the Sitka Fine Arts Camp as a usable space, it also represents a key piece in the history of the town and Alaska as a whole. One of seven National Historic Landmarks in Sitka, the Sheldon Jackson Campus was designed by the New York-based architecture firm Ludlow and Peabody and completed in 1911. Inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement in England, the architects used strong and honest materials, such as Douglas Fir, to build these solid structures. 

Photo by Anna Meloyan

 In the original plan, the Laundry Building played an important role. It housed the central boilers used to heat the entire campus. Enabled by lax building codes that encouraged creative freedom and designed to be long-lasting, the architects implemented an ingenious structural system. To allow for an open floorplan with no interior walls, three trusses played a key role. The three main trusses were used as collar ties to keep the exterior walls plumb, support the very heavy expansion tank, and carry the ceiling. The adjacent rafters hold up the ridge and the ridge holds up the trusses. This unique structural system has kept the building straight and square for over 100 years. When finished, the open space will be used for the many artistic and musical endeavors at the Sitka Fine Arts Camp and as a multi-purpose art space for the community.

The Historic Restoration Team continues the legacy of the Sheldon Jackson campus, with its historic emphasis on hands-on learning. In the many hours spent working on the roof, members of the team have not only acquired new skills and realized the value of working with their hands, but have also built a connection to the past. By preserving a physical space, this project also preserves the idea of all of the people who have used the campus over the past century. In Sitka, the Sheldon Jackson campus is a vital link to the rich history of the place.

In addition to immersing themselves in the history of Sitka, volunteers have also taken every chance to join in the community life here. Weekends are spent exploring Sitka and getting to know the locals. As soon as the workday ends, volunteers grab their daypacks and head out to hike, run, fish, and walk around town. "We feel very welcome and relaxed here, with time to explore the town and take time for ourselves," says Elena Stamatakos, a graduate student in Earth Sciences at Stanford. Smaller factions of the restoration team can regularly be found hanging out at the Backdoor Café, playing ultimate Frisbee at the tri-weekly pickup games, or enjoying open mic night at Larkspur Sunday brunch.

One of the most rewarding things for the team is being part of a large and ongoing effort by the Sitka community to revitalize the campus. "It's wonderful and inspiring how the community has come together over this project," says Emily Goldfield, a rising sophomore at Stanford University. "The rehabilitation of this campus is evidence of the amazing things that can be accomplished when a group of people are determined to save something they love."

The restoration team thanks the Sitka community for welcoming them with such warmth, and encourages everyone to stop by the campus and check out the work they have been doing.