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Alaska » Western Region » Bristol Bay and Lake Iliamna » Ekuk » Saint Nicholas Russian Orthodox Chapel

Saint Nicholas Russian Orthodox Chapel

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1917

The fishing village of Ekuk is located on Nushagak Bay, off of Bristol Bay. A small simple chapel, Saint Nicholas was constructed in 1917. The materials of the building, which is wood-framed with clapboard siding, were probably donated by or obtained from the nearby cannery. The plan is rectangular, 16 feet by 34 feet, but the sanctuary on the east end is denoted by a hipped roof, while the west end is gabled. There is a small vestibule supporting a bell tower on the gable end.

John Huyano, who helped construct the building, may have been responsible for many of the ornamental touches. Decorative barge-boards, wooden sconces on the walls, and a chandelier constructed of wood, rope, and beads display the same craftsmanship as a picture frame found in the church, signed by Huyano. The small church is now used only during fishing season, when the nearly abandoned village of Ekuk fills with cannery workers and fishermen.

Writing Credits

Author: 
Alison K. Hoagland
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Data

Citation

Alison K. Hoagland, "Saint Nicholas Russian Orthodox Chapel", [Clark's Point, Alaska], SAH Archipedia, eds. Gabrielle Esperdy and Karen Kingsley, Charlottesville: UVaP, 2012—, http://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/AK-01-WE027.

Print Source

Buildings of Alaska, Alison K. Hoagland. New York: Oxford University Press, 1993, 278-278.

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