Key Number:	HS 29785
Site Name:	West Athabasca School
Other Names:
Site Type:	0311 - Educational: Rural Multi-level School

Location

ATS Legal Description:

			Twp	Rge	Mer
			66	22	4

Address:	4717 - 47 Avenue
Number:	17
Street:	47
Avenue:	47
Other:
Town:	Athabasca
Near Town:

Media

Type	Number	Date	View	Source

Architectural

Style:
Plan Shape:	Rectangular
Storeys:	Storeys: 1
Foundation:	Basement/Foundation Wall Material: Concrete
Superstructure:	Nailed Frame
Superstructure Cover:	Wood: Clapboard (Bevel or Drop Siding) Horizontal Wood Planks
Roof Structure:	Medium Gable
Roof Cover:	Asphalt Shingle
Exterior Codes:
Exterior:	The standard design incorporates a rectangular plan, gable roof, beveled horizontal exterior siding, v-joint interior sheathing and plain trim. There is an expected grouping of four, six-over-six, single-hung windows on the north elevation to naturally illuminate the interior classroom space. Additionally, two small window openings exist on the south elevation, tucked under the eaves. Apparent hinge notches in the jambs indicate that they were hopper windows. These windows were likely placed high on the wall to accommodate a blackboard on the interior. On the west elevation, a single six-over-six, single-hung window exists on either side of the entry porch, again placed high on the wall. An identical window exists, at the same level as the grouped window, at the west end of the north wall, and there is evidence that a corresponding window existed at the west end of the south wall. Window sash are original and extant interior trim consists of a sill, a simple apron and jamb trim, and a more decorative head trim consisting of a neck moulding, flat trim board and ornamental cap moulding. A small gable-roofed closed entry porch is attached to the building proper on the west elevation with its doorway on the south wall. Available information states that the entry structure was constructed ten years after the school was built. The extant doors support this statement, since the door providing access to the classroom is a standard five panel door with horizontal raised panels, and, the two exterior doors, which may be a later addition, are a configuration of three tall lower flat panels below a single, flat rectangular upper panel. Once common in many areas, the design of this building is a good example of the traditional one-room, rural school design in the northern part of Alberta. CONSTRUCTION The West Athabasca School is a wood frame building on a concrete grade beam. The floor, wall and roof systems are framed with dimensional lumber according to standard construction techniques. Ceiling joists have been placed above the rafter plate, resulting in a beveled strip on the interior ceiling/wall connection. The exterior walls are sheathed with ¾" x 9" horizontal shiplap sheathing, covered with two layers black building paper. The finish exterior covering consists of 4 ¼" (exposure), painted, horizontal beveled cedar siding and 4 ¾" corner boards and trim. The roof is covered with similar sheathing, building paper and, currently, black asphalt shingles. Window sash are original and extant interior trim consists of a sill, a simple apron and jamb trim, and a more decorative head trim consisting of a neck moulding, flat trim board and ornamental cap moulding.
Interior:	The interior of the structure is sheathed with v-joint boards arranged vertically to a chair-rail and, above this level, horizontally. The ceiling is also sheathed with the same material in an east-west direction. The floor is sheathed with shiplap sheathing and finished with tongue and groove strip hardwood flooring, laid in a north-south direction, of an undetermined species but with an obvious open grain and honey colouration.
Environment:	The West Athabasca School is located on a residential street in Athabasca, approximately one block south of the large historic brick school. The surrounding residences, however, are more in keeping with the structure's moving date of the late 1940s and 1950s.
Condition:	This resource maintains a high percentage of its character defining elements. The condition of each element, however, varies. The structure appears to be sound as the walls, floor and ceiling and roofline are straight and true. Extant interior materials are in excellent condition. The exterior components that have been exposed to the weather are in poor condition but certainly repairable at this time.
Alterations:	The physical evidence and submitted information indicates that the school has undergone the following changes since its 1914 construction date: " In 1924 the front entry porch was added. " Since the door in the 1924 entry porch and the door at the east end of the south wall are the same type and dissimilar from the door to the school proper, it is likely that they were both added at the same time. " In the late 1940s, the school was moved from its original location, approximately 4 km west of the present day municipal limits of the town of Athabasca, to its present site on 47th Avenue. " There are images of previously existing elements in the building fabric. One rectangular repair at the west end of the south wall indicates that a similar window to the one in the north wall once existed here. Additionally there are repairs in the wainscot, chair rail and paint images above the chair rail for what appears to be partial walls connecting to the north and south walls that may have been for coat rooms adjacent to the west entry door. Further research and physical investigation will be needed to confirm the exact nature of the elements and to which period of significance they belong. " A dominant north-south, partial-height, drywall partition wall was added to the classroom at approximately the center of the space. Date of installation unknown. " A forced air, gas furnace was added to the northwest corner of the classroom space and is vented through the roof with a sheet metal chimney. Interior paint has deteriorated on the wall adjacent to this chimney. Date of installation unknown. " Wallboard was added to the east interior wall above the chair rail, but the original v-joint boards exist below. Date of installation unknown. " Black asphalt shingles were added to the roof. Date of installation unknown. Note that these shingles are cupped and have reached the end of their expected life. This resource maintains a high percentage of its character defining elements. The condition of each element, however, varies. The structure appears to be sound as the walls, floor and ceiling and roofline are straight and true. Extant interior materials are in excellent condition. The exterior components that have been exposed to the weather are in poor condition but certainly repairable at this time.

