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Bowers, Peter M. (1998) 4.7 Samson Hardware. In Historical Development of the Chena River Waterfront, Fairbanks, Alaska: An Archaeological Perspective, edited and compiled by Peter M. Bowers and Brian L. Gannon, CD-ROM. Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, Fairbanks.
As part of the Barnette Project, the research team performed an archaeological investigation of the Samson Hardware building, located in the Samson Block area of Garden Island. The area investigated is part of our operational Area G, which lies within the footprint of the north approach to the proposed Barnette Street bridge (Figure 4.4).
Fieldwork included digging one 12x1x1.5 m backhoe trench located 5.5 m south of and parallel to Samson Hardware (Figure 4.4), and investigating the subfloor crawl space beneath the building. The backhoe excavation was carried out during the 1993 field season, and the survey of the space beneath the building was completed in 1996. The purpose of these efforts were: (1) to assess the underlying sediments for archaeological significance; (2) to determine whether or not enough of the original turn of the century architectural features remain to warrant revision of the existing "not eligible" determination for the National Register of Historic Places; and (3) to determine if historically-important artifacts remain in place beneath the building and in areas adjacent to the structure. Additional details of these investigations are given in Appendix 1.
Samson Hardware is located on a point bar deposit of the Chena River, an area prone to periodic flooding and sediment deposition. Historic use of the land on which Samson Hardware is presently located is documented by photographs dating to the summer of 1904. At that time, this prominent gravel bar was used as a tent camp by stampeders newly-arrived from Dawson, and for two years thereafter, by miners and small support businesses such as laundries and freighters (Figure 4.74).
Figure 4.74. View of Fairbanks from the north side of Chena Slough on July 29, 1904. The tent camp in the foreground was later the site of the Samson Hardware complex. Note also the cabin to the right of the NC Co. building across the Chena River, which was excavated in 1992. L.F. Hess, U.S. Geological Survey.
After use of the gravel bar as an ephemeral tent camp, the area quickly became more urbanized. Businesses began to spring up on Garden Island following completion in 1905 of the Turner Street bridge and the Tanana Valley Railroad. Samson Hardware, begun on June 4, 1906,227 was the first permanent business on the so-called Samson Block, and was among the first to be located on the north side of the river (Figure 4.75). The business began with the formation of a partnership by three former Dawson residents, Brambaugh, Hamilton and Kellogg. Following the drastic decline in Fairbanks District gold production in 1910, the partners sold out to Jimmy Barrack, who ran the business from 1912 to 1953. The two subsequent owners of the building have been Johnny Albright (1953-79) and Joseph Jackovich (1979-present).228
Figure 4.75. Samson Hardware and Machinery building is shown in this 1916 photograph during the construction of the steel Cushman Street bridge. The Turner Street bridge is shown to the left, and the Alaska Citizen and H.C. Davis Sash and Door Factory buildings are shown in center frame. National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, 93-261.
The Samson building occupied choice real estate, located at the end of the Turner Street bridge, and was well known for its hardware supplies, machine shop, and blacksmith shop. Samson Hardware was important in supplying the gold fields with mining equipment and machinery (Figure 4.76). The name "Samson" is derived from a well known turn of the century trademark, and has been identified with the building since its inception.229
Figure 4.76. Advertisement for Samson Hardware, 1912.230
The Samson building is a single story, five-sided building measuring approximately 150x100 feet. It is about 14 feet high, with a false front facade. The present exterior of the building is a cinder block wall resting on a concrete foundation. Analysis of historical photographs indicates the original walls were wood frame with corrugated metal siding. The original building featured large storefront windows facing North Turner Street. Following years of floods and settlement, the building was extensively remodeled in 1969-70 after it was condemned by the City of Fairbanks. A more detailed description of the building's history and physical appearance are given in the 1978 National Register nomination231 and in a 1978 historic building survey of Fairbanks.232 Additional details of the Samson Block's history are given in a previous study.233
The space beneath Samson Hardware store varies in height between one to five feet. The modern foundation consists of post and beam construction, of 8x8 vertical posts supporting 8x8 horizontal beams. The posts presently supporting the building were emplaced in 1969-70, during a major renovation of the building following the disastrous flood of 1967.234 The posts are rough cut squared timbers, and are chemically treated at the base to prevent rot. About 6 inches above the ground surface, the timbers are untreated and unpainted. In most places, posts have been set onto and/or into concrete pads slightly larger than the posts themselves. Posts were spaced 4 feet apart.
