JFK stood here: Repurposed crafts emporium occupies a historic spot

In the old days of pre-big box Alaska no one threw anything away and everyone reused anything that had any possibility of being fixed up or turned into something else practical or decorative.

Old habits die hard. My favorite shopping haunts are places like The Bishop's Attic, Value Village and, above all, the free paint shelves at the Anchorage dump. On a recent trip to the last-named I saw a facility on one side of the yard with a sign asking for used furniture, appliances, clothing and so forth. So I pulled in to find out more … because the only thing better than getting free old stuff is getting rid of it.

The attendant said it was a collection point for Anchorage re:Made, a nonprofit group that adopts and refurbishes stuff for charities. A brochure included a picture of a delightful whale pillow made from corduroy and denim that I remembered seeing some time ago in the back of a coffee house near Old Seward and Huffman. "We've moved since then," he said, describing a big building that served as both showroom and workspace. "It's the old Alaska Laborers Training School," he said.

At that point I knew I had to check it out, not just for the sake of finding a bargain, but for the sake of history.

Before it was a training center, the building at 13500 Old Seward Highway was an Anchorage hot spot. The magnificent Edgewater featured rooms, a good restaurant, swank bar, big dance floor and an honest-to-goodness stage where live bands played. It was big enough to accommodate crowds at banquets and important events.

In 1958 Massachusetts Sen. John Kennedy spoke there, urging voters in the state-to-be to vote for Democrats.

Today, the 11,000-square-foot space is crammed with so much stuff that it's hard to turn around. It looks like everything that's ever been made for the annual Salvation Army "Transformed Treasures" fundraiser multiplied by 10. There's furniture, home decor, toys, a whole second floor full of clothes, tableware and, at this time of year, Christmas items galore.

"You name it, it comes in," said Patti Buist, Anchorage re:Made's executive director. Some is good enough to be resold as is. Other donations become projects that clearly involve an artist's vision and patience to be turned into something the original owner never imagined.

Among items that caught my attention were a set of lamps and rechargers made from engine parts, a pillow created from men's ties, a hall bench made from an old door and a file cabinet, a chair made from snowboards.

Other items included a wooden dog sled and a large, framed Fred Machetanz print.

Anchorage re:Made moved into the building about a year ago, Buist said. "We started as a bunch of artists who got together and started making stuff," she said. Some of that is what I had seen at the back of the Huffman coffee house.

The enterprise grew as more people learned about it and more donations started coming in. They were fortunate to find larger quarters when they did, Buist said. In addition to the main display space they have a workroom where painters, sewers, people with woodworking skills and other volunteers return discarded items to useful forms. One room contains party supplies that can be rented.

"Resale, repurpose, renew," is the group's motto. Some items are not sold, but given to families who may need an extra dresser but can't afford it. Anchorage re:Made works with 21 different local charities include Habitat for Humanity, Sitka House and the Downtown Soup Kitchen.

A coffee bar will be opening soon, Buist said, to be followed by a cafe.

It goes without saying that, in this line of work, volunteers are always needed. About 50 volunteers donate time to sorting, fixing, making or organizing the operation each month, Buist said. Individuals wanting to know more can check out the website, www.anchorageremade.com, email shop@anchorageremade.com or call 907-887-9760. They can also stop by during open hours, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday and open until 8 p.m. on Thursday.

The facility at the Anchorage waste transfer site is only open to receive items on Saturdays.

A bit of the hardwood dance floor can still be seen at the north end of the main space where the stage once stood. Most of it was covered over by linoleum tile at some point and all that remains of the place where the stage stood is an alcove.

"Where's the stage?" I asked.

A piece of it remains in the basement, Buist told me. "And we used part of it over here," she pointed to a display wall with pegs and hooks holding assorted items. The stage floor is now vertical, but the boards on which swing bands played and a future president of the United States once spoke still stands, with a new purpose.

Waste not, want not.