Description of Historic Place

The Empire School, also known as S.S. No. 9, is a two-storey red brick structure that was built in 1885. Its central location at 3038 Regional Road 9 in York, Ontario, catered to the students of the then-thriving community.

Haldimand County recognized its historical and architectural value with By-law 1627/00.

Heritage Value

Empire School, was originally built in 1850 as a log schoolhouse on the north side of Regional Road 9. In 1856, because of a large student population, a frame schoolhouse was built across the road. In 1885 the present brick schoolhouse was constructed. The school was closed in 1957 when the new Seneca Central School was opened. The school reopened briefly in 1959 when the Seneca Unity School was under construction. At the present time this schoolhouse is a private residence.

The Empire School is a large, two-storey red brick structure with a gable roof over the main section and another gable roof over the secondary section. The main section, fronted by a brick, gable roofed mud room, is modeled on nineteenth-century one-room schoolhouses. The arched entrance and the two windows on either side are topped with arched yellow bricks. At each corner of the main and secondary structures and the mud room are decorative yellow brick quoins. There are three one over one windows in the main section overlooking the one-storey secondary structure.

Source: Haldimand County By-law 1627/00.

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements that reflect the heritage value of the Empire School include its:
- brick one-room school footprint
- two similarly designed but separately roofed sections
- decorative yellow brick quoins on all corners
- yellow brick accents over the windows
- main entrance