Description of Historic Place

Barracks No. 5 is situated at the Fort Battleford National Historic Site of Canada, located on the outskirts of the town of Battleford.The single storey timber structure is a gable-roofed, balloon frame building designed on a T-shaped plan. The exterior is clad in white-painted clapboard. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

Barracks No. 5 is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental values.

Historical Value:
Barracks No. 5 is one of the best examples of a building associated with the presence of the North-West Mounted Police on the Prairie frontier during the late 19th century and early 20th centuries. Barracks No. 5 relates to the law enforcement role of the force and to its internal organization. It was one of several buildings constructed in the wake of the 1885 Rebellion, as part of a plan to improve accommodations for the garrison stationed at Battleford. The building is one of five structures within Fort Battleford National Historic Site of Canada, which was established by the federal government in 1951.

Architectural Value:
Barracks No. 5 demonstrates good quality aesthetics, with simple massing and pleasing proportions, typical of the balloon frame structures erected at Mounted Police posts in the Northwest during the latter decades of the 19th century. Good functional qualities are seen in the interior layout, which proved adaptable to the changing needs of the force. The interior retains its original T-shaped plan, the partition walls which divide the main wing, and the extension. The structure exhibits good quality of craftsmanship and materials.

Environmental Value:
Barracks No. 5 reinforces the historic character of Fort Battleford National Historic Site of Canada and is a familiar landmark to residents and to visitors.

Sources: James de Jonge, Five Buildings, Fort Battleford National Historic Park, Battleford, Saskatchewan, Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office Report 89-010; Barracks No. 5, Fort Battleford National Historic Site, Battleford, Saskatchewan, Heritage Character Statement 89-010.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of Barracks No. 5 should be respected.

Its good aesthetics, good functional design and good quality materials and craftsmanship, for example: the simple, single-storey massing of the T-shaped building; the gable roof covered in wood shingles; the balloon frame construction and exterior walls of clapboard; the spacing of the door and window openings, the multi-paned windows, and the porches enclosing the entrances on the west elevation; the stone foundation.

The manner in which Barracks no. 5 reinforces the historic character of the fort and is a well-known local landmark, as evidenced by: its simple design and materials that harmonize with the other buildings within the historic fort setting; its role as an important component of the group of surviving structures from the Fort Battleford National Historic Site of Canada complex that makes it familiar to locals and visitors.

Heritage Character Statement

Disclaimer - The heritage character statement was developed by FHBRO to explain the reasons for the designation of a federal heritage building and what it is about the building that makes it significant (the heritage character). It is a key reference document for anyone involved in planning interventions to federal heritage buildings and is used by FHBRO in their review of interventions.

Barracks No. 5, built in 1886, is one of five remaining buildings at the Battleford Post constructed by the North-West Mounted Police. The design of Barracks No. S can be attributed to the Department of Public Works during the tenure of Thomas Fuller as Chief Architect. The building is part of Fort Battleford National Historic Site, vhich was established by the federal Eovernment in 1951. The custodian is Parks Canada. See FHBRO Building Report 89-10.

Reasons for Designation

Barracks No. 5 was designated Recognized because of its historical associations, aesthetic design and its environmental value.

Barracks No. 5 is part of a complex of buildings that is closely related to the presence of the North-West Mounted Police on the Prairie frontier during the late l9th and early 20th centuries. Barracks No. 5 relates to the law enforcement role of the force and to its internal organization. It was one of several buildings constructed in the wake of the 1885 Rebellion as part of a plan to improve accommodations for the garrison stationed at Battleford.

Barracks No. 5 is typical of the balloon frame buildings erected at Mounted Police posts in the North-West during the latter decades of the l9th century.

Character Defining Elements

The heritage character of Barracks No. 5 resides in its simple massing and proportions, its use of materials and evidence of its original interior layout.

The building consists of a single storey gable-roofed balloon frame structure with a T-shaped plan.

The exterior materials, which include stone for the foundations, clapboard for the walls, and wood shingles for the roof, contribute to the simple aesthetics of the building. The spacing of the door and window openings and the multi-paned windows give the building a balanced, orderly appearance. The porches enclosing the entrances add interest to the simple west elevation.

Any interventions should respect the original design intentions and materials of the building.

The interior was designed as a mess room and kitchen and may also have been intended to house enlisted men. It retains its original T-shaped plan, including the partition walls which divide the main win~ and the extension to form four interconnecting rooms. Evidence of the historic layout should be preserved, and early fabric and detailing identified and protected.

Barracks No. 5 is on its original site. The original access points to the building and the natural character of the site should be maintained.