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Belfry School

SW 5-4-27 WPM, Melita, Manitoba, R0M, Canada

Formally Recognized: 2001/10/11

South elevation of the Belfry School, Melita area, 2005.; Historic Resources Branch, Manitoba Culture, Heritage & Tourism 2005
South Elevation
Southwest profile of the Belfry School, Melita area, 2005.; Historic Resource Branch, Manitoba Culture, Heritage & Tourism 2005
Southwest Profile
Northwest profile of the Belfry School, Melita area, 2005.; Historic Resources Branch, Manitoba Culture, Heritage & Tourism 2005
Northwest Profile

Other Name(s)

n/a

Links and documents

Construction Date(s)

1891/01/01 to 1891/12/31

Listed on the Canadian Register: 2005/08/08

Statement of Significance

Description of Historic Place

Belfry School, an unassuming wooden structure built in 1891, is set within a farm field west of Melita. The former country school faces Provincial Trunk Highway 445 as it passes by the large open fields of the agricultural district in the southwest corner Manitoba. The site's municipal designation applies to the building and the lot on which it sits.

Heritage Value

Belfry School is a rare pre-1900 example of the modest one-room, multigrade schools that served many rural Manitobans from the pioneer era through to the mid-twentieth century. Modest in size and basic in form, materials and finishes, this structure expresses the importance local families attached to the education of their children despite limited resources. Belfry School is also noted for its secondary function as a social hub, where dances, picnics and other community events were held.

Source: Municipality of Arthur By-law No. 1739, September 12, 2001

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements that define the site's heritage character include:
- its location on the north side of Provincial Trunk Highway 445, with the school's side elevations oriented east and west to maximize the interior's exposure to natural light

Key elements that define the school's no-frills external character include:
- the simple box-like form, with a gable roof that rises above the front porch with its gable and shed roofs
- the wood-frame construction, with horizontal wood siding painted white, cedar shingles, sets of double-hung windows placed on the east and west sides and the simple sign over the door with the school's name

Key elements that define the modest internal character of the school include:
- the formal plan, with functional spaces like washrooms and storage rooms off the entrance and direct access from the vestibule into the classroom
- the symmetrical classroom plan featuring wainscotting, window and door mouldings and hardwood plank floors and ceilings
- the traces of former student `activities' in the form of initials carved into the wooden storage room door

Recognition

Jurisdiction

Manitoba

Recognition Authority

Local Governments (MB)

Recognition Statute

Manitoba Historic Resources Act

Recognition Type

Municipal Heritage Site

Recognition Date

2001/10/11

Historical Information

Significant Date(s)

n/a

Theme - Category and Type

Building Social and Community Life
Education and Social Well-Being

Function - Category and Type

Current

Historic

Education
One-Room School

Architect / Designer

n/a

Builder

n/a

Additional Information

Location of Supporting Documentation

RM of Arthur, 138 Main Street, Box 429, Melita MB R0M 1L0

Cross-Reference to Collection

Fed/Prov/Terr Identifier

M0219

Status

Published

Related Places

n/a

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