Along 7th Avenue between Broadway and State Street, is the Gutfeld Residence (Historic Skagway Inn). Built using materials from an 1897-1898 building, Max Gutfeld built this residence in 1918. In the 1920's the rear wing was added by moving the vacant Ross-Higgins warehouse (1901) from 4th Avenue and Main Street to the present site. This street is the site of Skagway's once thriving Red Light District. As was true in most frontier towns, prostitution was first a common practice here, then it was regulated, and finally it was outlawed. During the gold rush, rows of cribs (two-room huts where the "soiled doves" plied their trade) occupied the alleys between 4th and 7th, but after the rush, they were moved onto 7th. Some cribs were moved again before they closed, in about 1910; others simply closed where they were. A local brothel included the red, two-story structure, at 8th and Broadway, known as The Cottage during the Gold Rush.
For those of you who wish to see even more of Skagway than the regular walking tour offers, the corner of 8th and State is a good place to turn uptown. To the right are the WP&YR railroad yards, the Gold Rush Cemetery, and 300-foot high Reid Falls. The railroad yards are 15 blocks up State Street. To reach the cemetery, turn north at Alaska & 23rd and follow the designated signs. To reach Reid Falls, continue through the cemetery for another quarter mile. The total one way distance from town to the cemetery is about 1.9 miles. Allow 30-45 minutes each way, plus 30 minutes at the cemetery and waterfall. The Skagway Trail Map is available at the Skagway Visitor Information Center and the National Park Service Visitor Center.
