Description of Historic Place

Located at the junction of three roads, the Registration Building is a rustic, one-storey, bell-cast gable roof structure. Its residential appearance with Tudor-Revival motifs, features half-timbering, stucco infill and cladding of local fieldstone. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

The Registration Building is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental value.

Historical Value
The Registration Building is associated with the park’s emergence as a popular destination for motoring tourists. It is also associated with the extensive road building program fostered by the unemployment relief acts of the mid-1930s. Registration buildings became standard features of National Parks as road access improved and automobile traffic increased during the 1920s and 1930s.

Architectural Value
The Registration Building is a very good example of the rustic architectural aesthetic with Tudor-Revival motifs. This aesthetic was adopted by the National Parks system to project a distinctive image readily associated with the parks. The building is enhanced by its materials and the contrasting colours of the fieldstone, stucco, and timber.

Environmental Value
The Registration Building is sited on a triangular-shaped traffic island formed by the convergence of three roads. The building’s conspicuous and exposed location makes it a highly visible landmark to motorists from all directions. Its picturesque appearance reinforces the natural character of the mountain park.

Sources:
Registration Building, Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta, Heritage Character Statement, 84-003; Edward Mills, Registration Building, Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta, Federal Heritage Building Report, 84-003.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Registration Building should be respected.

Its picturesque, residential appearance, good quality craftsmanship and materials for example:
-the compact one-storey structure with a bell-cast gable roof and rear medium hipped roof that contributes to its residential appearance;
-the local fieldstone, half-timbering and stucco infill;
-the small gables located above the doors on three sides of the structure;
-the leaded glass windows;
-the fieldstone chimney.

The manner in which the Registration Building reinforces the natural character of Waterton Lakes National Park, and is a well-known landmark to visitors, as evidenced by:
- its rustic appearance;
- its exposed and conspicuous location, at the entrance to the park, on a triangular- shaped traffic-island formed by the convergence of three roads.