Description of Historic Place

The Élizabeth Martin Building, the former Sainte-Marie School, houses the Golden Age Club. This two-storey vernacular structure built of wood is located on Élizabeth Martin Street in the institutional sector of Sainte-Anne-de-Madawaska.

Heritage Value

The Élizabeth Martin Building is recognized as a Local Historic Place for its original use as an educational institution. Built in the centre of the village ca. 1930 and bearing the name École Sainte-Marie, it originally had only four classrooms and taught students up to Grade 9. It was subsequently divided into eight rooms, making it possible to accept students up to Grade 12. In 1950, a regional school was built.

The heritage value of the Élizabeth Martin Building lies as well in the building’s name. In an effort to recognize its centenarians, the Village of Sainte-Anne-de-Madawaska decided to name certain sites in their honour. The building has borne the name Élizabeth Martin since 1988. Élizabeth Martin was the first centenarian in Sainte-Anne-de-Madawaska.

The Élizabeth Martin Building is further recognized for its architecture. The building is an example of one of the styles of educational architecture mandated by the provincial Department of Education during the early twentieth century. The monumental massing, the symmetry of the fenestration and the simplicity of the details reflect the traditional vernacular design of this style.

Source: Société Historique Sainte-Anne-de-Madawaska. File: Édifice Élizabeth Martin

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements associated with the location of the Élizabeth Martin Building include:
- location in the institutional sector.

The character-defining elements associated with the vernaular educational architecture of the Élizabeth Martin Building include:
- rectangular two-storey massing;
- steeply pitched gable roof;
- symmetry of the original rectangular door and window openings;
- central entrance on the main façade;
- returned eaves.