The Redoubt St. Archangel Michael Site, also known as the Old Sitka Site and now in Old Sitka State Historical Park, is a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

near

Sitka, Alaska russian: Ситка , native_name_lang = tli , settlement_type = Consolidated city-borough , image_skyline = File:Sitka 84 Elev 135.jpg , image_caption = Downtown Sitka in 1984 , image_size ...

. Now of archaeological interest, the site, about north of Sitka at the end of Halibut Point Road, was the site of the early

Russian-American Company The Russian-American Company Under the High Patronage of His Imperial Majesty (russian: Под высочайшим Его Императорского Величества покровительством Российская-Американс� ...

settlement known as Redoubt St. Archangel Michael (russian: форт Архангела Михаила, r "Fort Arkhangela Mikhaila"). It was the first non-Native settlement on

Baranof Island Baranof Island is an island in the northern Alexander Archipelago in the Alaska Panhandle, in Alaska. The name Baranof was given in 1805 by Imperial Russian Navy captain U. F. Lisianski to honor Alexander Andreyevich Baranov. It was called ...

. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1962, and was made a state park in 1966.

History

In 1779, Alexander Baranov, a leader of the

, arrived near the site of modern Sitka, and negotiated with the local

Tlingit people The Tlingit ( or ; also spelled Tlinkit) are indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America. Their language is the Tlingit language (natively , pronounced ),

for a site on which the company could establish an outpost. Although he would have preferred what is now called Castle Hill in Sitka, he was granted this site on Starrigavan Bay. It was not until 1799 that the company established a presence, building a number of log buildings, surrounded by a palisade. In 1802 the Tlingit attacked and destroyed the premises. The Russians returned to the area in force in 1804, and established a permanent presence at Castle Hill after the

Battle of Sitka The Battle of Sitka (russian: Сражение при Ситке; 1804) was the last major armed conflict between Russians and Alaska Natives, and was initiated in response to the destruction of a Russian trading post two years before. The prima ...

.William S. Hanable (April 4, 1975) , National Park Service and Replacements were built in 1808, 1823, 1836 and 1894. In 1900 an agricultural station was built and demolished after 1955. The site was excavated in 1934-35, at which time archaeologists recovered numerous artifacts and identified the locations of the Russian buildings of the former

redoubt A redoubt (historically redout) is a fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort, usually relying on earthworks, although some are constructed of stone or brick. It is meant to protect sold ...

. In the years that followed the site was partially compromised by erosion and construction activity. 1 The state built a wayside stop at the site in 1966, and now operates it as a state park. It was designated a

(as "Redoubt St. Archangel Michael Site") in 1962, and listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...

in 1966 (as "Old Sitka Site").

References

{{authority control State parks of Alaska National Historic Landmarks in Alaska Protected areas of Sitka, Alaska Russian-American culture in Alaska Archaeological sites on the National Register of Historic Places in Alaska Populated places established in 1799 National Register of Historic Places in Sitka, Alaska 1799 establishments in North America Protected areas established in 1966 1966 establishments in Alaska

History

See also

References