Description of Historic Place

Harrington’s Store, also known as Building 15, is located at the corner of a major intersection in Dawson City. This two-storey commercial building is of wood-frame construction and has a flat roof. The building has Italianate architectural features, such as a boxed cornice, paneled frieze and a square sided, oriel window located at the corner angle above the richly ornamented, double door entrance. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

Harrington’s Store is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental value.

Historical Value
Harrington’s Store is associated with the development of Dawson City as a supply, service and distribution centre during and following the Gold Rush. It is also associated with the city’s development as a territorial capital.

Architectural Value
Harrington’s Store is valued for its good aesthetic design. The building is characterized by its Italianate architectural treatment and its good craftsmanship, including the richly ornamented double front door and the painted cove shiplap siding.

Environmental Value
Harrington’s Store maintains an unchanged relationship to Third Avenue and Princess Street. The building reinforces the Gold Rush character of its commercial streetscape setting and is a well-known building to residents and visitors of Dawson City.

Sources: Joan Mattie, Twenty-two Dawson structures, Dawson, Yukon, Heritage Character Statement, 88-012; Harrington’s Store, Dawson, Yukon, Heritage Character Statement, 88-012.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of Harrington’s Store should be respected.

Its good aesthetic design, materials and craftsmanship, for example: the Italianate architectural treatment, particularly the boxed cornice and panelled frieze, the square-sided oriel window placed at the salient angle, the richly ornamented double front door, and the painted cove siding; the interior plan with second floor rooms accessed by a flight of stairs rising to a single door on the Princess Street elevation; the wood frame construction.

The manner in which Harrington’s Store maintains an unchanged relationship to its site, reinforces the Gold Rush character of its commercial streetscape setting and is a well-known building in Dawson, as evidenced by: its ongoing historic relationship to the corner of Third Avenue and Princess Street, given the proximity of the building to the lot lines and boardwalk; the awnings along both principal elevations and the dressed show windows, which contribute to the Gold Rush character of the streetscape; the Italianate architectural treatment and wood-frame construction which complements the adjacent commercial buildings; its familiarity within the community, given its use as a drop-in centre, temporary visitor reception centre, and exhibition hall; its visibility given its prominent location at a major Dawson intersection.

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.

The two-storey commercial building, commonly known as Harrington's Store, was constructed in early 1902 as a combination store and rooming house. Incorporated in the structure are portions of the single storey 1901 commercial building that previously occupied the site.

External modifications include the replacement of a single door and show window by a single, smaller show window (1904-1935), the removal of all original siding and window units at the south and east elevations up to the height of the second floor, and their replacement by plain horizontal boarding and a single recycled six-light fixed sash at each elevation (1968-1972), the demolition of the original shed roofed annex at the west elevation (1968-1972), and the partial restoration of the 1904-1935 ground floor appearance (ca. 1976).

The replacement of the original foundation and ground floor framing and flooring and the demolition of most internal partitioning (1968-1972) has left little trace of the evolution of the earlier interior configurations.

The building is owned by Environment Canada, the Canadian Parks Service and is operated as an exhibit space. See FHBRO Building Report 88-12.

Reasons for Designation

Harrington's Store was designated Recognized largely on the basis of environmental criteria; the integrity of its historical relationship within the streetscape, the contribution it continues to make to the character of the historic district and the strong identity it has within the community.

The building's relationship to Third Avenue and Princess Street is essentially the same as it was when built in 1902. While no longer part of a fully developed streetscape, Harrington's Store anchors one corner of a historically important street intersection and is critical to its integrity. The use of the building as a drop-in centre, temporary visitor reception centre and exhibition hall have contributed to its conspicuous identity within the community. The location of the building, at a major Dawson intersection, should ensure its continued prominence.

Character Defining Elements

The heritage character of the building derives from the Italianate architectural treatment given the street elevations, particularly the boxed cornice and panelled frieze, the square-sided oriel window placed at the salient angle, the richly ornamented double front door, and the painted cove shiplap siding.

The interior is notable for its traditional plan arrangement - second floor rooms accessed by a flight of stairs rising from a single door on the Princess Street elevation.

The partial restoration of the principal elevations has gone some way towards re-establishing the exterior character of the building. The restoration/rehabilitation of the minor elevations would enhance the appearance of the building. A tenancy which would justify rehabilitation of the second and ground floors, for residential and commercial/institutional use respectively, would enrich the streetscape character of the area.

The historic relationship between the building and the once bustling thoroughfares of Third Avenue and Princess Street derived, in part, from the proximity of the building to the lot lines and boardwalk, the awnings along both principal elevations and the dressed show windows. The maintenance and/or development of these features would contribute to the Gold Rush character sought by the community.