Description of Historic Place

The Deep Cove School is located at the back of the Grand Manan Museum property on Route 776. It is a traditional one-room school from the late 19th century. At the back of the school stands an old two-door outhouse. Directly behind the school is the Grand Harbour Bay.

Heritage Value

The Deep Cove School on Grand Manan Island is designated a Local Historic Place for its association with the area’s educational history. This traditional rural building was the last one-room school to operate on Grand Manan Island. During its early years it served as a school and an occasional place of worship, as well as a venue for community meetings. The school was first built and opened in 1889. As the community in this area migrated more to the north, so did the school. It was moved in 1922 and again in 1933. The final year it operated as a school was 1947. Subsequently, it was used as a fisherman shed for a number of years. In 1963, it was donated by Marion Laffoley and was moved to Grand Harbour as a permanent display for the Grand Manan Museum. The school house is organized as it was when in use and is open to the public in the summer months and in the winter by appointment. It exhibits a collection of original school items as well as items on loan from various museums in New Brunswick.

Source: Grand Manan Archives - Local Historic Places file

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements that describe the Deep Cove School include:
- rectangular one-room massing;
- wood construction;
- original placement of door and windows;
- sashed 6-over-6 windows;
- central front door;
- brick chimney at the rear of the building;
- flagpole;
- cedar shingles on a moderately-pitched front-facing gable roof;
- slight eaves with returns;
- clapboard exterior;
- stone and mortar foundation, made for the school when it was moved to its current location in the 1963.

The character-defining elements relating to the interior include:
- donated original furnishings belonging to the school on display, including a teacher’s desk and chair;
- some period school items on loan from various New Brunswick museums;
- chalk board on the wall.