Description of Historic Place

The Original Weaver and Devore General Store is a City of Yellowknife Heritage Site. It is a log building with asbestos tile siding, with a gable roof and shed. The building is located in Old Town Yellowknife, across the street from the current Weaver and Devore. It is currently used as a popular fish and chip restaurant, named Bullock's.

Heritage Value

The Original Weaver and Devore General Store is an icon of Yellowknife Heritage. It is the subject of many paintings, drawings and photographs, and is a picturesque landmark to tourists and locals alike. It is one of the few of its age remaining in a prominent location.

The Original Weaver and Devore General Store is an excellent reminder of the type of commercial activity typical in the city's earlier years. Built in 1938 as a general store, and currently used as Bullock's Fish and Chips, the building gives the Rock area a sense of the commercial core it once was. Outbuildings and parking places are haphazardly arranged around the base of the Rock, reflecting the unplanned development and growth in early Yellowknife.

The old store is an excellent example of early log construction. The exterior log structure is one of the few remaining that has not been covered by siding. The original interior design and layout has not changed much since a kitchen was added to the back in 1939. Many of the original counters and cabinets remain today.

The Original Weaver and Devore building has a strong, continued association with its builders and owners, the Weaver family. The Weavers have continuously run a general store in the area since 1938. In 1961 they converted the original store to a warehouse, and opened a larger outlet across the street. In 1993, the family renovated the store in the interest of its historic preservation. The exterior of the building has many old signs, including the original general store sign. In the late 1990's, the building was further renovated and opened as Bullock's Fish and Chips, a popular tourist destination and local restaurant.

The Original Weaver and Devore store supports the historic character of the Rock area. It is close by other historical buildings in the area, and clearly visible from road and water. Its proximity to both is strategic; in the old days, supplies were shipped by boat, unloaded, and carried across the street to the store.

Source: City of Yellowknife By-Law 3637.

Character-Defining Elements

-proximity to and clear visibility from both road and water
-location in Old Town, across the street from the current Weaver and Devore store
-old signs and other paraphernalia associated the original store
-haphazard arrangement of features on the lot around the Rock
-commercial use
-its materials, craftsmanship, style and massing, including but not limited to the external bare logs, windows and frames, and original interior furnishings