Description of Historic Place

This former school house is a one-storey plus raised basement, wood-frame structure with a covered entrance, hipped roof and regular fenestration. Located on Harris Road, the main north/south road in Pitt Meadows, this building is adjacent to a number of the District's historic farmsteads. It has now been adapted for residential purposes.

Heritage Value

Built circa 1927, the Pitt Meadows School House was a one-room rural school. It is historically significant as the only remaining early school building that has survived in Pitt Meadows. It is associated with early twentieth century agricultural development, and subsequent population growth. The location close to the street illustrates a common rural development pattern, where small parcels of land were subdivided from large farms to facilitate the construction of local schools. Located to the north of the town centre, in an area that is still largely rural in nature, this school contributes to the historic small town character of Pitt Meadows with its large lot, mature trees and modest architecture.

Additionally, the school's design is significant as a reflection of the educational guidelines set out by the provincial government. Typical of small rural schools, children of different ages were all taught in the same room. Representative of standardized designs, this is a simple rectangular plan structure with a tall hipped roof. The banked windows on the east elevation took advantage of natural light but also allowed sufficient wall space for large blackboards.

Source: Department of Development Services, District of Pitt Meadows

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements that define the heritage character of the Pitt Meadows School House include its:
- rural location on Harris Road, set close to the street
- institutional form, scale and massing, as expressed by its one-storey plus raised basement height, and symmetrical rectangular plan with covered entry
- wood-frame construction with bellcast shingles on the first storey and horizontal lapped siding at the foundation level
- hipped roof with open eaves, with internal red-brick chimney
- variety of single and double assembly window openings
- associated landscape features, such as the grassed yard and surrounding mature trees