Designation By-law number: 2010-019
dated February 8, 2010

Historical or Associative Value
The East Ward/Connaught Public Elementary School building on Napier Street was constructed in 1884 and enlarged in 1902. This was during the period of growth in Collingwood when the enrolment of school aged children exceeded the available classroom space.

In 1884, Collingwood architect Marshall B. Aylsworth designed and supervised the construction by local contractors of two schools, East Ward and Centre Ward. The 1884 Centre Ward (later Victoria) School at 400 Maple Street is demolished but an 1894 annex building designed by local architect John Wilson survives on site. John Wilson also designed the two classroom addition to East Ward in 1902. As the research indicates that the work undertaken in 1902 was a “rebuilding,” the extent to which is unknown, Connaught School is currently attributed to both architects, Aylsworth and Wilson.

The Napier Street property was in continuous use for educational purposes from 1884 until 1969, resulting in a long-standing association of the site with Collingwood’s elementary school aged children, parents, staff, and administrators.

Design or Physical Value
It is evident that Marshall Aylsworth and John Wilson were skilled designers and knowledgeable about Romanesque Revival styling. Both architects seem to have been aware of the contemporary philosophy that a pleasant, stylish, and well equipped school building fosters learning. Wilson designed a 1902 addition that appears seamlessly integrated with the original 1884 structure.

Overall, this is a solidly executed local example of the Romanesque Revival style of architecture being applied to institutional use. It retains several school purpose features such as separate entrances for boys and girls, natural lighting, auxiliary rooms, and classrooms. The plan, massing, style, masonry including polychromatic (red/buff/black) brickwork, roof cornice, shaped door and window openings together form an attractive composition. The building maintains its overall architectural integrity.

Contextual Value
This property and building served the community as a school from 1884 to 1969 and have been Town owned since 1970. The school building is a neighbourhood landmark.

Description of Heritage Attribute
The significant heritage attribute of the property is the 1884/1902 Romanesque Revival style school building, without the 1970s addition(s). Important elements of this structure include:

Exterior

• Cruciform plan, 2-storey height, massing, and design symmetry
• Low pitched, hipped roof with two dormers and dentil trim cornice
• Fenestration including window placement, shapes, dimensions, wood sash type, transoms, dentil and other trim, and lugsill type
• Unpainted red-orange and buff-cream coloured brick masonry with buff coloured, lime based mortar
• The black pigment on selected bricks used as banding and edging
• All decorative masonry such as corbelling, brick voussoirs and stone lintels over door and window openings, brick pilasters with stone/cement caps, Z-pattern frieze
• Coursed stone foundation
• Separate boys' and girls' entryways
• The "Connaught Public School 1902" stone plaque

Interior

• All 1884/1902 woodwork such as wood trim, doors, wainscoting, baseboards, flooring, stairways
• All pressed metal ceilings
• All period builder's hardware such as latches and hinges
• All remnants of school use such as the bell system, classroom numbers on doors, possible locations of water fountains, fixed blackboards, coat hook racks, and similar items