Fairbanks North Star Borough offers self-guided tour of downtown Fairbanks

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (KTVF) - May is National Historic Preservation Month, and the Fairbanks North Star Borough’s Historic Preservation Commission is inviting residents to participate in an activity celebrating the occasion.

The commission is tasked with identifying projects around the community that will help preserve its cultural and historic identity.

It also makes sure that construction projects around town respect landmarks and other historic items nearby.

This month, the borough is running a “Historic Signage Walking Tour”, giving community members an opportunity to tour downtown Fairbanks for themselves.

The borough is currently home to 25 locations on the National Registry of Historic Places and three National Historic Landmarks, and the commission reviews potential additions.

Melissa Kellner, Long-Range Planner with the Community Planning Department and a member of the borough’s Historic Preservation Commission said, “We’re happy to have a community that recognizes not just the economic value of historic and cultural resources for heritage tourism, but also just the inherent value of these resources. It’s what makes Fairbanks Fairbanks. It’s what makes us unique and different from any other community, and it’s really a source of community pride, so we’re glad to see that recognized.”

The commission meets monthly and currently has one vacancy for someone from Fairbanks.

Brochures for the walking tour are available at Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center.

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