Captain Martin House has stood in the heart of downtown Whitehorse for more than a century, and it is time to help it shine again. YHMA is fundraising campaign to repaint the house and safely remove the hazardous lead-based paint that make this project a major undertaking. The full project cost is $92,000. YHMA has a fundraising goal of $50,000 to complete the project and keep this historic building strong for years to come.
Captain Martin House is one of the three historic homes beside LePage Park. It is a designated Municipal Historic Site, home to several non-profits, and a familiar landmark for anyone who spends time downtown. Giving it a fresh coat paint is not cosmetic, it is essential. Before the new paint can go on, the old lead-based layers must be carefully remediated.
Thanks to support from the Government of Yukon’s Historic Properties Association, materials and part of the remediation are already funded.
Fundraising includes a peer-to-peer campaign, donations, sponsorships, silent auctions, bazaars and more. Anyone who donates or fundraises through the peer-to-peer campaign will receive a copy of a virtual tour of Yukon River sites connected to Captain Martin’s travels, a small window into the world he once navigated.
Patrick Martin’s story stretches far beyond Whitehorse. Before becoming a local merchant, he was a master mariner who sailed major oceans. His final major voyage brought him up the west coast, through the Aleutians, and 4,000 miles up the Yukon River to Whitehorse. He built his home between 1900 and 1908, added a second storey in 1917, and lived there with his family until the late 1930s. The house was later moved to 305 Wood Street and restored in the late 1980s.
To follow upcoming fundraising activities, check out our Facebook Page here, or visit our website heritageyukon.ca.