Chinery House

Building Location: 

505 Wood Street

Whitehorse, YT

Location Context: 

The Chinery House occupies the 500 block of Wood Street, significant for its concentration of heritage homes. Refer to the Cyr House; the Harvey House; and the McKinnon House

Description: 

1-1/2 Storey Log House

Architectural History: 

It is a log structure with a gable roof covered in galvanized steel roofing. The exterior is wood siding and it has a hip roofed porch. 

Partial renovations were done to the west portion of house in 1983 including a new metal roof and new foundation. There is also a frame addition on west side and on rear of the building.

Cultural History: 

This log house was built for C. Chinery in about 1908 by riverboat captain Charlie Coghlan, who also built a similar house at 408 Wood Street. Charles Chinery, a stage driver for the White Pass Royal Mail service and a purser on the riverboats “Dawson” and “Whitehorse”, occupied the house until 1917. 

In 1919, Jack French and his family occupied the house. French was a carpenter and undertaker who operated a workshop at Second Avenue and Steele Street. 

In 1939 the house was purchased by Al and Betty Buffett who remained in the house until 1977.