I was sure I had posted this school before but looking back it appears that I did not. I went by this school once in the summer and most recently in December 2018. Different seasons, different photos! I do believe this is one of my favourite locations.
The History!
Ennerdale School opened on October 1, 1912 and closed in June 1955. It then became a community centre. In July of 1982 there was a reunion of former teachers, students and their families. It has now not been used in quite some time, however a new marker commemorating its 100th year (2012) is in place. In fact the sign is what you notice first, the school seems to blend into the trees despite being a cheery shade of yellow. I have driven right by even while looking for it. I know I am not the only one to have done this.
The school name was chosen by a local settler named John Gathercole. Upon moving to Alberta, in 1905, he became a Justice of the Peace and was instrumental in petitioning for a school to be opened in the district. He chose to name the school Ennerdale after the last place he lived in England before moving to Canada.
Photos!
First I will post an old photo I found, it was dated 1908 but that doesn't fit with the 1912 date the school opened. You might notice that the teacherage (addition on the back) wasn't original and the windows were enlarged at some point.
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| Photo courtesy of the Mountain View Museum |
I decided to make some side by side photos and apparently I am a creature of habit and took virtually the same photos on both occasions.
On a personal note:
Again I have been away from the blog more longer than I intended. Besides my full time job, I also have my 'side hustle', which I have been working on in the evenings in preparation to be an Artisan Vendor at the 2019 Canada Winter Games in Red Deer. I have no idea if I am over or under prepared as I have never done a market like this.
Also my grandpa, who I posted about here, passed away last week at the age of 96. We made a quick trip home to be with my grandma who is 92.
I appreciate everyone who reads and comments and I will visit all the blogs soon! Take care!
Sorry to here about your grandpa’s passing, Jenn.
ReplyDeleteGood luck at the games.
Love the photos of the school.
Thanks Marie!
DeleteLooks like the cold will let up slightly for the games so that's good! I am tired of -30's and wind chills lol!
I'm sorry about your grandfather.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if anything can be done with the old school.
Thank you William.
DeleteI always wonder that too, it feels like most of the people that have a connection or care about these places are getting older and passing on and the buildings just fall further into disrepair. Although someone arranged to get a sign installed in 2012.
...Jenn, beautiful images of the school with such a long history. I hope that you picked up the longevity gene from your grandparents. It was great to see your post and thanks for your many visits to my blog.
ReplyDeleteHi Tom, thank you. Yes, that side of my family seems to be long lived.
DeleteI enjoy your blog posts and will visit as often as I can.
Please accept my condolences concerning your grandfather. If the old school doesn't get a little TLC soon, it will start deteriorating faster.
ReplyDeleteThanks Gorges.
DeleteYou are right about the school. It would be amazing if someone decided to restore it. Sadly I think it will just continue to deteriorate.
I like the old school's yellow colour and its cheery red door. Also I love the new "wintry" header photo on the blog!
ReplyDeleteMy sympathies re your Grandfather. It must be very hard for your Grandma and for all your family.
Good luck vending at the Canada Winter Games -- your wooden prints will make great local souvenirs for athletes from across Canada. I hope they realize that too!
Thanks Debra.
DeleteIs it a pretty school? I think I prefer seeing it in the summer surrounded by green.
Luckily my grandma lives with my aunt and uncle and my mom and sister are nearby so she will always have someone to keep her company.
I am looking forward to the games and the slight warm up to -16 haha.
Excellent photography! A yellow schoolhouse is a rarity.
ReplyDeleteThanks Andy! Isn't it a beauty of an old school?
DeleteSo sorry to hear about your grandfather.
ReplyDeleteI always enjoy seeing your photos of these forgotten or deserted places. Ennerdale is a remote valley in the English Lake District. Nowadays there is a small village at Ennerdale Bridge but most of the valley is returning to nature. If you Google some images you may be surprised by how beautiful and rugged some of the scenery is. Some friends of mine have the name Gathercole, but they come from the south of England so it's unlikely that there's any close connection.
Thanks John.
DeleteIt's neat seeing the origin of the names of a lot of places here. I Googled photos and it IS beautiful there! A picturesque little church in the village also came up. Would be neat if there was a connection between the Gathercoles!
I love this old building! So sorry to hear about your grandfather. Take care of yourself!
ReplyDeleteThank you RedPat.
DeleteIt's a pretty old place. Lol can read that as 'pretty old' in looks and age!
Sorry to hear about your grandfather. The old schoolhouse still looks good, I wonder if the community will find another use for it. Good luck with becoming an artisan vendor, that sure sounds interesting, at least you will make some good connections with others at the Winter Games.
ReplyDeleteThanks Bill.
DeleteIt does appear to be in good shape, sturdy and straight!
I think it will be a fun experience being at the Games.
Also thanks for the comment about my new header photo....I just love when the hoar frost is out.
Forgot to say, I really love your new header, it's gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteReminds me of the schoolhouse setup you'd see in the Green Gables stories.
ReplyDeleteHi Adam,
DeleteYes it would be the same time frame and lots of the one room schools has similar designs.
Side gigs. We all got them! How else can we finance these adventures? Love that school. Yellow, as you know, is a thing. Sorry to hear about your grandpa, but it sounds like he good mileage. Ninety six is a ripe old age.
ReplyDeleteHi Chris! What do I need free time for anyway lol! Might as well be doing something I like!
DeleteThank you, it is pretty impressive to live to 96 and my grandma still doing well at 92!
Sorry to hear about your grandfather.
ReplyDeleteIt is a really small school for nowadays.
Thank you.
DeleteFor nowadays yes, for back then it was normal. Most were no longer schools after the 50's.
Oh Jenn, I'm sorry about your grandpa...so sorry. Good luck on your new venture, I hope to read about your success!! That little school house is nice. Actually I've come across lots of old school houses and even old churches on Realtor for sale as "residential" properties right now. They are very inexpensive. I kind of find that sad in a way.
ReplyDeleteLove the little yellow school, fabulous vintage photo, always good to see those. I'm so very sorry to hear about your grandpa Jenn, I remember your previous post. Your grandma will miss him very much despite how difficult it must have been towards the end. Thoughts are with you take care of each other ✨
ReplyDeleteHi Jenn. Thanks for the blog. Its great getting a glimpses into a grandparent's past! My grandmother, Aaslaug Stromsmoe was one of the original students there in 1912. She even painted a watercolour of the school c/w outhouses, sometime during her days there. - Howard Scott
ReplyDeleteHi Howard, that is great! I love it when my blog reaches someone with such a connection to the subject. This is probably one of my favourite one-room schoolhouses, it's beautiful. Thank you for the comment.
Deleteoriginal farm owned by his mother's family and
ReplyDeletelocated in the Ennerdale area west of Olds. Cliff Smith took his grades seven to nine in the
same one-room country school that his mother Gladys French had attended in 1915.