John Montgomery Davis was a charter member of the Juneau Men's Igloo.

Davis was born in Liverpool, England on August 29, 1856.

After arriving in the United States in 1882 he lived in Pennsylvania, Florida and Massachusetts before joining Thomas Nowell in Alaska at the Nowell Gold Mining Co. in Silver Bow Basin at Juneau. At first he was a book keeper at the mines and later became assistant superintendent.

He married Frances Caroline Brooks, an artist, in 1892. They built the Davis House on Sixth Street and helped build parts of Seward and Sixth Streets near their home.

Davis helped to found the present day Holy Trinity Episcopal Cathedral and was an active member and secretary of the Cathedral from 1908 to 1912.

He served as city clerk and magistrate and for fifteen years was employed as a wharfinger of the Municipal Wharf until his illness and death on February 19, 1933.

Alaska Gold Rush Pioneers of Juneau Douglas Area 1880-1921 p. 36

Rare among the oldest quality residences built in early-day Juneau, the John M. Davis House ranks as the first mansion of exceptional architectural charm and distinction.

This building bears rich association with the history and lifestyle of Juneau after 1892, including many persons of prominence (including the builders) and significant events. It has been considered a "landmark" structure by Juneauites through most of this century.

Frances Davis—wife of the builder—was a wealthy artist from England who visited early-day Juneau to paint and to observe the frontier gold rush camp. She met miner and prospector Mr. Davis on the ship which brought her into Juneau.

After their marriage, the Davis's built the "mansion" on the further side of the old Boston Mining Claim—paying $25 to clear title in order to build on this choice view site.

Because Mrs. Davis was wealthy they also had 6th Street cleared in order to better proceed with their ambitious home-building project. There were no other residences then on the conmanding part of Sixth Street, prior to this construction of the J.M. Davis House.

The west wing of the large, at the time, pretentious "Mansion" was added by the Davis's about 1900 to provide Mrs. Davis with a studio for her painting. Some of her oil paintings were considered the best in the Alaska State Museum collection at Juneau.

The impressive house was the childhood residence of the Davis's son, Trevor, who was educated at the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, and became a pioneer photographer of Alaskan scenes, prominent in civic and business affairs in Juneau.

For some years the house was later leased to be the residence of the Admiral commanding the U.S. Coast Guard District, with headquarters in Juneau.

Mrs. Trevor Davis, septugenarian daughter-in-law of the J.M. Davis's is a former Poet Laureate of Alaska, who has also written and studied the music, art and poetry of the Tlingit lndians--and has other made significant cultural contributions to Alaska. She is a noted long-time musician and teacher, active in Juneau public, social and cultural affairs.

National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form

Built in 1898, the Frances House, is significant for its architectural character, its place in the historic development of the mining town, and association with important historic people who built and lived in the structure during the early development of Juneau.

Eighteen years after the discovery of gold in Juneau, Jerry Eicherly, postmaster and owner of the post office, built the Frances House. During that time, the house was leased to a Superintendent of the Perseverance Mine.

In 1911, he sold it to John Rustgard, who owned it until 1927. Mr. Rustgard was the Attorney General of the Territory of Alaska from 1920 until 1933 as well as the author of a number of books on politics and economics.

When the builidng was condemned by the city in 1927 to make way for the building of Capital School, Frances Davis purchased it. Frances, one of the first recognized Alaskan painters, was married to John M. Davis, the assistant manager of the Nowell Gold Mining Co.

Her sons moved the house fifty feet to where it rests today. The building has been known to the Community as "The Frances" since that time. The house remained in the Davis family under the stewardship of Trevor Davis, pioneer photographer and a prominent person throughout the history of Juneau in the civic and business community.

It is an outstanding example of late nineteenth century domestic vernacular architecture found in Juneau. Essentially the house is architecturally typical in materials, construction and scale for the period it was built in Juneau. It is significant for these reasons, but more so because stylistically this house is unique. A roofline like that found on the Frances House is not found elsewhere in Juneau. The design is a blending of different architectural influences from the continental U. S. with improvised changes to make it appropriate for Juneau.

Detailing embodies unusually good design composition, and the quality of the craftsmanship is time-tested, in spite of minor changes in detailing that were made when the single family house was converted to boarding rooms in the early 1900's, when and the basement converted to an apartment in 1929.

The relationship of house to street is uniquely adapted to Juneau's topography and represents an interesting solution to a street regrading. The house is in a historic residential area where many of the "best" homes of early pioneers were located. It is a well known local landmark, appreciated for its reminder of Juneau's history. The structure retains character individually and as a significant example of Juneau's residential stock. The original fabric is intact and therefore its historic integrity as well.

National Register of Historic Places Nomination form

Frances House Photos