Description of Historic Place

The Fireweed Studio is a City of Yellowknife Heritage Site. It is a single story log frame building. The building was relocated next to the Gerry Murphy Arena at 5210-49th Avenue in downtown Yellowknife in 1978.

Heritage Value

This building is a fine example of early log construction in Yellowknife. Built in the early 1930s as a blacksmith shop for Brock Mine, it was originally situated on what is now the Giant Mine property. Over the years it has served as a blacksmith shop (early 1930's-1938), a powder magazine (1938-1978), a tourist information centre (1978-1992), and currently as an artist's studio and retail outlet. An attractive, well-kept, nicely weathered building, it has been a continuous part of life in Yellowknife since the 1930s. Today, in its location on City Hall grounds, it is a familiar landmark and symbol of Yellowknife's early years.

Source: City of Yellowknife By-Law 3925.

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage character of the Fireweed Studio is defined by:
-the well-aged and weathered patina of the building's exterior materials, in particular its wood
-the mass, form and general disposition of the building
-the saddle joint log construction of the exterior walls
-the elements, configuration, layout and textures of the early structure, including but not limited to its one-room layout and simple wood door and frame