Description of Historic Place

The Deer Lodge Warden Cabin is a rectangular cabin constructed of peeled logs with a gable roof covered with wood shingles. It is located near a campground and a nature trail in Yoho National Park. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

Deer Lodge Warden Cabin is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental value.

Historical Value
Deer Lodge Warden Cabin is associated with the development of the National Park system. It was the first warden’s cabin to be built in Yoho National Park, and was one of the earliest supporting the 1904 inauguration of a system of game guardianship. It was built by one of the first game wardens, Reuben Gable, and was expanded by the first resident game warden, John Tocher.

Architectural Value
Deer Lodge Warden Cabin is a good example of a vernacular rustic building and is of good functional design which is easily added to as needed. Its quality craftsmanship and use of natural building materials respect the rustic architectural imagery of the National Parks.

Environmental Value
Deer Lodge Warden Cabin maintains an unchanged historical relationship to the surrounding meadow and forest. The cabin is compatible with the natural character of its wilderness setting at Yoho National Park. Located near a campground and a nature trail, it is a local landmark.

Sources:
Shannon Ricketts, Deer Lodge Warden Cabin, Yoho National Park, British Columbia, Federal Heritage Building Review Office Building Report, 87-025.

Deer Lodge Warden Cabin, Yoho National Park, British Columbia, Heritage Character Statement, 87-025.

Character-Defining Elements

The following character-defining elements of Deer Lodge should be respected, for example:

Its rustic aesthetic and functional design, for example:
The simple massing of the rectangular building. The gable roof that extends beyond to one end forming a porch. The choice of local materials, indigenous building methods and rustic design details
such as the horizontally laid, peeled round logs with dovetail and saddle-notched
corners, the log upright supports and the log fretwork adorning the
porch gable.

The manner in which Deer Lodge maintains an unchanged relationship to its site, and is compatible with the natural character of its wilderness setting at Yoho National Park and is a local landmark, as evidenced by:
The building’s ongoing relationship to the surrounding meadow and forest. The building’s rustic aesthetic and natural building materials which are compatible with
the wilderness setting. The building’s familiarity by virtue of its accessible location near a campground and a
nature trail.

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 Deer Lodge Warden Cabin was built in the Yoho Park Reserve in 1904 to provide facilities for patrolling game wardens. After the First World War, a permanent warden took up residence, and in 1924, an extension was added. The building was restored in 1961. Environment Canada Parks Service is the custodial department. See Building Report 87-23.

Reasons For Designation
The Deer Lodge Warden Cabin was designated Recognized as a result of its significant historical associations, its vernacular character and the nature of its environment.

The Warden Cabin is associated with the development of the National Park system. It was the first warden's cabin to be built in Yoho National Park, and was one of the earliest supporting the 1904 inauguration of a system of game guardianship. It was built by one of the first game wardens, Reuben Gable, and was expanded by the first resident game warden, John Tocher.

The cabin is a more highly developed structure than most early log cabins in the mountain parks. It is a good example of functional design, and exhibits the additive plan typical of vernacular buildings. The site is unchanged and the cabin's rustic appearance blends with the surrounding evergreen forest.

Character Defining Elements
The heritage character of the Warden Cabin resides in the relationship of its rustic vernacular design to the natural environment in which it is located.

The cabin is rectangular in plan, and is constructed of peeled logs, with a gable roof covered with wood shingles. The roof extends beyond the gable at one end, forming a porch supported by two log uprights. A log fretwork adorns the porch gable. The original portion of the building has dovetailed corners, whereas the later section is saddle-notched. The 1961 restoration respected the original design and craftsmanship, and any further maintenance and repair work should do the same.

The cabin, located near a campground and a nature trail, is a local landmark. The natural materials used in the cabin's construction are compatible with the surrounding meadow and forest, and this historic relationship should be maintained.