Government Hill, Anchorage

Early 20th century Government Hill is often called Anchorage's oldest and first neighborhood. The U.S. government withdrew the area from inclusion as part of the Anchorage townsite, and instead created a reserve for housing workers from the railroad and other federal entities doing work in the area. The AEC constructed 13 houses in the southwest corner of the area in 1915. A landslide along the bluff immediately east of Loop Road, estimated as covering over , resulted in the destruction of Government Hill Elementary School, two residences atop the bluff, and a railroad building at the bottom. The west wing of the school was sheared in two. Due to continuing instability of the land underneath, the building was left as it was and the site fenced off, until the site was redeveloped as a neighborhood park in 1985. ==Infrastructure==

Education Government Hill Elementary was rebuilt in 1965 on military lands next to Alaska Communications System (current AT&T Alascom) headquarters, a short distance north of the original school building. The school had 479 students during the 2005-2006 school year. The school has been noted for its bilingual teaching methods using both Spanish and English. Recreation Government Hill is the location of the Anchorage Curling Club, which has made the neighborhood its home since 1962. The club is in an old railroad warehouse and features two sheets of ice. Transportation At times considered part of the neighborhood is the Port of Anchorage immediately to the west, which transfers about 15 million tons of fuel a year. Portions of the Alaska Railroad yards to the south are also considered to be part of the neighborhood. Government Hill is served by the #41 People Mover route, linking it to Downtown and Fairview. Other Also considered to be part of Government Hill, though not part of the original subdivisions, were 51 apartment buildings which were originally part of Elmendorf's main housing area. Though the names have changed slightly over the years, these buildings were generally known as the Richardson Vista, Panoramic View and Hollywood Vista apartment complexes. A fire station (no longer used as such, deemed unnecessary when the downtown fire station was relocated to provide direct access to the bridge) marked the demarcation point between the apartments and the mostly single-family remainder of Government Hill. Hollywood Vista was condemned in 1989, after falling into stages of neglect and disrepair for over a decade under various owners. The buildings were razed in 1997. The Municipality of Anchorage currently owns the land, and has faced periodic political battles over the years over how to redevelop the site. ==See also==