Arctic Brotherhood Hall - Dawson, Yukon Territory - Western Canadian Heritage on Waymarking.com

"The Arctic Brotherhood hall is designated for its historic, cultural, architectural and social significance.

The historical and cultural value of the site relates to its association with the 1898 Klondike Gold Rush and with the Arctic Brotherhood. The Arctic Brotherhood was a fraternal social organization established in February 1899, for men residing in the northwest section of North America. Camp No. 4 of the Arctic Brotherhood was established in Dawson City in November 1899 and rapidly grew in membership to necessitate the construction of a new Arctic Brotherhood Fraternity Hall. Completed in October 1901, the Hall was constructed in three weeks using financial contributions from its members. At its opening, the hall was touted as the largest and grandest building not only in Dawson but in the entire northwest.

Thomas Firth, the founder of a successful Dawson insurance company and the father of the first mayor Dawson, Howard Firth, was a partial owner of the building from 1911-1929. The family insurance company continues to this day. In 1925, after the Arctic Brotherhood ceased to exist, the building served as a community hall. The Fraternal Order of the Eagles moved into the building in 1929 after their building burned and stayed until 1943, when the Dawson aerie was disbanded.

The Arctic Brotherhood Hall is one of few remaining buildings from the early 1900s in the Downtown Transitional Heritage Area. Its vernacular architecture is typical of Dawson for this time period and consists of a two storey frame building with coved siding and a metal gable roof with decorative brackets supporting a wide eave on the front façade and a small vented cupola along the ridgeline. The primary façade’s asymmetrical fenestration of the original building is punctuated with a second storey open balcony with a pedimented gable roof, square pilasters and posts, and geometric railings. By the 1920s two small windows were added on either side of the pediment, more recently they were converted to vents with a third one added above the apex of the gable of the pediment. By the 1920s, a shed roofed addition was added on the south wall. It was enlarged in the 1930s, and again in the early 1980s and in the mid-1990s, providing additional space and housing the main access to the building. Another small addition was added to the north wall by 2010.

The social values of the site are demonstrated through the building’s continued use for community events and celebrations. In 1967, it was renovated and renamed the Centennial Hall. In 1973, it was re-purposed as Diamond Tooth Gertie’s Gambling Hall, Canada’s first legal gambling hall. Its present use reflects on the wilder social life in Dawson in the early 1900s and continues to serve as a community gathering space during the winter months."

Reference: (visit link)

Personal Observations:

The people from all corners of the world, invited by unscrupulous speculators to join the gold rush and get rich, soon realized that the jobs offered were extremely strenuous and did not provide them with the wealth expected. Many struggled to meet the expectations of their employers in the trades for which they had signed up for. Soon, many became discouraged, despondent, injured or ill from a variety of diseases. Unable to earn a stable salary, they were unable to support themselves. Out of a job and housing, they turned to the Arctic Brotherhood Lodge for meals and lodging. They were warmly welcomed and given assistance to regain their physical and mental health. Upon being sufficiently healed, the people who stayed at the Lodge either applied for new jobs or permanently left the area.

Official Heritage Registry: [Web Link] Address: Corner of Queen Street and Fourth Avenue, Dawson, Yukon Territory Heritage Registry Page Number: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
To log a visit to a Waymark in this category at least one photo of the property, taken by the visitor, must be included with the visit, as well any comments they have concerning either their visit or the site itself. Suggested inclusions are: what you like about the site, its history, any deviations from the description in the heritage listing noted by the visitor, and the overall state of repair of the site.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   02/11/2023 Castor007 visited it