What’s In A Name?
Seward Commercial Company General Store. William Sauers at right.
If you visit our ‘About’ page, you’ll find little tidbits about the history of our building. It’s a colorful and surprising history that is not an uncommon story across the United States, but everything is a little bit more special in Alaska (in our humble opinion, of course).
Built in 1907 by William Sauers (hence the reasoning for the spelling of Sauerdough Lodging), our building sits on Fourth Avenue in downtown Seward, near the corner of Adams Street, and was originally the Seward Commercial Company General Store. The upstairs, which is now the lodging, served as a town meeting hall.
As is common with life, time passes, and things change, and our building is no exception. During the Roaring 20’s the town meeting hall evolved into five separate apartments that served as a local brothel (see our blog archives for more of that fascinating history). Sometime in the mid-1900’s, the general store (which is now the Sea Bean Café) became a Western Auto Hardware store. Since then, the café space has been a video rental store (RIP to all video rental stores, right?), a juice bar, and most recently before the Sea Bean, and most surprisingly, a museum honoring the University of Oregon’s football team, the Ducks (so random!). The current owners overtook the building in 2006, opening the Sea Bean Café on July 3, and continuing the Sauerdough Lodging upstairs.
The preservation of the building has been an important factor in the minds of the current owners, right down to the decorative tin ceiling and old-timey feel. A stay at the Sauerdough Lodging feels like a luxurious journey back in time. History swirls around while still providing you with the most modern conveniences. Right outside the door to the lodging, downtown Seward thrives and continues to create its own unique history. Also, with your stay at the lodging, the tasty coffee, sandwiches, and house made pastries await you downstairs. Awake to the smell of freshly brewed coffee and come enjoy a glass of wine in the evening, on the house.
Present Day Sea Bean Cafe, below Sauerdough Lodging
Seward is a place like no other – a place that exists, literally, at the end of the road; a place that tangles itself harmoniously with the grand nature of Alaska. Book your stay online to come immerse yourself in our history.
Blog by Liberty Elias Miller. Visit her website here: https://www.libertyeliasmiller.com/