Former North West Mounted Police Jail - Dawson, Yukon Territory - Retired Prisons on Waymarking.com

"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:

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.

Reference: (visit link)

Address: 4th Avenue Dawson City, Yukon Territory Canada Open to the public: Yes Fees?: https://dawsoncity.ca/listing/parks-canada-walking-tours/ Parks Canada self-guided 90-minute audio tours (adult $7, 9am to 5pm). Address: 1102 Front Street Dawson Web link: [Web Link] Hours: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
In order to add a new log to the waymark of this category, simply take another photo of the prison from a different angle than the other posts. Also add to the history of the jail when possible.

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