Key Number:	HS 17649
Site Name:	Coleman High School
Other Names:
Site Type:	0305 - Educational: Composite School

Location

ATS Legal Description:

			Twp	Rge	Mer
			8	4	5

Address:	7701 - 18 Avenue
Number:	1
Street:	77
Avenue:	18
Other:
Town:	Crowsnest Pass - Coleman
Near Town:

Media

Type	Number	Date	View	Source

Architectural

Style:
Plan Shape:	Rectangular
Storeys:	Storeys: 2
Foundation:	Basement/Foundation Wall Material: Concrete
Superstructure:
Superstructure Cover:
Roof Structure:	Flat
Roof Cover:
Exterior Codes:	Wall Design and Detail: Plain Parapet
Exterior:	Belt course between second floors, plain entablature projecting frontispiece with main entry and entablature over doorway, flagstone identifing 'Coleman High School' on frontispiece, decorative brick above 2nd floor. Two storey brick, rectangular structure with a flat roof.
Interior:	Interior consists of six classrooms, an auditorium, a boardroom and library.
Environment:	Location: Mayfair Avenue and Second Street. Located in downtown Coleman, formerly site of Central School. It is located in a residential area north and west of the central business district of Coleman. The majority of the buildings in the immediate area date from the pre-World War I development era. To the west of the School is St. Paul's United Church which was constructed in 1906. The area adjacent to the school consists of a school yard covered by pavement and which is surrounded by a chain link fence.
Condition:	Structure: Good. Repair: Good. 4 AUG 1979.
Alterations:	N/A

Historical

Construction:	Construction Date:
Constructed	1936/01/01
Usage:	Usage Date:
School Evaluated for a museum	1936/01/01 1963/01/01
Owner:	Owner Date:
Crowsnest Historical Society	1983/10/05

Architect:	N/A
Builder:	N/A
Craftsman:	N/A
History:	COLEMAN HIGH SCHOOL/CROWSNEST MUSEUM Coleman High School was built in 1936 to alleviate overcrowding in the town's school facilities. The old Central School that had been built in 1905 had had several additions and improvements, and a new school had been built in West Coleman, but still more space was required. In 1935 rate-payers approved the building of another school which was to be the high school. The school which was subsequently built to serve that purpose is a large two storey brick structure with sets of large hung sash windows on each floor and a main entrance through a central projecting tower. It now houses the Crowsnest Museum, and was designated a Provincial Historic Resource in March 1986. * * * Site Description : Coleman Central High School is a two storey, brick, rectangular structure with a flat roof. It has been closed as a school since 1963 but is presently being evaluated for use as a museum. No additions or major alterations have been made to the building since its construction in 1937. The interior which consists of six classrooms, an auditorium, a boardroom and library has not been significantly modified since construction. The ground floor includes four classrooms which flank a large central corridor. The upper storey is similarly arranged. It is located in a residential area north and west of the central business district of Coleman. The majority of the buildings in the immediate area date from the pre-World I development era. To the west of the School is St. Paul's United Church which was constructed in 1906. The area adjacent to the school of a school yard covered by pavement and which is surrounded by a chain link fence. Historical Significance : Coleman School District No. 1216 was one of seven such institutions created in the Crowsnest Pass region between 1901 and 1911. This particular school district served the educational needs of the Town of Coleman which had been created in 1903 by the International Coal and Coke Co. Prior to the organization of the Coleman School District in 1905, the resident student population attended school in Blairmore. The Coleman School was therefore one of a number of social institutions created during a period of rapid economic expansion for the Crowsnest Pass region as a result of increased investment in the development of its coal resources. This period of rapid expansion before World War One was followed by steady decline throughout the post-War era. The first building erected by the Coleman School District was a one room frame structure which was used for all grades. In common with other Alberta urban school districts, Coleman also utilized a variety of other buildings such as the Anglican Mission Hall and the upper storey of the Brymner Building to deal with the problem of rapid increases in student enrollment. By 1934 the maturation of the student population resulted in the Board renting the Clubroom of the United Church for use as a classroom for High School purposes. This need for class room space for high school students resulted in the Coleman School Board's decision to proceed with the construction of its second school building in 1937. Unlike the other high schools in the Crowsnest Pass area, Coleman High School had an auditorium which permitted the School District to organize a number of student activities over and above the courses required by the standard curriculum. These activities included Friday afternoon students' meeting which were introduced by David Hoyle, Principal from 1938 to 1949 as well as concerts and dramatic events which were presented by the elementary, Junior High and High School Students. Community uses of the school included night school classes in English which were organized at the request of the Polish Society of Coleman. The auditorium was also used after hours in 1945 by a youth group which organized a social club called Teen Town. A number of these clubs were established in the Province at this time. Coleman School continued to operate until 1963 when the Horace Allen High School was completed. In 1966 the Coleman School District No. 1216 was absorbed into the Crowsnest Consolidated School District No. 63 thus bringing to an end 61 years of service to the Coleman community. Architectural Significance : The design and construction of Coleman High School reflects the strong influence exercised by the Provincial Government in school design and construction during the inter-war years. This role began in 1913 as a result of a major revision of Alberta's school legislation and school construction regulations designed to encourage the erection of improved rural schools. These changes resulted in a virtual government monopoly in small school design in Alberta. Coleman School is based on Department of Education Plan No. SP-1108. It was constructed by Coleman contractor J.S. D'Appolonia who submitted the lowest bid of #31,300.00. The only amendments to the standard plan were in the window arrangement and the addition of a meeting room for the similar to the relatively inexpensive styles of four-room one storey hipped-roof or one or two storey flat roofed schools that had replaced their more ornate and expensive pre-war predecessors. Alberta News Release March 13, 1986 Mary J. LeMessurier, Minister of Culture, announced today that the Coleman High School has been designated a Provincial Historic Resource. Coleman High School was constructed in 1937 to meet the need for classroom space for high school students. It was the third school constructed by the Coleman School District No. 1216 which had been created in 1905. Unlike the other high schools in the Crowsnest Pass area, Coleman High School had an auditorium which permitted the Crowsnest Pass area, Coleman High School had an auditorium which permitted the School District to organize a number of student activities over and above the courses required by the standard curriculum. These activities included students' meetings, concerts and dramatic events, nights school classes in English organized at the request of the Polish Society of Coleman, and the events of a social club called Teen Town. The design and construction of Coleman High School reflects the strong influence exercised by the Provincial Government in school design and construction after 1913 to encourage the erection of improved but not overly expensive rural schools. Based on a Department of Education plan, Coleman High School was constructed by Coleman contractor J.S. D'Appolonia. The only amendments to the standard plan were in the window arrangement and the addition of a meeting room for the Board of Trustees. Coleman High School is, therefore, an important part of the social history of the Crowsnest Pass as both an educational and a community center. The appearance of the building also reflects the province wide trend of the time in school architecture to augment the ornate urban buildings of the pre-World War One period with less expensive styles suitable for rural service based on standard plans developed by the Provincial Government.

Internal

Designation Status:	Designation Date:
Provincial Historic Resource	1986/03/06

Register:	N/A

Links

Internet:
Alberta Register of Historic Places:	4665-0534