Description of Historic Place

The Warden’s Residence No.1 is situated near the northern highway entrance road and near the Moon Lake camping area. It is a simple, one-and-a-half-storey, L - shaped structure with a projecting front porch and rear shed. Constructed of log and stone in the rustic style, the gable ends of the shingled, gabled roof are detailed with stucco and half-timbering. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

The Warden’s Residence No.1 at Moon Lake is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental values.

Historical value:
The Warden’s Residence No.1 is associated with the development of Canada’s National Park system and early Canadian tourism. Built to provide year round accommodation, the residence was constructed as a Public Works project using Depression-relief funding shortly after the Park was established in 1930. The wardens enforced laws, and regulations in the park assisted visitors and worked on fire protection programs. Warden stations were erected at key points where hunting parties could be intercepted. In the case of Riding Mountain National Park this function was rendered even more important as the Park was surrounded by agricultural land.

Architectural value:
The Warden’s Residence No.1 is an example of a log residence designed by the Architectural Division, National Parks Branch using a standard plan. It is a good functional structure in an informal style that was perceived as harmonious in a park setting.

Environmental value:
The Warden’s Residence No.1 is an integral part of a complex of seven buildings, including two houses, a guest house, three garages, a barn and a radio tower. Together they form a cohesive, highly distinctive and historically intact group. Emphasizing natural building materials, the Warden’s residence No.1 reinforces the picturesque natural setting.

Sources:
Warden’s Residence No.1, Moon Lake Warden Station, Riding Mountain National Park, Manitoba. Heritage Character Statement 84-049

First Stage Buildings 18, 19, 20, Buildings in Riding Mountain National Park, Manitoba. Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office Report 85-043 to 84-054

Character-Defining Elements

The following character-defining elements of the Warden’s Residence No.1 should be respected, for example:

Its rustic style and very good quality materials and craftsmanship, for example:

- The simple, low massing of the one-and-a-half-storey structure.
- The rectangular plan, with a projecting front porch to the left, and a shingled, gable roof with two chimneys.
- The walls with simple round-notched logs at the corners, the exposed rafter ends and the basement faced with random-course stone.
- The multi-pane casement windows.

The manner in which the Warden’s Residence No.1 reinforces the picturesque character of its setting within Riding Mountain National Park as evidenced by:

- Its unchanged historical site relationships with the other six buildings in the grouping alongside a major road leading to the Park.
- Its emphasis on building materials, colour and scale that are compatible with its natural setting.
- Its role as part of a cohesive, highly distinctive group of rustic buildings.
- Its rustic appearance, an aesthetic deemed appropriate for buildings in the park.