Twin Falls Tea House
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The Twin Falls Tea House National Historic Site of Canada, located in
Yoho National Park Yoho National Park ( ) is a National Parks of Canada, national park of Canada. It is located within the Canadian Rockies, Rocky Mountains along the western slope of the Continental Divide of the Americas in southeastern British Columbia, bordered ...
,
British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
as a resting place for hikers and trail riders in the park. The rustic structure is located near Twin Falls in the Little Yoho Valley. The first phase of construction took place about 1908. A separate two-story cabin was built adjoining the original cabin about 1923, and the two structures were linked between 1925 and 1928. Proposed for demolition in 1969, the Tea House was designated a
National Historic Site of Canada National Historic Sites of Canada (french: Lieux historiques nationaux du Canada) are places that have been designated by the federal Minister of the Environment An environment minister (sometimes minister of the environment or secretary of t ...
in 1992, and was extensively renovated in 2005.


Construction

The first section of the Tea House was built by either the
Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadi ...
or an outfitter associated with the railroad as a rest station for tour groups as the "Twin Falls Rest," formally leasing the land in 1922-23. The Tea House served meals, and was stated to be able to accommodate five overnight guests. It is located on a circuit trail that reaches the foot of Yoho Glacier and which affords a view of Twin Falls. An trail branch provides access from
Takakkaw Falls Takakkaw Falls (; also spelled Takkakaw) is a waterfall located in Yoho National Park, near Field, British Columbia in Canada. The falls have a total height of , making them the second tallest waterfall in Canada. The main drop of the waterfall h ...
.


Description

The Tea House is of peeled log construction in the rustic style popular in national parks of the time. The logs are unusually massive for such a relatively small building. The 1923 addition uses logs of similar scale to the original cabin, but employs a
Swiss chalet style Swiss chalet style (german: Schweizerstil, no, Sveitserstil) is an architectural style of Late Historicism, originally inspired by rural chalets in Switzerland and the Alpine (mountainous) regions of Central Europe. The style refers to traditi ...
in its design. The balcony of the addition provides a clear view of Twin Falls. The Tea House does not have running water or electricity; food is cooked on a wood-burning stove. Sanitation is provided by outhouses, lighting by kerosene lamps. To reduce impact on the trail system, firewood is delivered by helicopter.


History

The Tea House was operated by Canadian Pacific on a leasehold basis through the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. In 1953 it was closed, as the rail tourism business declined in favor of automobile-borne tourism. In 1954 the Tea House and other CP properties were sold to Brewster and Ford Mountain Lodges Ltd., who reopened the Tea House in 1959. In 1969, Parks Canada proposed the demolition of the Tea House, citing poor repair and the absence of utilities. The seasonal proprietor, Fran Drummond, who had operated the Tea House since 1962, mounted a letter-writing campaign and gained support in the press, staving off demolition, and instigating repairs in the 1970s. In 1972 Fran Drummond took over the lease. Further repairs ensued, including a filtration system for the bucket-fed stream water supply for the kitchen and laundry. The Tea House was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1992. It is classified as a "recognized" Federal Heritage Building. In 2005 a $1 million renovation took place, funded partly by
Heritage Canada The National Trust for Canada (french: La Fiducie nationale du Canada; formerly known as the Heritage Canada Foundation) is a national registered charity in Canada with the mandate to inspire and lead action to save historic places, and promot ...
.


See also

*
Canadian Pacific Hotels Canadian Pacific Hotels (CPH) was a division of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) that primarily operated hotels across Canada. CPR restructured the division as a subsidiary in 1963. Early hotels Since passenger revenue made a significant co ...


References


External links


Parks Canada site

Management Plans, National Historic Sites of the Mountain Parks
evaluation of the Tea House
Twin Falls Chalet Website
{{British Columbia parks National Historic Sites in British Columbia Rustic architecture in Canada Yoho National Park Houses completed in 1908 Buildings and structures on the National Historic Sites of Canada register 1908 establishments in British Columbia