Description of Historic Place

Lilydale School is a Municipal Heritage Property located approximately 18 kilometres northeast of the Town of Neilburg and occupying a parcel of land in the Rural Municipality of Hillsdale No. 440. The property features a one-storey, wood-frame building constructed in 1912, which is situated in a school yard that includes a ball diamond.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of Lilydale School resides in its historic and ongoing role in the educational, social and recreational life of the surrounding area. The school was built in 1912 by Barr Colonist Thomas Simkins. The name was derived from Lily Marshall, a local resident. Over the years, a number of improvements were made to the building. In 1925, cloak rooms and a basement were added and wood and coal burning furnaces were replaced first by a hot-air furnace and finally by an oil burning heater. The property was used for religious services, Sunday Schools, meetings, and social and recreational events. By the time it closed in 1963, 235 students had attended Lilydale over a period of 51 years. Following its closure, the building was used as a granary until 1980 when the Lilydale School Historical Society was formed. The Society rehabilitated the building and, since 1981, it has been used for community functions such as reunions, homecomings, adult education classes, anniversaries, meetings, bridal showers, weddings and fund-raisers.

Source:

Rural Municipality of Hillsdale No. 440 Bylaw 2-05.

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of Lilydale School lies in the following character-defining elements:
-those elements that reflect the property’s role as a school, including its one-storey wood-frame construction, rectangular form, open interior space, gable roof, blackboards, flag pole, window wall and contrasting colours for the building and window and door trim;
-the elements that reflect the property’s role as an educational, social and recreational centre for the area, such as the ball diamond, open field surrounding the school, and its location on its original site.