'TELEPHONE HILL - City and Borough of Juneau

MARTIN-JOHNSTON HOUSE
The Martin-Johnston House, 128 Dixon Street, sits on the west slope of
Telephone Hill. It is currently owned and occupied by Homan-McDowell, economic
and.management consultants. Former owner, Edna Johnston, lives in a lower-level
apartment.
Local building contractor James Larson built the house for Ralph and
Mildred Martin in 1931 (Carrigan, Johnston 1983). Martin came to Juneau in 1917
and was employed by the Alaska Electric Light and Power Company for 25 years
until his death in 1947 (Bayers Collection 1947). The ornate lighting fixtures
installed throughout the house reflect Martinis employment with the utility.
The Johnstons purchased the house from Mildred Martin in 1950. Joe
Johnston operated a hardware business in downtown Juneau while his wife was a
federal employee for 25 years (Johnston 1983). In 1981 she sold the house to
Homan-McDowell and moved into the basement apartment.
The 1894 plat map of the Juneau Townsite shows George Harkrader owning Lots
5,6 and 7. City tax rolls indicate that Harkrader and his estate owned the
proper-ty until 1920. Harkrader was an early miner and Juneau settler. He
staked a lode claim on Mount Roberts in December 1880 and the following year
located a quartz and placer claim in the Silver Bow Basin (DeArmond 1967; Alaska
Monthly 1907). The 1914 Sanborn map shows a home, possibly Harkrader1s, on the
north ha 1f of Lots 5, 6 and 7 next to the West Second Street ri ght-of-way
(Hurley 1983). The house was removed in the mid-1930s. Prior to his death.in
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