Belfry School
SW 5-4-27 WPM, Melita, Manitoba, R0M, Canada
Formally Recognized:
2001/10/11
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