The Buckner Building

A couple of weeks ago, Jeff and I took a little day trip to Whittier, Alaska. To get to Whittier, we had to pay $12, and drive through the "longest combined vehicle-railroad tunnel in North America." We drove 2.5 miles on railroad tracks directly through a mountain, and arrived at the weirdest place I've ever been-Whittier. It's a cruise ship/ferry port/fish processing/railroad town. At least I think that's what it is. There weren't clearly marked roads, and no identifiable "downtown" or "main street." We were often driving on what felt like parking lots or private drives. We were never quite sure.

The strangest part of the town was the enormous abandoned building high up on the hillside that overlooked the town. Jeff said he thought it might be an old sanatorium for tuberculosis patients in the 1940s. We drove up to the old building, parked right next to it, and began exploring.  

 There were no signs or fences or anything to keep people from entering the building. We were nervous the entire time, thinking we would get arrested, but no one seemed to notice us out-of-towners. 

 We walked briefly into the building. There were sounds of dripping and plenty of decay. Stalactite had formed on the ceiling, and it stunk of mildew.We found out that this was actually an enormous housing unit during World War II, when troops were stationed at Whittier. In its prime, it was known as "the city within a city." It had a shooting range, jail, grocery store, etc.

This is a loading dock that led directly into a...

 Theatre! I only had my camera phone, so this photo is obviously horrible. But if you look closely you can see the edge of the stage, and the audience seats. Jeff found the old dimmers, and declared they were a lot like the ones he had in his high school. I was thrilled. I stood for a long time on the stage and wondered what kind of plays they put on. I went into the audience and thought about teenagers on dates and men in military uniforms. We even wandered back stage, and checked out the dressing room. I thought about the actors putting on make-up, and wondered if they were nervous. I thought about who might be the star. I wondered if she was well known in the building. Did people recognize her from the plays she starred in, in that little theatre in Whittier? Did she go to the bar, down the hall, and float on the high from her performance? Was there a man in the audience who quietly fell in love with her acting, and pursued her? Did she have a fling with the stage hand?

I bet she did. :)

I feel so lucky to have stumbled into that theatre. I feel generally titillated and scared at the enormity of this abandoned "city." Some people say bears are spotted in there sometimes. I wonder if they ever wander onto the stage...

I love that I got to check out this weird old building in Whittier, which I now call "Weirdier." 

We explored the rest of Whittier, but the Buckner Building was definitely worth the $12 tunnel ride.

xo
Alli

PS-We told Jeff's boss about our Whittier trip, and he said, "Ya know what they say-nothing's crappier than being in Whittier. But they don't say 'crappier'. " :-)