National Historic Landmark

St. Michael's Cathedral

Sitka, Sitka County, Alaska
Listed
October 14, 1966
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
66000165

About this property

St. Michael's Cathedral (Russian: Собор Архангела Михаила, romanized: Sobor Arkhangela Mikhaila; also known as the Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel) is a cathedral of the Orthodox Church in America Diocese of Alaska, at Lincoln and Maksoutoff Streets in Sitka, Alaska. The earliest Orthodox cathedral in the New World, it was built in the nineteenth century, when Alaska was under the control of Russia, though this structure burned down in 1966. After 1872, the cathedral came under the control of the Diocese of Alaska. It had been a National Historic Landmark since 1962, notable as an important legacy of Russian influence in North America and Southeast Alaska in particular. An accidental fire destroyed the cathedral during the night of January 2, 1966, but it was subsequently rebuilt. The new building's green domes and golden crosses are a prominent landmark in Sitka. Some of the icons date to the mid-17th century; two icons are by Vladimir Borovikovsky. St. Michael's Cathedral is located in the downtown business district in Sitka, on the southwestern coast of Baranof Island in the Alexander Archipelago of Southeastern Alaska. Its surroundings along Lincoln Street and Maksoutoff Street, which ends at the cathedral, have not altered much during the last more than 100 years. Harrigan Centennial Hall on Harbor Drive lies behind the cathedral, while Pioneers' Home is to its left. The restored Russian Bishop's House, home of the first Orthodox Bishop of Alaska, Innocent (Veniaminov), is also nearby, operated by the National Park Service as part of the Sitka National Historical Park.

Location

Sitka, Sitka County, Alaska
57.05004, -135.33530

Categories

ARCHITECTURERELIGION
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

Russian-American Building No. 29
Industrial
0.1 mi
US Coast Guard and Geodetic Survey Seismological and Geomagnetic House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Murray Apartments and Cottages
Listed
0.1 mi
Sitka Pioneers' Home
Industrial
0.1 mi
American Flag Raising Site
Early Republic
0.1 mi

Nearby Battles

Tlingit Destruction of Fort St. Michael (Redoubt St. Michael)
1802Early Republic
0.1 mi
Sitka Tlingit Confrontation 1879
1879Indian Wars
0.1 mi
Battle of Sitka (Second Battle / Katlian's War)
1804Early Republic
0.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was St. Michael's Cathedral listed on the National Register?

St. Michael's Cathedral was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 14, 1966.

What type of historic resource is St. Michael's Cathedral?

St. Michael's Cathedral is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is St. Michael's Cathedral a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. St. Michael's Cathedral 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 St. Michael's Cathedral?

The period of significance for St. Michael's Cathedral is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near St. Michael's Cathedral?

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