Description of Historic Place

Brooksdale School is a Municipal Heritage Property located on .75 hectares in the Rural Municipality of Mervin No. 499. Constructed in 1919, the property features a stucco-clad, typical one-room schoolhouse nestled in a shelter belt of trees.

Heritage Value

One of the few remaining typical country schools in the area, Brooksdale School is valued for its contributions to the educational and social life of the district. In 1919, the newly organized Brooksdale School District called for tenders for a schoolhouse that measured 26 x 26 feet with a full basement. At a cost of $2000, this typical one-room schoolhouse with hip roof and window wall was completed that summer and opened in September. Over the next 40 years, the school served over 200 students and was the focal point for much social activity, such as Christmas concerts, school picnics, box socials, and plays. Though the school closed in 1959 and classes ceased, the building continued to be used. For over 30 years, it held Sunday School classes during the summer months and remained an important place for community gatherings.

Located on its original site, Brooksdale School is a landmark in the community.

Source:

Rural Municipality of Mervin No. 499 Bylaw No. 95-2.

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of Brooksdale School resides in the following character-defining elements:
-features that reflect the building's use as a schoolhouse and community gathering place, including its simple form and massing, hip roof, porch, open classroom space, west-facing window wall and other window openings, blackboards, cloakrooms, and signage;
-its location on its original site.