Begich Towers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Begich Towers Condominium |
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The Begich Towers
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| Former names | Hodge Building |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Arcology-esque |
| Location | Whittier, Alaska, United States |
| Current tenants | Majority of Whittier's population, local government, public services and businesses |
| Construction started | 1953 |
| Completed | 1957 |
| Renovated | 2016 |
| Renovation cost | $3 million |
| Client | US Army Corps of Engineers |
| Landlord | Begich Towers Condominium Association of Apartment Owners Inc. |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 14 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Anton Anderson |
| Other information | |
| Number of rooms | 196 (apartments) |
The Begich Towers Condominium is a unique building in the small town of Whittier, Alaska. It's special because almost everyone who lives in Whittier lives in this one building! It also has many of the town's important places inside, like a post office and a store. Because of this, Whittier is often called a "town under one roof."
Contents
A Building with a Past
The area where Whittier is today was first developed during World War II. The U.S. Army chose it as a place to build a port and a base to help move supplies. After the war, the military planned to build a big complex here. The building we now call Begich Towers was part of that plan.
From Military to Community Home
The building was designed in 1953 by Anton Anderson. It was meant to be the main office for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It was first named the Hodge Building. This was in memory of Colonel William Walter Hodge, an army commander.
The Hodge Building was part of a bigger plan for ten similar buildings. But only two were built. The other was the Buckner Building, built in 1957. The U.S. Army used these buildings until the early 1960s.
In 1964, a big earthquake caused a tsunami in the area. Luckily, the Hodge Building was not badly damaged. After this, the building was changed into a public building. It started to hold many of Whittier's main offices and shops.
A New Name
In 1972, the building was renamed Begich Towers Condominium. This was in memory of Nick Begich. He was a Congressman from Alaska who disappeared in a plane crash nearby.
In 1974, a group called the Begich Towers Condominium Association of Apartment Owners Inc. became the official managers of the building. Since then, most of the town and its services have been inside or connected to the building. This means people can stay inside for a long time. This is very helpful when the weather is bad!
What's Inside?
The Begich Towers was finished in 1957. It has a rectangular shape and a flat roof. It is 14 floors high. The building is made of three parts that are connected. Inside, there are many hallways and elevators. These allow everyone to easily reach all parts of the building.
Services for Everyone
Besides homes, the building has many important services for the people of Whittier. These include:
- A post office
- A general store
- A hospital
- The Whittier Police Department
- The mayor's office
There is also a small Methodist Church. You can find a grocery store, a laundry room, and a small hotel. There's even a meeting room and a play area with an indoor pool!
How the Building Stays Warm
When the U.S. Military was in Whittier, all the buildings got their heat from one central plant. After the Army left, each building needed its own heating system. Begich Towers got two boilers in a separate building.
Keeping the Heat On
By 2015, only one of the two boilers was working well. It had problems almost every day. The main issue was that the heating system used plain water. This water could freeze when it got very cold. If water freezes in pipes, the pipes can burst! To stop this, a mix of water and a special liquid, like antifreeze, is needed. This mix lowers the freezing point.
In 2016, the building received $3 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This money helped pay for repairs to the heating system and to fix the outside of the building.
See also
In Spanish: Begich Towers para niños
