Description of Historic Place

Middle Sackville Central School is a large two-story grey wooden building. It is located on Church Street in Middle Sackville, at the end of a driveway.

Heritage Value

Middle Sackville Central School is designated a Local Historic Place for its controversial construction.

Middle Sackville Central School was constructed in 1894 among much controversy in School District No.11. For some time, prior to 1893, it was felt that it was necessary to increase accommodation of the Middle Sackville schools owing to the large number of children in attendance. Although not the size it once was, the building represents the prestige of the Superior School in the history of education in New Brunswick. The fact is that this school acquired a teacher with a first class license and was housing the higher grades caused jealousy in other sections of the district. The new school lot was measured off in August 1894 and the building framed up. There was a fire at the new school while it was under construction and it was felt that it had been purposely set by a disgruntled taxpayer. The schoolhouse was rebuilt and classes were started in January 1895 under the guidance of George Morton, a new teacher from outside the area. The building was advertised for sale in May 1907 when the decision was made by the same board to build a larger school, near the original school. The tenders were not considered high enough so the school was auctioned and sold in July 1908 to Gaius Richardson. Richardson, a builder, took exactly half of the building and used the materials in the construction of his new house, on the same site. The building could still be used as a classroom today, blackboards being intact.

Source: Town of Sackville, Historic Places File Cabinet, Middle Sackville Central School File

Character-Defining Elements

The character defining elements that describe Middle Sackville Central School include:
- large two-story rectangular massing;
- steeply pitched gable roof;
- grey painted wooden shingles with trim on windows and doors in a darker grey colour;
- tall double hung, six over six windows, topped with a heavy wooden pediments and entablatures;
- doors on front façade, one for each sex, topped with triangular pediments, supported by decorative brackets;
- blackboards.