Description of Historic Place:
"The North West Mounted Police (N.W.M.P.) Jail, also known as the former N.W.M.P. Hospital and Jail is located on a rectangular block of land on what was the site of Fort Herchmer in Dawson City. A cross-shaped log building with gable and shed roofs, it has regular door and window openings. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.
Heritage Value
The N.W.M.P. Jail is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental values.
Historical Value: (
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The N.W.M.P. Jail is one of the best examples of a building closely associated with the North West Mounted Police, and their role in the rapid, early development of Dawson City during the Klondike Gold Rush. Originally constructed as a hospital, it subsequently served as a jail. The structure is associated with health care, the establishment of law and order, and the exercise of Canadian sovereignty in the northern territories. It is also one of Canada’s only remaining N.W.M.P. buildings from this period.
Architectural Value:
The N.W.M.P. Jail is valued for its good, simple aesthetic. An early adaptation of a building designed for sub-arctic frontier conditions the building exhibits good functional design as seen in its exterior walls of peeled logs with corner laps. Hurriedly constructed using green wood, and with rudimentary foundations, the structure retained its makeshift, functional character despite numerous improvements.
Environmental Value:
The N.W.M.P. Jail reinforces the character and previous role of the government reserve area taken in association with the surviving structures of Fort Herchmer. It is a familiar landmark to residents and visitors.
Sources: Brian Dewalt, Former NWMP Hospital /Jail, Government Reserve, Site 4, Parcel U4, Dawson City, Yukon, Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office Report 87-068; NWMP Hospital/Jail, Dawson, Yukon Territory, Heritage Character Statement 87-068.
Character-Defining-Elements:
The character-defining elements of the N.W.M.P. Jail should be respected.
Its good aesthetic and functional design as evidenced in:
-the simple, functional form of the structure and its cross-shaped massing;
-the north, south and west arms of the cross with gable roofs, the east arm with its shed roof;
-the timber trusses on the interior of the roof;
-the log construction of peeled local spruce logs, sawn on three sides and lapped at the corners.
The manner in which the N.W.M.P. Jail reinforces the Fort Herchmer complex setting and is a familiar landmark, as evidenced by:
-its overall design and materials that harmonize with the surroundings and the fort setting;
-its role as an important component of the group of four surviving structures from the Fort Herchmer complex that makes it familiar to locals and visitors."
Reference: (
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Personal Observations:
The North West Mounted Police jail is located on a large parcel of land between Fifth Avenue and the Klondike Highway, as well as a short distance away from the Yukon River. The Gold Rush attracted many unsavoury characters from southern Canada and the United-States. The jail's location allowed the officers to transport the prisoners on the river by watercraft and, upon arrival in Dawson, escort them almost immediately to the front door of the jail.