Dutch Harbor Naval Operating Base and Fort Mears, U.S. Army
National Historic Landmark

Dutch Harbor Naval Operating Base and Fort Mears, U.S. Army

Unalaska, Aleutian Islands County, Alaska
Listed
February 4, 1985
Type
District
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
85002733

About this property

The Dutch Harbor Naval Operating Base and Fort Mears were the two military installations built next to each other in Dutch Harbor, on Amaknak Island of the Aleutian Islands in Alaska, by the United States in response to the growing war threat with Imperial Japan during World War II. In 1938, the Navy Board recommended the construction which began in July 1940. The first United States Army troops arrived in June 1941 and an air base constructed by the United States Navy was finished in September 1941. At the time of the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, these were the only military installations in the Aleutian Islands. On June 3–4, 1942, the two bases were bombed by Japanese planes operating from two aircraft carriers in a two-day event known as the Battle of Dutch Harbor, marking the first enemy aircraft strike on the American continent in history.

Location

Unalaska, Aleutian Islands County, Alaska
53.90418, -166.53659

Categories

MILITARY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Sitka Spruce Plantation
Listed
1.2 mi
Church of the Holy Ascension
Early Republic
1.9 mi

Nearby Battles

Dutch Harbor Attack (Alaska)
1942Modern
0.6 mi
Battle of Dutch Harbor
1942Modern
0.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Dutch Harbor Naval Operating Base and Fort Mears, U.S. Army listed on the National Register?

Dutch Harbor Naval Operating Base and Fort Mears, U.S. Army was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 4, 1985.

What type of historic resource is Dutch Harbor Naval Operating Base and Fort Mears, U.S. Army?

Dutch Harbor Naval Operating Base and Fort Mears, U.S. Army is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Dutch Harbor Naval Operating Base and Fort Mears, U.S. Army a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Dutch Harbor Naval Operating Base and Fort Mears, U.S. Army has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Dutch Harbor Naval Operating Base and Fort Mears, U.S. Army?

The period of significance for Dutch Harbor Naval Operating Base and Fort Mears, U.S. Army is recorded as the industrial era, specifically around 1938.

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