Description of Historic Place

Falstaff Public School is located at 35 Waterloo Street North on the east side of Waterloo Street North, south of Elizabeth Street in the City of Stratford. The two storey brick school was constructed in 1929.

The property was designated by the City of Stratford in 2001 for its heritage value under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act (By-law 2-2001).

Heritage Value

Falstaff Public School is associated with the education of the City of Stratford's youth as well as prominent local architect J.S. Russell. Russell's work is evident throughout Stratford. Some of his notable designs include St. Andrews Church, Zion Lutheran Church, Avon School and the Masonic Temple.

Located atop a small incline, Falstaff Public School is an important landmark for the neighbouring community. The “New” school was constructed in 1929 by the Pounder Brothers to replace the “Old” Falstaff Public School. The design features a symmetrical facade with expansive windows, flat roof and parapet. The projecting frontispiece, wall buttresses, arched entrance with stone detail, and parapet reflect neo-gothic influences that were common in Ontario public school design in the early part of the 20th century.

Source: City of Stratford By-law 2-2001.

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements that contribute to the heritage value of Falstaff Public School include its:
- location on incline
- date stone on facade
- two storey, brick exterior
- flat roof
- symmetrical facade
- frontispiece
- large window openings
- wall buttresses and caps
- arched entrance with gothic detail
- parapet
- quoin around windows