The Council of Independent Colleges: Historic Campus Architecture Project

Power Plant and Laundry Building

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Power Plant and Laundry Building (general view), Sheldon Jackson College

Power Plant and Laundry Building (detail, front facade), Sheldon Jackson College

Power Plant and Laundry Building (with detail of Fraser Buidling, at right), Sheldon Jackson College

Institution Name: Sheldon Jackson College
Original/Historic Place Name: Power Plant and Laundry Building
Location on Campus: 801 Lincoln St.
Date(s) of Construction:

1910-1911

original design Ludlow & Peabody

Designer: Ludlow and Peabody
Type of Place: Individual building
Style: Other (Glossary)
Significance: architecture, engineering, history
Narrative: see below
References: see below

Materials:

Foundation: concrete, wood

Walls: wood, slate, and plaster

Roof: shingle, shake

Function:

ca. 1911	other (coal storage)
1911-present (2006)	other (laundry)
1911-present (2006)	other (production of steam for most campus buildings)

Narrative:
This building is part of the Ludlow and Peabody plan of 1910-1911. It was uniquely designed to centrally locate production of steam and hot water for the campus. The structure housed the power plant in one portion of the building and the laundry in the other. The power plant, with its dominant chimney, is open to the basement with the chimney rising 60 feet from foundation to the top of the smoke stack. The laundry is only one-story with a loft above. Against the north facade of the power plant portion is a low one-half story shed for coal storage. The concept of heating all campus buildings from one source was innovative at the time. It was being tried in row-house developments in eastern cities but was unique in this campus setting with its fully detached buildings.

The building is in poor condition. Years of use and deferred maintenance have taken their toll, resulting in a building in need of substantial rehabilitation work.

The building received National Historic Landmark Status on August 7th, 2001 and has recently (2003) been nominated as an endangered historic property by the Sitka Historical Society.

References:

Crittendon, Edwin B. Survey [Sheldon Jackson College]. [CCC Architects and Planners, Anchorage, AK], 1987-1995.

Clemens, Janet, Chris Allan, Linda Cook, Heidi Siegel, and Amanda Zeman. Sheldon Jackson School. National Register of Historic Places designation report. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Interior/National Park Service, 1972.