Description of Historic Place:
"The North-West Mounted Police (N.W.M.P.) Stables, also known as the Former N.W.M.P. Stables, is located on what was the site of Fort Herchmer and later became the south end of Dawson City in the ‘Government Reserve’. It is a timber structure with a gable roof that features a louvred cupola. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.
Heritage Value:
The N.W.M.P. Stables is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental values.
Historical Value:
The N.W.M.P. Stables is closely associated with the North-West Mounted Police, and its role in the rapid, early development of Dawson City during the Klondike Gold Rush. The structure is associated with the establishment of law and order, and the exercise of Canadian sovereignty in the northern territories. It is also one of Canada’s few remaining N.W.M.P. buildings from this period.
Architectural Value:
The N.W.M.P. Stables is valued for its good, simple aesthetic. It is a timber frame building designed to accommodate horses in sub-arctic frontier conditions. The structure retains its functional character despite being reduced by about 40% sometime prior to 1925. The structure exhibits good functional design and good workmanship and materials.
Environmental Value:
The N.W.M.P. Stables 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, N.W.M.P. Stables, Government Reserve, Site 4, Parcel U4, Dawson City, Yukon, Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office Report 87-069; Former N.W.M.P. Stables, Dawson, Yukon Territory, Heritage Character Statement 87-069.
Character-Defining-Elements:
The character-defining elements of the N.W.M.P. Police Stables should be respected.
Its good functional design and good construction and materials, as evidenced in:
- the simple, functional form of the structure, the rectangular massing formed by the gable-roofed structure;
- the timber frame construction and the timber siding of the exterior walls;
- the functional features that characterize it as a stable such as the ventilated cupola, and the narrow stall windows;
- the large multi-paned window in each gable;
- the double doors that provide access.
The manner in which the N.W.M.P. Stables 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 with the other buildings withinin the fort setting;
- its role as an important component of the group of four surviving structures from the Fort Herchmer complex, which makes it familiar to locals and visitors."
Reference: (
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Personal Observations"
As the main mode of transportation in the Yukon at the time of the Gold Rush, horses served an essential and very important role. They transported police officers while on patrol and pulled wagons loaded with hay, construction material, products of the farm and even prisoners. They were a precious commodity and for this reason, well taken care of, groomed on a regular basis, given the most nutritious feed, accommodated in spacious stalls and kept warm during the coldest nights.
Note: The Canadian National Historic Event plaque located in front of the stables relates to the North West Territories and Yukon Radio System.