The Chicken Ridge Historic District neighborhood includes properties along Basin Road, past Seventh Street, all properties along Seventh Street, most properties on Main Street above Sixth Street, all properties on Goldbelt Avenue, and all properties on Dixon Street as well as a few properties on Calhoun Avenue.

Neighborhood growth was engendered by the large mining companies and the government alike and areas such as Chicken Ridge began to be settled. The area known as the Chicken Ridge Neighborhood, which overlooks the city of Juneau, was so named by miners because of the abundance of ptarmigan in the area.

The Chicken Ridge area was staked as a placer claim in May of 1890 by five men, one of whom was John F. Maloney, who was to eventually make his home on the ridge. The neighborhood which developed on Chicken Ridge was first settled in 1893.

During this period of gold mining expansion in the form of large mining companies and the subsequent expansion of Juneau’s role in territorial government, the need for living space increased the pressure to extend settlement in Juneau. An affluent socio-economic class comprised of Juneau’s attorneys, doctors, business owners, mining executives, government employees, and politicians settled the Chicken Ridge neighborhood.

Because of the location of the city, building materials were scarce and so were skilled craftsmen to do the work. Most buildings were modest interpretations of national stylistic trends which varied only according to the amount of detailing and square footage which could be afforded by the individual owner - ranging from craftsman and colonial revival to prairie school.

Listed contributing homes: Hammond-Wickersham House, McCloskey Mansion, Rustgard House, Norton House, Walker House, Jenne House, Thornton House, Cole/Carter House, Cole House, Mize House/Weather Bureau Station,  Geyer House, Perelle House, Bradford House, Johnstone-Radelet House, and the Creese House.

Listed non-contributing homes include: Mullen/Hebert House, Hermann House, Torvinin House, and the Longenbaugh House.

National Register of Historic Places Nomination form

Chicken Ridge Neighborhood Historic Building Survey, 1992

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