Description of Historic Place

Rocanville and District Museum is a Municipal Heritage property located within the Town of Rocanville at 220 Qu’Appelle Avenue. The property features seven wood-frame buildings moved to the property after 1965, as well as one non-contributing building and three non-contributing metal sheds.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the Rocanville and District Museum lies in its role commemorating the district’s history. The property features seven historical buildings moved to the site from the surrounding area. The complex of nine buildings represent a wide range of historical functions, including the Rocanville train station, two local schools, a shop, a church and a meeting hall. The property also boasts a re-creation of an early-twentieth century blacksmith shop. This property has been used as an educational tool commemorating the heritage of the community for subsequent generations.

The heritage value of the property also lies in its spatial arrangement. The complex is designed to recreate a historic streetscape. The placement of the buildings model a typical early-twentieth century prairie town with buildings arranged facing each other to form streets.

Source:

Town of Rocanville Bylaw No. 89-2.

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the Rocanville and District Museum resides in the following character-defining elements:
-those elements that reflect the property’s use as a museum, including the seven buildings that house and preserve artifacts;
-those elements of the Rocanville train station that reflect its early-twentieth century railway architecture, including its rectangular form, wood-frame construction, hip roof with dormer, wood-eve brackets supporting the projecting eves, bay, the original door and window pattern, and crossing arm;
-those elements of the blacksmith shop that reflect its representation of early blacksmith shops in the community, including is rectangular form and simple massing, the wood-frame construction and its open interior space;
-those element of the Hillburn Church that represent early-twentieth century ecclesiastical architecture, including its side tower with entrance, gothic-arch windows, steeply pitched gable roof, crenellated tower and open interior space;
-those elements of the Prosperity School that reflect its late-nineteenth century one-room school architecture, including its window wall, wood-frame construction, rectangular form and regular massing;
-those elements of the Cambridge School that reflect its status as an early-twentieth century one-room school, including its window wall, wood-frame construction, rectangular form and regular massing, open interior space and blackboard;
-those elements of the Schawntz Brothers Store that reflect its status as an early commercial property, including simple form and massing, and its wood-frame construction;
-those elements of the Masonic Hall that reflects its status as a community hall, including its large open interior layout;
-the property’s spatial arrangement with buildings placed to create a small street resembling the configuration of a town.