Friends History

Friends of Kennicott | working for people & place

Who We Are

Friends of Kennicott was founded in 1988 by local Kennicott and McCarthy residents, in partnership with others representing tourism, mining, conservation, and historical preservation. Since its inception, Friends of Kennicott conducted emergency stabilization of key structures, facilitated National Park Service (NPS) acquisition, and helped the NPS develop a vision for the site. Today, Friends of Kennicott continues to advocate for:

Protection of Kennecott’s historical, cultural and natural features.
Maintaining a vibrant community with a local/NPS partnership management strategy.
A "light touch" management approach to retain the area's rustic character.
A safe and rewarding experience for residents and visitors alike.

Our History
Our first major accomplishment was to raise state and federal funds to perform emergency stabilization on nine Kennicott Mill Site buildings. Between 1991 and 1994 a local contractor and a 100% local crew repaired roofs and foundations to stabilize key structures. Realizing the benefits public ownership would bring, Friends began to lobby for NPS acquisition of the mill site. In partnership with the Conservation Fund, these efforts succeeded in 1998 when a federal appropriation resulted in the acquisition of the mill site and mines, and paved the way for creation of the Kennecott National Historic Landmark.

With Congress specifically supporting a community based partnership concept for management of Kennicott in the legislative record for the appropriation, Friends of Kennicott actively worked with the local community and the NPS to realize a shared vision for the future. Friends facilitated planning for the cooperative management of Kennicott by the park and local non-profits through multi-stakeholder planning meetings and the creation of several key planning documents. Friends secured state and federal funds for the restoration of the Recreation Hall, which was completed in 2002 with matching funds from the Rasmuson Foundation and others. From 2002 to 2009 the Kennecott Recreation Hall was co-managed by Friends of Kennicott in partnership with the NPS, and its mining era purpose continues today as a space dedicated to community use.

Today, Friends of Kennicott is looking to broaden its horizons to better meet our mission:
Friends of Kennicott is a locally-based nonprofit organization established to assist the National Park Service’s efforts in preserving and managing the historic resources of the Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark in a way that maintains the character of Kennicott and McCarthy for the visiting public and resident alike.

Friends of Kennicott is currently revisiting its core purposes, including 1) enhancing connections between the McCarthy/Kennicott community and the National Landmark, 2) helping maintain Kennicott’s ghost town character in the context of a thriving bush community, and 3) facilitating other nonprofit partnership opportunities with the National Park Service.

As a first step, Friends of Kennicott has transferred management responsibilities of non-NPS use of the Kennecott Recreation Hall to the Wrangell Mountains Center (WMC), a local nonprofit dedicated to fostering understanding, appreciation, and stewardship of wildlands and mountain culture in Alaska through scientific and artistic inquiry in the Wrangell Mountains. With year-round staffing, the WMC can work more actively with the community and the NPS on day-to-day Recreation Hall operations, thus increasing its availability to local and national communities. With this transition, Friends of Kennicott will devote more energy to tracking overall stabilization efforts and working with the NPS, local community, and statewide and national organizations interested in mining history and historic preservation to implement the light touch/partnership vision for Kennicott that provided the consensus foundation for NPS acquisition.

Highlights from our history and accomplishments
Before 1988: McCarthy landowners and businesses, miners, historical preservation advocates, conservationists, and tourist-related folks brainstorm how to save Kennicott's deteriorating buildings.

1988-1989: Friends of Kennicott, Historic Preservation Fund, forms to facilitate emergency stabilization of historic buildings in the Kennicott Mill site and eventual NPS acquisition. Alaska Legislature passes resolution in favor of NPS acquisition of the Kennicott Mill site.

1990: Friends of Kennicott is officially chartered with the following original Mission: “to preserve, restore and render available to the public the historic mine building located at Kennecott.” Kennicott is named to the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s “List of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places.” Joseph Sax report is published: “Keeping Special Places Special: McCarthy, Kennicott and Wrangell-St. Elias National Park – A Great Challenge, A Unique Opportunity.”