Historical

Construction:	Construction Date:
Built	1914/01/01
Usage:	Usage Date:
School	1914/01/01
Owner:	Owner Date:
Town of Athabasca	1981/02/16

Architect:	N/A
Builder:	N/A
Craftsman:	N/A
History:	D-2148 - WEST ATHABASCA SCHOOL HISTORICAL CONTEXT: When the Hudson's Bay Company improved its trail between Fort Edmonton and Athabasca Landing in 1878, it was with the expressed purpose of abandoning the Methay Portage fur trade route east from Fort McMurray on the Clearwater River. Henceforth, most fur from the Athabasca and Mackenzie River systems would be shipped up the Athabasca River to the Landing, and, from there, over the Landing Trail to Fort Edmonton. This made the Landing a very important point in the fur trade, a point which was augmented in the early 20th century when steamers of the Northern Transportation Company began taking people and supplies bound for the Peace River Country down the Athabasca River from the Landing to the mouth of the Lesser Slave River, and, from there, on to Lesser Slave Lake and Grouard. With this, the population of the Landing began to grow, and the community began to sport many of the amenities of a northern commercial center. In 1906, Athabasca Landing was incorporated as a village, and, in 1911, it became a town with over 500 people, and was re-named Athabasca. Among the amenities provided by the community was education. In 1903, the Athabasca School District #839 was incorporated, and the log school served the community until 1908, when a larger structure was built. By 1910 however, homesteaders began to enter the district around Athabasca, with the land having just been surveyed. Then, in the summer of 1912, the Canadian Northern Railway arrived from Edmonton. This made farming in the district even more viable, and, that very year, three school districts were incorporated to the south and east of the town. To the west, a school district was formed at Lahaiville (north of Baptiste Lake) in 1912, and, two years later, a school district was incorporated for the people living just straight west of Athabasca. This was called the West Athabasca School District #3110. That same year, a wood frame school was constructed on SW23 TP66 R23 W4, on land owned by H.P. Jacobson. The one-room structure was built with volunteer help supervised by Colin Johnson. The teacher was a Miss Cross, and, at the time, six children were in attendance. As time passed, the district of west Athabasca did not grow considerably. The area was on the edge of the boreal forest, and, although Athabasca had received a railway in 1912, it was extended no further. Both the Alberta & Great Waterways and the Edmonton, Dunvegan and British Columbia lines bypassed the district to the east and west respectively during 1914-15. As a result, there was no clamor for a larger school in west Athabasca, and so, the original 1914 structure was able to survive. By the end of World War II however, district roadways had improved to such an extent that it made sense to have the children of the district bussed a few miles into town. In 1948, the 1914 structure was also moved into town and placed on Block 19, Lot 17 on Fleming Street near the center of town, among several other early 20th century dwellings. Here, it was made to accommodate mostly elementary students. It was closed as a school in 1951, but used occasionally after that as a church and a Sunday school for the Missionary Church Society. In 1999, it was purchased by the Aspen View School Division, and, more recently, it has been a storage shed for their outreach program. It is now being proposed as a school museum for Athabasca. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The historical significance of the West Athabasca School lies in its provision of basic education to children living west of the Town of Athabasca for most of the first half of the 20th century. It is also important for its accommodation of educational and church functions in the years following its relocation to Athabasca in 1948. * * * STYLE The West Athabasca School was built in 1914 according to standard one-room school plans provided by the School Building Branch of the Alberta Department of Education in the early twentieth century. Originally built and operated on quarter section SW23-66-23W4, approximately 4 km west of the present day municipal limits of the town of Athabasca and 2 km south of Highway #2 west, the school was moved to its present location in the late 1940's to relieve overcrowding in the schools of the town. The school is a very good example of early standardized one-room rural school plans from the early twentieth century. The style is recognizable by its simple rectangular plan surmounted by a gable roof, its large single classroom and, especially by the inclusion of large, grouped single-hung windows on one wall in order to illuminate the interior space with natural light. LANDMARK This one-room school has been in this location on 47th Avenue in Athabasca for approximately 56 years and can be described as a familiar structure in the neighbourhood and within the context of the town. DESIGN The West Athabasca School is noteworthy because its materials and configurations speak to the design intent of the Department of Education's practice of providing standardized school plans to school districts in the early twentieth century. The design is modest and functional and reflects the obvious need at the time to combine low-cost construction materials and techniques with effectively planned spaces.

Internal

Designation Status:	Designation Date:

Register:

Links

Internet:
Alberta Register of Historic Places: