Description of Historic Place:
"The Commanding Officer’s Residence, also known as Building 10, is located on 5th Avenue in Dawson City. The building is a two-storey residence with a low, hipped roof and full width, front verandah. Tall sash windows are symmetrically arranged around the main front door. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.
Heritage Value:
The Commanding Officer’s Residence is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental value.
Historical Value:
The Commanding Officer’s Residence is one of the best examples of a building associated with the North West Mounted Police (NWMP), in their role in the establishment of law and order and the exercise of Canadian sovereignty in the northern territories. The residence was built to accommodate A.E.R. Cuthbert who, in 1902, was commander of a force of 450 men stationed at the site formerly known as Fort Herchmer. The building is also associated with the early development of the community. It was one of several permanent government buildings constructed in Dawson during this period and a surviving structure from the Fort Herchmer complex.
Architectural Value:
The Commanding Officer’s Residence is valued for its good aesthetic design. The building is characterized by its residential appearance and demonstrates a foursquare plan with a low hipped-roof, strong roof-lines, and a full width verandah. The building’s ongoing use as a residence demonstrates its good functional design.
Environmental Value:
The Commanding Officer’s Residence is compatible with the character of its residential setting in Dawson and is familiar to residents and visitors of the city.
Sources: Joan Mattie, Twenty-two Dawson structures, Dawson, Yukon, Heritage Character Statement, 88-012; Commanding Officer’s Residence, Dawson, Yukon, Heritage Character Statement, 88-012.
Character-Defining-Elements:
The character-defining elements of the Commanding Officer’s Residence should be respected.
Its good aesthetic design, functional design, materials and craftsmanship, for example:
- the sturdy, foursquare style, which consists of a two-storey box shape, low hipped-roof with shingles, strong roof lines, and a full width verandah;
- the wood-frame construction with wood siding;
- the tall sash windows that are symmetrically arranged around the main front door.
The manner in which the Commanding Officer’s Residence is compatible with the character of its residential setting and is a familiar building in Dawson, as evidenced by:
- its Foursquare style, wood-frame construction and materials which complement the
surrounding buildings in the community;
- its ongoing historical relationship to the Territorial Administration Building across the street;
- its ongoing use as a residence for government employees, which makes it known to the
citizens of Dawson and to staff and visitors of the Klondike National Historic Site of Canada."
Reference: (
visit link)
The following is from an information panel on site:
N.W.M.P. Officer's Quarters
This handsome residence was built in 1902 for the
Commanding Officer of the North West Mounted Police.
It lent dignity, authority and a degree of permanence to
the presence of law and order in Dawson City. While the
police presence was permanent, the foundations of the
building proved less so and it was plagued with constant
maintenance and repair problems. It was abandoned in
1945, in very poor shape. Restored by the Canadian
Parks Service, the building now houses staff.
Personal Observations:
Commanding Officers have enormous responsibilities and must have an adequate residence to host social events and entertain local residents as well as the men under their command. While being assigned a residence is no doubt considered a perk of the job, one must not think of these residences as being extravagant. They were solidly built houses and served the need of the Commanding Officer and his family very well.