Description of Historic Place

The Hoodoo Warden Cabin is situated on the North Boundary Trail in a meadow surrounded by coniferous forest in Jasper National Park of Canada. The building is a single-storey log construction with a rectangular plan, a gabled roof and a log-framed open porch. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

The Hoodoo Warden Cabin is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental values.

Historical value
The Hoodoo Warden Cabin is one of the earliest cabins in the park and is a useful example of a building designed as a park warden patrol cabin. It is also associated with the ideals of protecting and enhancing designated wilderness areas for the pleasure and benefit of the Canadian people.

Architectural value
The Hoodoo Warden Cabin is a good example of a structure utilitarian in design and rustic in character. It reflects the aesthetics favoured by National Parks in the west during the early to mid 20th century. It is a good functional structure built to reflect its picturesque setting and exhibits good quality construction.

Environmental value
The Hoodoo Warden Cabin maintains its historic relationship with its natural surroundings and is familiar to wardens and hikers within the park. The relationship of the cabin to the wood shed, the meadow, and the surrounding forest is an important aspect of the overall setting.

Source: Hoodoo Warden Cabin, North Boundary Trail, Jasper National Park, Alberta. Heritage Character Statement 97-085.

Character-Defining Elements

The following character-defining elements of the Hoodoo Warden Cabin should be respected.

Its rustic style and good craftsmanship and materials as manifested in: the simple low massing of the one-storey structure; the rectangular plan and the metal covered gable roof; the open porch projecting from the front; the wood siding, finished in red-brown paint with light trim; the functional window shutters.

The manner in which the Hoodoo Warden Cabin is compatible with the picturesque mountain park setting of Jasper National Park of Canada as evidenced in: the ongoing relationship of the cabin to the wood shed, the meadow, and the surrounding forest is an important aspect of the overall setting.

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 Hoodoo Warden Cabin was constructed in 1928 as a park warden patrol cabin. Its designer is unknown. The original use continues. Alterations have included installing a concrete foundation, modifying porch roof supports and internal roof joist framing, and installation of metal roofing to replace earlier rubberized roofing. The interior was also sub-divided. Parks Canada is the custodian. See FHBRO Case File No. 97-85.

Reasons for Designation
The Hoodoo Warden Cabin on the North Boundary Trail was designated Recognized because of its environmental significance as well as its architectural design and historical associations.

The Warden Cabin is sited along the trail in a meadow surrounded by coniferous forest with a wood shed to the rear. It contributes to the character of its natural setting through its form and materials. The cabin is a destination point for travelers along the North Boundary Trail.

The cabin's functional plan, craftsmanship and materials respect the long-standing prescription for a rustic architectural imagery within National Parks.

Historically, the Warden Cabin, one of the earliest cabins within the park, is associated with the park program of constructing a series of outposts for use by 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.

Character Defining Elements
The Hoodoo Warden Cabin's heritage value resides in its form, early materials, construction techniques and setting.

The Warden Cabin exhibits simple massing, with its modest single storey, its rectangular plan and its gabled roof. The log-framed open porch with trussed-purlin supports and posts at the gable end contributes to the rustic log-framed character. The four windows and two doors are made of simple wood components, with their positioning determined by function. The window shutters are functional features. The building's simplicity of form and massing should be respected in future developments.

The cabin is of good quality construction. Its walls are made of peeled 8" -10" logs, horizontally laid and saddle notched at the corners. The peeled logs and simple door and window trim create a simple, rustic character which should be preserved by repairing in kind, with emphasis on maximum retention of original material. The logs' brown stain finish reflects a functional approach to maintenance, which should not be altered without first carefully analyzing the impact on patina and performance. The roof, probably wood shingles or roll roofing originally, is now covered with metal roofing. Wood shingles would have contributed to the rustic character of the building. When replacement is again required, careful consideration should be given to the choice of covering. The multi-paned wood sash windows appear to be original, as does the plank door. The fine-scale detail of the windows and doors contributes to the rustic character and should be retained.

The original interior, subdivided into two spaces, was probably originally a single volume. The natural-finish wood plank internal dividing wall appears to be well crafted, however it obscures the simple log-framed volume.

The interior, with its exposed natural-finish roof decking and log purlins, continues the rustic character of the building. The white-painted exposed log walls may have been unfinished originally, which would have contributed to the rustic character of the building. The grey-painted wood plank flooring also introduces a finished character to the interior.

The relationship of the cabin to the wood shed, the meadow, and the surrounding forest is an important feature. The surrounding ground plane is most appropriately maintained as a simple grassed meadow.