1992: Both Congress and the Alaska Legislature appropriate funding for emergency stabilization. NPS and Friends of Kennicott agree on pre-acquisition construction priorities under a Friends contractor. NPS begins asbestos clean-up with funding from Kennecott Copper Corporation.

1993: Friends of Kennicott receives two national awards: “Take Pride in America,” and a Department of the Interior “Volunteer Service Award.”

1994: Friends prepared “A Proposal for Ownership & Management of the Kennicott Property: Protecting the Cultural and Natural Heritage of Alaska’s Wrangell-Saint Elias National Park.”

1995-1997: Acquisition discussions ramp up with additional assistance from The Conservation Fund. Friends of Kennicott receives a national Partnership Leadership Award.

1998: NPS acquires Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark with dedicated federal appropriation.

1999-2000: Reports and Plans: “Partnership Management Strategy” prepared for Friends, NPS and State Office of History & Archeology, June 1999. “NPS Interim Management Plan” (2000), and “Vision 2000” (Mike Loso). Friends adopts new Mission Statement.

2002 to 2009: Stabilization and restoration of Recreation Hall completed with matching funds from Rasmuson Foundation and others. Recreation Hall Management in partnership with NPS.

2010: Friends of Kennicott revitalizes! The organization revisits its core values, and renews efforts to track overall stabilization efforts and work with the NPS, local community, and statewide and national organizations to implement the light touch/partnership vision for Kennecott that provided the original consensus foundation for NPS acquisition. Recreation Hall management transferred to locally-based nonprofit Wrangell Mountains Center. Friends also reacquaints the park staff with the administrative history of the Landmark, and conducts community “brainstorming” session about current management issues.

2011: Friends continues to advocate for a partnership management vision and a “light touch” approach during the revision of the Kennecott Interim Operations Plan. Friends also supports efforts to redefine management of the Recreation Hall that is mutually beneficial to the NPS, the Wrangell Mountains Center and the community.

Board of Directors

Friends of Kennicott is governed and managed by an all-volunteer board

Neil Darish is co-owner of McCarthy Ventures LLC, and has been involved in restoring much of the visible part of McCarthy since 2001. He operates the McCarthy Lodge, Ma Johnson's Hotel, Golden Saloon and a number of other businesses in McCarthy. Neil has been living year around in McCarthy since 2001.

Mary Grisco is a founding member of Friends of Kennicott, representing and serving as a liaison to a number of national and statewide historic preservation and conservation-oriented groups. Mary, who lives in Anchorage, has many years of experience working with non-profit organizations.

Sally Gibert, Secretary, is a founding member of Friends of Kennicott and cabin owner in McCarthy since 1976. She resided in McCarthy in the late 1970s and early 1980s and helped renovate the historic Hardware Store. She currently lives in Anchorage and visits McCarthy and Kennicott whenever she can.

Jessica Speed, Vice President, first came to the Wrangells in 1992 working for St. Elias Alpine Guides, where she promptly fell in love with the Kennicott Valley lands and it’s people. She now lives seasonally at her home in Kennicott and winters in Anchorage where she teaches science education. Jessica holds a BS in Geography with a Natural Resources Management focus.

Ben Shaine, President, is a founding member of Friends of Kennicott and has lived in the Kennicott/McCarthy area either full time or seasonally for over 35 years. Ben holds a PhD in Environmental Studies from the Union Graduate School. He has authored or co-authored several publications about the Wrangells, including Alaska Dragon and Community & Copper in a Wild Land, and teaches there in the summer.

Doreen Sullivan, Treasurer, first visited Kennicott in the spring of 1983, has renovated a 1917 house on Silk Stocking Row doing business as Kennicott Cottage and owns second cottage in the Historic District on the north end. She joined the Board in 2002.

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