Description of Historic Place

The Scotch Camp Warden Cabin is a simple, well-proportioned, rectangular log structure with a gable roof, a deep porch overhang with exposed log rafters and purlins supported on log posts, an asymmetrically placed entrance door flanked by a twelve-light window, two sets of similar windows located on the side elevations, and a back door on the west elevation. Stained brown with white window and doors surrounds, the building is typical of warden cabin designs. The Scotch Camp Warden Cabin is located along Cascade Fire Road in Banff National Park, and has a view of Mt. White to its east. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

The Scotch Camp Warden Cabin is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental values:

Historical value:
The Scotch Camp Warden Cabin is associated with the National Park Warden Service and the enforcement of wildlife and forest protection, as well as the development of tourism in Canada's national parks. Designed to provide overnight accommodation for the warden and his horse, the Scotch Camp Warden Cabin was built along the Cascade Trail Heritage Corridor. This patrol trail formed part of the back-country transportation and communication network established by the National Park Warden Service to enforce fish and game regulations and fight forest fires within the park's boundaries. The Scotch Camp Warden Cabin was constructed in response to the growth in tourism due to the increased number of visitors coming to the park by automobile and bus, and the popularity of the trail as a tourist destination.

Architectural value:
The Scotch Camp Warden Cabin is a good example of a standard warden patrol cabin as designed by James T. Childe, and of rustic style architecture. The cabin is a well-crafted, horizontal log building with saddle-notched corners that is constructed of natural, local materials, and is characterized by a gable roof with cedar shingles and a deep porch overhang with exposed, peeled log rafters and purlins supported on log posts.

Environmental value:
The Scotch Camp Warden Cabin is set among a forest of coniferous trees and an open pasture, which provides a spectacular view of Mt. White. An integral part of its picturesque surroundings and the principal structure at the camp, the cabin clearly establishes the character of the setting as a warden's camp and is well-known by visitors and park staff.

Sources:
Paul B. Wear, Scotch Camp Warden Patrol Cabin, Banff National Park, Alberta. Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office Building Report 97-069.
Scotch Camp Warden Patrol Cabin, Banff National Park, Alberta. Heritage Character Statement 97-069.

Character-Defining Elements

The following character-defining elements of the Scotch Camp Warden Cabin should be respected, for example:

Its role as an illustration of the National Park Warden Service and the enforcement of wildlife and forest protection in an era of patrols made on horseback, as well as the development of tourism in Canada's National Parks is reflected in:
-the building's rustic aesthetic and form which was part of the architectural character of Canada's national
park facilities from the 1880s until the end of the Second World War.

Its rustic style, indigenous building methods and local materials as manifested in:
-the simple, well-proportioned rectangular cabin which features a gable roof with exposed log rafter tails,
a deep overhang above the cabin entrance with exposed log rafters and purlins and supported on log posts,
and horizontal log construction;
-the formal arrangement of the openings such as the asymmetrically placed entrance door flanked by a
twelve-light window with shutters, and the paired twelve-light horizontal sliding windows with shutters on both
of the side elevations;
-the use of natural, local materials consistent with the principles of rustic architecture such as the consistently sized, horizontally laid peeled log construction and the wood shingle roof; and,
-the well-executed rustic detailing such as the saddle-notched corners, exposed log rafters and purlins, and mortar-type chinking.

The manner in which the building establishes the character of the setting as a warden's camp as evidenced in:
-the retention of its relationship with the site, in particular its location in an open pasture, adjacent to a coniferous forest with a view to Mt. White, and in close proximity to the other camp buildings including a wood shed and horse stable;
-the compatibility of it's rustic form, natural materials and rustic detailing with the picturesque wilderness setting;
-the cabin's relationship to the other camp building's and its scale establish it as the focal point of the camp.