DAWSON CITY The Yukon Saw Mill wasn't the first of the big milling operations to supply the construction boom of 1896-99. That honour went to the operation established by Joe Ladue, who founded Dawson City.

But the Yukon Saw Mill, founded by Joseph L. Burke in connection with the Alaska Commercial Company, was one of the big three of the era.

More to the point, it's the one building from that industry that has survived the test of time. So, it's not really a surprise that it recently became the second Yukon building to be designated as a Yukon Historic Site by the territory's Yukon Heritage Resources Board.

Members of the board and Tourism and Culture Minister Elaine Taylor were in Dawson on Wednesday to celebrate the plaquing of this building and the announcement of plans for its future following a smoky tour of the Forty Mile region the day before.

Of the seven sawmills established (during the Gold Rush),' Taylor told her audience of some three dozen people, 'the Yukon Saw Mill was by far the largest and longest operating sawmill in the area.

'The existing building before us housed the machine shop, it housed the sales area as well as some offices.

'The building is representative of the role that the lumber and large-scale mining industry played in the growth of the City of Dawson.'

Taylor pointed out the painted facade of the building, as well as the inset corner entrance, which is a feature found on several other period buildings in Dawson, notably the Oddfellows' Hall and Klondike Kate's restaurant.

Parks Canada describes it as a 'building with ship lap siding and a metal hip roof ...

'This two-storey building is an important component of Front St. Its location and size attract the eye when travelling down Front Street or debarking from the ferry.

'One of the last remaining commercial structures in the area, the sawmill fits in with its surroundings which are predominately of an industrial nature. The shaped and molded trim are typical of what was produced by the mill throughout its history. The simple architectural style and detailing such as the inset corner door are representative of the buildings that were in Dawson in the early 1900s.'

Taylor unveiled the plaque that will be mounted on the building when planned renovations are completed.

Jim Williams, a Dawson contractor with lots of experience in working on heritage buildings, has the contract. It will include placing an addition on the north wall to house fire suppression, heating and mechanical services for the building.

The work will include repairs to the front steps, which trapped the visitors to the building inside briefly when they began to give way as one of the visitors was stepping down from the entrance.

The ceremony concluded with a tour of the building's ground floor, an empty, high-ceilinged room with an industrial past and an uncertain future.

Taylor said the building will be put into use in some fashion when the work on it is done, but did not know what that would be as yet.

She plans to consult with the City of Dawson, presumably after the election of a mayor and council, and other interest groups in town to determine the best use for the building.

The Dawson City Telegraph Office was also designated as a Yukon Historic Site on Tuesday.