Description du lieu patrimonial

Oscar Lake School is a Municipal Heritage Property located within the Rural Municipality of Meeting Lake No. 466 located approximately 15 kilometres northeast of the Hamlet of Alticane. The property features a one-storey, wood-frame school completed in 1932, surrounded by a small open field bordered by shrubs on three-sides on a 7300 square metre parcel of land.

Valeur patrimoniale

The heritage value of the Oscar Lake School lies in its status as a place of community gathering. A school was originally constructed on this property in 1912. From the time of its construction, the property was not only used for educating children, but also for a wide array of community functions, including local meetings, fundraisers and socials. The first school operated until 1930, when it was lost to fire. Shortly after, the present building was constructed on the site. The school remained open until 1966 when students began being bused to schools in nearby towns. After the schools' closure, the property continued its role as a public building as it was transferred to a local community association that used the property for numerous local functions.

The heritage value of the property also lies in its architecture, which is typical of one-room schools of its era. Characteristically, the school features a hip roof and a west window wall. Its rectangular form allowed the interior space to be configured into a large open schoolroom. Exterior elements that contribute to the historic integrity of the school’s architecture include its wood-frame construction and stucco-clad exterior.

Source:

Rural Municipality of Meeting Lake No. 466 Bylaw 2-05.

Éléments caractéristiques

The heritage value of the Oscar Lake School resides in the following character-defining elements:
-those elements that reflect the property’s status as a place of community gathering, including its location on its original position, the open interior space, and the open yard surrounding the school;
-those elements that reflect the property’s school house architecture, including its hip-roof, west window wall, rectangular form, interior blackboards, overhang above the main entrance, decorative moulding along the roof line, stucco exterior and regular massing.