Description of Historic Place

The Mossbank & District Museum Inc., the Schoolhouse, the Blacksmith Shop, & Ambroz House is a Municipal Heritage Property located in the Town of Mossbank. The property consists of a 1921, wood-frame, country schoolhouse; a 1920, false-fronted blacksmith shop; and an early-twentieth-century, wood-frame, cottage-type residence.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the Schoolhouse lies in its exemplification of a one-room country school. The Schoolhouse was built in 1921 for the Johnson Lake School Division No. 3261. The interior of the school is simply finished in typical tongue-and-groove cladding with a blackboard serving as the focal point of the room. After being sold to the Rural Municipality in 1943, the schoolhouse was moved to Mossbank and served as the RM office until 1979.

This property is also of heritage value for its representation of an early twentieth century blacksmith shop. Built in 1920, the shop is the oldest fully furnished blacksmith shop on its original location in Saskatchewan. The intact shop, with its false fronted, boomtown façade and metal cladding, was purchased by Polish immigrant, Frank Ambroz in 1928 and functioned continuously as a blacksmith shop until Ambroz died in 1986. During this time Ambroz shoed horses, fabricated and repaired farm machinery and transportation equipment, and crafted items for the nearby Royal Canadian Air Force base during the Second World War. With its impressive collection of artifacts, the shop offers a rare insight to the blacksmithing trade in the province.

The property is also significant for the inclusion of the adjacent Ambroz House. Frank and Mary Ambroz purchased the three room cottage from Imperial Lumber yard in about 1940 and moved it into Mossbank from the country. The yard is landscaped using regional Claybank brick. Mary occupied the house until about 1990.

Source: Town of Mossbank Bylaw No. 218/95

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the Mossbank & District Museum Inc., the Schoolhouse, the Blacksmith Shop, & Ambroz House is associated with the following character-defining elements:
-those architectural elements of the Schoolhouse, such as its rectangular, one-storey hipped roof form with dormer; its dormer signage identifying Johnson Lake School District; its lapped wooden siding; its open-plan interior; interior material finishes such as tongue-and-groove wall cladding; hanging globe light fixtures; central blackboard.
-those elements of the Blacksmith Shop which contribute to its rustic and vernacular character, such as its wood-frame construction; rectangular form with gable roof and shed-roof, lean-to addition; false-fronted boomtown façade; galvanized-metal cladding; tall, metal chimney; unfinished interior with exposed framing, rafters and wallboards.
-those exterior elements of the Ambroz House such as its square, one-storey, hipped roof form with attic dormers.
-the elements associated with the site’s context, such as the original placement of the blacksmith shop on its location; the placement of the Ambroz House on its historic location adjacent to the blacksmith shop; Claybank brick landscape detailing of the Ambroz House yard including pathways.