Description of Historic Place

The Reliance Community Hall is a Municipal Heritage Property located 24 kms southwest of the Village of Mankota, in the Rural Municipality of Glen McPherson No. 46. The property features a one-storey, wood-frame school built in 1915 and one non-contributing resource.

Heritage Value

The Reliance Community Hall is of heritage value for its historic role as the school for Divide School District No. 2894 (later renamed Reliance) and as a community gathering place. Moved to the site in 1957 from northwest of the Hamlet of Ferland, this 1915 building replaced the 1914 schoolhouse originally built on the site. In addition to serving as a school, this building, like the original structure, also served as the church and general meeting place for community events. In 1965, it was purchased by area residents as a community centre and continued to serve for local events such as dances and picnics.

The Reliance Community Hall is also of heritage value for its architecture, which is exemplary of a one-room schoolhouse of its time. Characteristic of schoolhouses, the building features a hip roof with dormer, central entrance and west elevation window wall. The interior of the building retains its blackboards and open, one-room floor plan.

Source:

Rural Municipality of Glen McPherson No. 46 Bylaw No. 85-3.

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the Reliance Community Hall resides in the following character-defining elements:
-its location on the original site of the 1914 Divide School;
-exterior architectural features, such as a hip roof with closed eaves; shingle-clad, hip roof dormer; central front entrance; west elevation window wall; multi-pane wooden-sash windows;
-interior features, such as one-room open plan; and blackboards.