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Provincial Normal School

442 William Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3A, Canada

Formally Recognized: 1991/07/15

Primary elevations, from the north, of the Provincial Normal School, Winnipeg, 2006; Historic Resources Branch, Manitoba Culture, Heritage and Tourism, 2006
Primary Elevations
Roof detail of the Provincial Normal School, Winnipeg, 2006; Historic Resources Branch, Manitoba Culture, Heritage and Tourism, 2006
Detail
Entrance detail of the Provincial Normal School, Winnipeg, 2006; Historic Resources Branch, Manitoba Culture, Heritage and Tourism, 2006
Detail

Other Name(s)

Villa Fel Rodriguez
Filcasa Housing Co-op
Villa Fel Rodriguez
Provincial Normal School
Coopé d'habitation de Filcasa

Links and documents

Construction Date(s)

1904/01/01 to 1906/12/31

Listed on the Canadian Register: 2007/12/07

Statement of Significance

Description of Historic Place

The Provincial Normal School is a 2 1/2 -storey Neo-Classical stone building constructed in 1904-06 in a transitional area between downtown Winnipeg and residential neighbourhoods to the north and west. The City of Winnipeg designation applies to the building on its footprint.

Heritage Value

Winnipeg's Provincial Normal School was the largest, grandest and longest-operating of the four Normal Schools constructed in Manitoba, including St. Boniface (1903), Manitou (1904) and Brandon (1913). The establishment of such facilities signalled the increasing importance attached to improving teaching standards in an attempt to address broader educational concerns of the era. The Winnipeg facility, which included a "model school" to give aspiring teachers practical experience, was a vital component in elevating professional training and formulating educational philosophy and curriculum for more than 40 years. Its importance is denoted in the masterful planning of Provincial Architect Samuel Hooper, who used elements from several architectural orders to assemble a venerable classical composition.

Source: City of Winnipeg Committee on Planning and Community Services, July 15, 1991

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements defining the heritage character of the Provincial Normal School site include:
- its location on the corner of William Avenue and Gertie Street near downtown Winnipeg, consuming most of its lot and surrounded by mature trees, paved surfaces and mixed residential, commercial and institutional development, most notably the nearby Carnegie Library and Victoria-Albert School

Key elements that define the building's dignified Neo-Classical styling include:
- the 2½ -storey L-shaped form, truncated at its vertex, with a high rusticated limestone foundation and main facades of smooth-cut limestone
- the octagonal dome atop the entrance featuring a base with four rectangular openings on each face, a simple drum above with two openings on each face and a domical vault atop, clad in galvanized iron
- the three, slightly projecting pavilions topped with large pediments featuring oculi and bracketed eaves
- the varying roofline of galvanized iron featuring four gable dormers, each with two openings, scrolls at the base and pediment detailing
- the elaborate corner entrance composed of a large staircase, smooth-faced Manitoba limestone pedestals and Tuscan columns, an entablature with the words 'NORMAL SCHOOL' on it and the crest of Manitoba set in a decorative tablet above, and double wooden doors recessed within a compound arch and topped by a fanlight
- the simple rectangular openings underscored by continuous sills/belt courses
- the dignified detailing, such as the Corinthian pilasters above the entrance, cornices between floors, bracketed upper cornice, etc.

Key elements that define the building's interior layout, finishes and details include:
- the L-shaped plan of each floor, with stairs placed at either end and a long continuous double-loaded corridor

Recognition

Jurisdiction

Manitoba

Recognition Authority

City of Winnipeg

Recognition Statute

City of Winnipeg Act

Recognition Type

Winnipeg Landmark Heritage Structure

Recognition Date

1991/07/15

Historical Information

Significant Date(s)

n/a

Theme - Category and Type

Building Social and Community Life
Education and Social Well-Being

Function - Category and Type

Current

Residence
Multiple Dwelling

Historic

Education
Special or Training School

Architect / Designer

Samuel Hooper

Builder

n/a

Additional Information

Location of Supporting Documentation

15-30 Fort Street Winnipeg MB

Cross-Reference to Collection

Fed/Prov/Terr Identifier

W0146

Status

Published

Related Places

Entrance Detail

Central Normal School (Winnipeg)

The Central Normal School is a 2 1/2 -storey Neo-Classical stone building constructed in 1904-06 in a transitional area between downtown Winnipeg and residential neighbourhoods to…

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