Yukon's historic places

Dateline: January 30, 2026.

Harrington's Store, Building #15

Located on Third Avenue at Princess Street, Dawson, Yukon.

Formally Recognized: May 11, 1989.

    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.

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View of the main entrance to Harrington's Store (15), showing the square-sided oriel window placed at the salient angle, the richly ornamented double front door, and the painted cove siding, 1987. Photo by Department of the Environment.

Rear facade of Harrington's Store in Dawson, showing the wood frame construction, 1987. Photo by Department of the Environment.

The heritage plaque at Harrington's Store in Dawson City on June 23, 2003. Photo by Murray Lundberg. The text reads:
"Like other grocers at the turn of the century, Harrington provided a cosmopolitan clientele with every conceivable foodstuff, from beans to truffles. This was made possible by the coincidence of improved transportation systems with new food storage technologies such as evaporation, canning, and artificial cold storage. Linked to the rest of the world during summer by rail and steamer, Dawson City merchants provided perishable foods year-round, all at a price of 2 to 3 times that outside'."

Harrington's Store on June 23, 2003. Photo by Murray Lundberg.

Harrington's Store on August 3, 2007. Photo by Murray Lundberg.

Harrington's Store in Dawson City on February 9, 2017. Photo by Murray Lundberg.