Description of Historic Place

The Old Intermediate School is a wooden, two-and-a-half storey apartment complex located on Parr Street in the Town of St. Andrews. Originally a warehouse before becoming a school in 1893, the building was moved to its current location and converted into an apartment complex.

Heritage Value

The Old Intermediate School is designated a Local Historic Place for its age and for its role in the educational history of the area.

The Old Intermediate School was originally located on Water Street at the head of a wharf and served to store puncheons of molasses for merchant Thomas Watt of Jamaica. Floor construction suggests the building may date before 1840.

Prior to the School Act of 1871, schools in the Maritimes were generally unstructured and in poor condition. The School Tax of 1871 set up a system of free tax-supported schools which resulted in the construction of many commodious school houses. In 1873, St. Andrews converted Mr. Watt’s warehouse into a four-room schoolhouse. It was dragged upon cannon balls to the corner of William and Carleton streets. It remained in use until 1912 as a school for the intermediate grades. In 1912, Prince Arthur School was built and this building underwent yet another transformation into an apartment complex. Once again, this large building was moved to its current location.

Source: Charlotte County Archives, Old Gaol, St. Andrews, NB.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Old Intermediate School include:
- original rectangular two-and-a-half storey massing;
- wood cladding;
- moderately-pitched gable roof with slight eave returns;
- original tripartite windows with bracketed entablatures on the gable ends.