Description of Historic Place

The Old Stone School is located directly east of St. Andrew’s College on the grounds of the University of Saskatchewan in the City of Saskatoon. The property features a one-storey stone school constructed in 1887 that was moved here in 1911. The historic significance of the building is recognized by a preservation agreement.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the Old Stone School lies in its association with the foundation of public education in Saskatoon. In 1885, Saskatoon Public School District No. 13 was formed with classes held in the various temporary locations. This granite one-room school, originally known as Victoria School, was built by Alexander Marr in 1887. Community members assisted in the gathering of suitable building stones from the surrounding prairie, stone being a readily-available alternative to wood-frame construction at a time when lumber was rare and expensive to transport. The school accommodated approximately 40 pupils, and having a central location at the corner of Broadway Avenue and 11th Street, immediately became a gathering place for religious, social and cultural events. It was replaced in 1910 when the growing community required a larger educational facility.

Its heritage value also resides in its stonemasonry. Stonemason Alexander Marr constructed this building in 1887. A school of Prairie Vernacular design, its hip roof, robust mass, sequence of its stonework and strong form speak to the importance of education in the community, as well as optimism for the future.

Heritage value also resides in its status as one of the first heritage conservation projects in western Canada. Undertaken as a tribute to pioneer education under the auspices of the International Order Daughters of the Empire (I.O.D.E.) the school was dismantled stone by stone, and each stone was numbered. It was then reconstructed on the grounds of the newly-established University of Saskatchewan in 1911, under the direction of stonemason, Lorne Thompson. It was restored in 1967 and established as a school museum.

Source:

City of Saskatoon Bylaw No. 6267

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the Old Stone School lies in the following character-defining elements:
- those elements which reflect its use as a school, its shape, the placement of its windows and central door;
- those elements reflecting its stonemasonry, such as its form, walls, and steep hip roof;
- those elements reflecting its status as one of the first heritage conservation projects in western Canada, such as its orientation on its lot, the materials used in the construction of its front door, windows, floor, walls and ceiling dating to the school’s reconstruction at the University location.