The Old RC Schoolhouse is a rectangular, single-storey former school building with symmetrically placed wooden windows along the sides, a steeply pitched gable roof, and a front gable-end entry porch with wooden doors. It is located next to Our Lady of the Snows Roman Catholic Church on Main Street in Fogo, NL. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.
Formal Recognition Type
Municipal Heritage Building, Structure or Land
Heritage Value
The Old RC Schoolhouse has been designated a municipal heritage site by the Town of Fogo due to its historic and aesthetic value.
The Old RC Schoolhouse has historic value due to its age, its historical function, and its association with Fogo’s Roman Catholic Congregation, which operated the school from 1888 to 1969.
The Old RC Schoolhouse has aesthetic value as a good example of a nineteenth century school building in Newfoundland. The simple, rectangular, single-storey form and overall symmetrical design produces a tidy appearance which is historically typical of one room schoolhouses in the province. The influence of Gothic Revival architecture is seen in the steeply pitched rooflines of both the body of the building and the small porch centred in the front gable end and the long, regularly placed, multi-paned windows. The porch has a panel-style wooden door at each side, purportedly so that girls and boys would enter the school separately at their delegated side. The brick chimney at the front gable end harks back to the time when such school buildings were heated by woodstoves.
The Old RC Schoolhouse has aesthetic value amongst a cluster of historic ecclesiastical properties visible along Fogo’s Main Street, including St. Andrew’s Anglican Church and Cemetery, Fogo United Church, and Our Lady of the Snows Roman Catholic Church. The schoolhouse’s close proximity to the latter church, along with common elements of the two buildings (steep roof, rectangular building design with short façade, white and green colour scheme), clearly implies an historic connection between the two 19th-century Catholic buildings at the centre of Fogo’s cultural landscape.
Source: Town of Fogo town council meeting minutes of 2008/02/29
Character Defining Elements
Exterior elements related to the aesthetic value of the building, including:
-rectangular, single-storey, short façade form;
-dimensions;
-steeply pitched gable roof;
-centered placement and dimensions of entry porch in front gable-end;
-steeply pitched roof of porch, being the same pitch as the body of the building;
-identical style of all windows, being wooden, rectangular and multi-paned;
-size and placement of all windows, with one in the porch and three symmetrically placed along the sides of the body of the building;
-wooden material and panelled style of doors;
-wooden shingles on roof;
-narrow width of exterior wood siding;
-materials and placement of brick chimney;
-location next to Our Lady of the Snows Roman Catholic Church, and;
-the one-room layout of the interior, in keeping with the historic function of this building.
Notes
According to a letter to the editor of the Twillingate Sun newspaper of 1889/01/12 from Peabody, on the previous Boxing Day (December 26) James Fitzgerald, Esq., Stipendiary Magistrate gave remarks at the opening of a “Christmas Tree” fundraiser towards completing the school. He “complimented the Roman Catholics for their efforts in erecting so handsome a building for the future education of the young.” The event itself took place at the school building, selling goods and refreshments. On the following evening: “The Rev. Father Walker, from Tilton Harbour, who was present at the opening, and during the time the Tree was open, closed the business with a short address, in which he congratulated the Roman Catholics of Fogo on the success of the Tree, and thanked the people of all denominations for their liberal patronage, and united efforts in a good cause; complimented them on their peaceful associations, and hoped that the present spirit of peace and harmony, would be long continued to the welfare of our citizens.” Then, on the next two evenings: “In the same school room, on Friday and Saturday nights, an entertainment of dialogues and recitations was given by the school children of Tilton Harbour, (the proceeds of which were for appropriation as above) songs by the Rev. Father Walker, Mr. John Sargent, (teacher of Tilton Harbour) and Mr. John Scott of Fogo. The children acted their parts beautifully, exhibiting great talent and tact, and were a credit to themselves, their harbour, and their teacher. Their performances called forth from the audience frequently, loud and prolonged cheers, clearly demonstrating that they fully appreciated that form of amusement. Mr. Furze of Fogo closed the performances by exhibitions of the magic lantern, in which he clearly and distinctly pointed out the peculiarities and beauties of each figure, and was well rewarded by continual outbursts of applause.” Father Walker, Parish Priest from 1886-1892, performed the dedication for the opening of the schoolhouse. The first teacher was Miss Brice; the last was Miss Anne Shea. The Old Schoolhouse’s design is similar to the Methodist Schoolhouse in Trinity, which building was constructed around the same time.
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