Resting on top of the vertical posts are 8x8 inch beams, which are secured to the posts by simple toe-nailing with 16d nails. The beams are oriented in an east-west direction. The beams appear to be of the same vintage as the posts, presumably circa 1970. Above the beams are 4x10 inch floor joists which are placed 24 inches on center and oriented north-south. The joists appear to be much older than the post and beam features, and are quite likely original construction. In one place, an old-looking piece of leather was nailed onto the end of a joist.
Located on top of the floor joists are 2x10 inch floor boards. The floor boards are placed directly above the joists and serve as subflooring for a more recent wooden floor. Some silt was observed on the subfloor boards, which presumably dates these to at least the 1967 flood. It is possible that these subfloor boards are of original construction, perhaps dating to as early as 1906.
The Samson building vicinity occupies an area of land formerly used for miners' tents and early support businesses of Fairbanks prior to the development of the Samson and Riverside blocks. One of the main goals of archaeological investigation in Area G was to explore the possibility that significant undisturbed gold rush remains existed beneath and adjacent to the store. Based upon our observations, however, such deposits do not exist. The recovery of an isolated horseshoe and cut stake are possible reminders of early gold rush activities. However, the stratigraphic context from which they were recovered is mixed, as evidenced by the location of a 1942 license plate from the same strata. Cultural filling of the original gravel bar surface was probably undertaken at several times to raise its grade and offset the effects of flooding.
An important part of the investigation of Samson Hardware was determining how much, if any, of the original walls may be present. It had been observed by several Fairbanks preservationists that when the NC Co. building was demolished by Key Bank in 1992, much of the original wooden siding remained beneath the more modern siding. Therefore, it could be argued that a building such as Samson Hardware could retain NRHP eligibility despite undergoing modern changes that merely covered up the original facade. Samson Hardware had been determined not eligible largely due to substantial alterations, notably the concrete block walls which were added as part of major renovations in the late 1960s and early 1970s.235
Our observations of the foundation and base of the walls corroborate the previous determinations that the original appearance and physical integrity of the building have been compromised. On the south and east walls, for example, the modern beams butt directly up against the modern cinder block wall, which in turn rest on a poured concrete footer. Observations regarding the block walls led us to conclude that no remnants of the original wood/corrugated metal walls remain, precluding the possibility of rehabilitation by stripping away the cinder blocks.
From observations in the backhoe trench south of Samson Hardware, the crawl space of the Samson Hardware store, and comparisons with historical photographs, we find that the original National Register of Historic Places nomination236 is essentially correct in assessing that this structure is "not eligible" on the basis of lack of physical integrity. Although the building is quite clearly of major significance to Fairbanks' history, and retains integrity of original location, it has been altered to the extent that its present appearance departs substantially from the original. Based upon historical photographs summarized in the original National Register nomination237 and in Matheson's historic architectural survey of Fairbanks,238 it appears as though the original facade and fenestration of the building existed from 1906 up until major reconstruction took place in 1969-70 following the destructive 1967 flood. Although these are superficial resemblances, the post-renovation appearance and fabric do not compare favorably with the former appearance and fabric. The original external walls were composed of wood and corrugated metal; today's walls are of cinder block. The current pattern of doors and windows clearly does not match those present during the first six decades of this century.
Our analysis of the artifacts and sediments observable beneath and adjacent to the building also indicate that no National Register significance can be ascribed to the Samson building on the basis of its historic archaeological potential. The few artifacts that were observed beneath the building were out of context, and in some cases were highly disturbed by excavations from the late 1960s and early 1970s. The artifacts found in backhoe trench T1 all come from a zone of cultural fill from elsewhere and dumped at this location to raise the grade of the parking lot. Fill beneath the building was mixed by modern reconstruction of the foundation, and not likely to yield intact gold rush deposits. Although the building does represent an important place in Fairbanks' history, and is something of an institution, it is not likely that this site holds potential for yielding information significant to historic archaeology.
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