The first home for the Alaska Territorial Legislature was Elks Lodge Hall in Juneau in 1913 and one of several halls to serve the purpose until the permanent building was completed in 1931. Eight attempts by vote between 1960 and 2002 were made to relocate the capital to another part of Alaska. All were defeated.
The United States Congress authorized funds to construct a capitol building for what was then the Alaska Territory in 1911. Construction was delayed by World War I and difficulty purchasing the necessary land. Local citizens donated some of the funds required, and construction began on September 18, 1929. The building, originally named the Federal and Territorial Building, was dedicated on February 14, 1931