Artifact of the Month: January 2024

Evolution of the Star House

No. 5 Creek Street is the prominent pink two-story building situated above Ketchikan's famous salmon spawning stream. The original building, now home to the Alaska Eagle Arts Gallery, was a small two-story structure built entirely on pilings in the early 1900s. A dance hall featuring an inlaid star in the floor was added sometime between 1910 and 1913. The Star House, as it came to be known, was the Territory of Alaska's only registered brothel. Notorious madams "Black Mary" Thomas and Thelma Baker operated out of the building at different times until prostitution was banned in 1954. As the tourist industry began to grow in the 1970s, a historic district was created on the Creek and many buildings, including the Star House, were renovated. The original star inlay was preserved and can still be seen today. The Star House was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.

The dance hall addition was the long-time home of Soho Coho, an eclectic gallery of local art run by artist Ray Troll and his wife Michelle. This month's featured artifact is a digital rendering of the building by artist Grace Freeman. The illustration named, "Star House," was created in 2014. The building is seen as a rowdy dance hall with a prominent star decoration on the exterior. The bust of a "sporting woman" in the foreground looks towards the building. For many years Grace Freeman was an employee at Soho Coho, drawing inspiration for this piece from the building's notorious history. Grace works primarily in digital mediums, both for her own art and as a colorist for Ray Troll.

On December 30, 2023, Soho Coho closed after 31 years. In keeping with the building's history as an art space, artist Evon Zerbetz plans to open a new business tentatively called The Star Gallery in spring 2024. "Star House" is currently on display at the Tongass Historical Museum in the Ketchikan Is... exhibit.


Object ID #: KM 2020.2.48.1

Caption: "Star House" by Grace Freeman. Original design made in 2014, reprinted in 2020.

Caption (historic photo): No. 5 Creek Street also known as the Star House circa 1950. Photo by Paulu Saari.