Description of Historic Place

The Medicine Tent Warden Cabin sits on the north side of the Medicine Tent River and faces a large meadow. It is a modest, single-storey log structure with a gabled roof with generous overhangs and a chimney. There is a sheltered porch at the entrance gable. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

The Medicine Tent Warden Cabin is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental value.

Historical Value
The Medicine Tent Warden Cabin is associated with the National Park program that constructed a series of outposts for the use of boundary patrols of the Warden Service, to control poaching and visitor activities. It is also linked to historic travel routes and to the intersection of important trails through the park.

Architectural Value
The Medicine Tent Warden Cabin is a good example of a function-oriented design with rustic character. The functional plan of the structure, its craftsmanship and use of natural building materials respect the rustic architectural imagery practiced within National Parks.

The Environmental Value
The Medicine Tent Warden Cabin maintains an unchanged relationship to its site on the north side of the Medicine Tent River and shares a physical and functional relationship with the Wood/Tack Shed. The Cabin contributes to the character of the natural setting through its form and materials. Its visually prominent location, at the junction of two major trails, is a destination for travelers along the South Boundary Trail.

Source: The Medicine Tent Warden Cabin, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Heritage Character Statement, 96-099.

Character-Defining Elements

The following character defining elements of the Medicine Tent Warden Cabin should be respected.

Its function-oriented plan, rustic character and good quality craftsmanship and materials such as: its simple massing of a rectangular plan, single storey structure with a gable roof and
chimney; its log-framed sheltered porch area at the entrance gable; the roof brackets, queen posts, collar tie which add visual interest to the entrance; its good quality construction; its walls of peeled logs, horizontally laid and saddle-notched at the corners; and, its vertical cornerpost construction, exposed through-purlin log ends, decking roof edges and simple door and window trim.

The visually prominent location of the Medicine Tent Warden Cabin and its relationship to its site as evidenced in: the direct and unobstructed relationship between the structure and the trails; and, the relationship between the structure and the Wood/Tack Shed.

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 Medicine Tent Warden Cabin was constructed in 1955 by G. Hazelaire, D. Hoaring, and L. Wilson, but its designer is unknown. The structure maintains its original function as a Patrol Cabin for park wardens. Alterations include the installation of metal roofing and plywood sheathing, a new floor, new porch posts and the replacement of bottom round logs in 1996. Parks Canada is the custodian. See FHBRO Building Docket 96-99.

Reasons for Designation
The Medicine Tent Warden Cabin on the South Boundary Trail was designated Recognized for its environmental significance, its architectural importance and its historical associations.

The south-facing Warden Cabin sits on the north side of the Medicine Tent River, and faces a large meadow. The relationship between the structure and the Wood/Tack Shed remains largely unchanged. The cabin contributes to the character of the natural setting through its form and materials. Its visually prominent location, at the junction of two major trails, is a destination for travelers along the South Boundary Trail.

The Warden Cabin is a single-storey log structure with a gabled roof. The structure was designed to have only one room and a covered porch and was carefully built with simple details. The functional plan of the structure, its craftsmanship and its materials respect the long-standing prescription for a rustic architectural imagery within national parks.

The Warden Cabin relates back to the park program of establishing a series of outposts for boundary patrols of the Warden Service to monitor poaching and visitor activities. The structures are located in close proximity to outfitter camps outside the park. They also relate to historic travel routes and to the intersection of important trails through the park.

Character Defining Elements
The heritage value of the Medicine Tent Warden Cabin is found in all aspects of its form, materials, construction techniques, fenestration, layout and setting.

The Warden Cabin is a modest, rectangular, one-storey structure with a gabled roof and chimney. Its simple massing is a feature of the rustic design. The cabin is of high quality construction. Its walls are made of horizontally laid, peeled spruce logs which are saddle notched at the corners. The logs are evenly extended at the corner joints, except at the entrance gable where they extend and are supported by log posts to create a large, sheltered porch area. The roof also has generous overhangs. All of these features contribute to the building's rustic appearance.

The structure's peeled logs, vertical cornerpost construction, exposed through-purlin log ends, decking roof edges and simple door and window trim enhance the rustic character. The cross-braced porch railings should be preserved by repairing in kind, with emphasis on maximum retention of original material.

The roof brackets, queen posts, collar tie and asymmetrical door with side window add visual interest to the entrance. The logs' natural finish reflects a functional approach to maintenance. Log finishes should not be altered without careful analysis of appropriate finishes and patina. The structure also features a rubblestone foundation and porch piers, which emphasize the practical employment of locally available materials.

The horizontal two-over-two wood sash replacement windows are centered on the longitudinal facades. These windows simplify and modernize the window expression. The square, two-over-two wood sash window contributes to the rustic character. All windows have side-mounted, vertical plank shutters, and the entrance door is constructed with wood planks. These also follow the rustic aesthetic. Future replacements should be based on historic precedent.

The single-room white-painted interior presents an open volume. The building's rustic character is reinforced by the plan' s simplicity and by the exposed log walls, pole through-purlins, queen posts and out pole collar ties. The cabin's layout is functional. The cookstove and various furnishings should be investigated to determine their relationship with the building's use. Appropriate conservation methods should be employed.

The direct and unobstructed relationship between the structures and the trails should be protected and enhanced. The ground plane cover should not be overly-manicured or allowed to grow to scrub height.