Enoch Turner School facts for kids
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| Established | 1848 |
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| Location | 106 Trinity Street, Toronto, Ontario Canada |
| Type | Ontario Heritage Trust historic site and museum |
| Type: | Part IV - Property of cultural heritage value or interest |
| Designated: | 2000 |
The Enoch Turner Schoolhouse is a special historic place and museum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It used to be a school and is now owned by the Ontario Heritage Trust. The school was built in 1848 and was first called the Ward School. You can find this old building at 106 Trinity Street. It is the oldest school building still standing in Toronto!
Contents
A Look Back: The School's Story
How the School Began
The first one-room school was started in 1848 by Enoch Turner. He was a rich brewer (someone who makes beer) and a kind person who helped others. He wanted to teach children in the poor neighbourhood near his brewery. Many families in this area came from County Cork in Ireland. Because of this, the neighbourhood became known as Corktown, a name it still has today.
Enoch Turner paid for the schoolhouse to be built. The land for the school was given by the nearby Little Trinity Church. In 1849, the school opened its doors. It could hold 240 students! Enoch Turner even paid for the school to run for three years. It was the very first free school in Toronto.
Free Education for All
Enoch Turner opened his free school after a law called the Canadian Common Schools Act was passed in 1846. This law said that cities could collect money through taxes to pay for public education. But city leaders did not want to add these new taxes. So, all schools that got public money had to close for a year. This made Enoch Turner decide to open his school. His school was a very important step in creating a free public school system in the province.
In 1850, people voted for school trustees. These trustees were in charge of school money. Free public education officially started at the Trinity Street School in 1851. Each day, there were about 80 to 90 students in one class. These students were all at different learning levels. Many teachers worked at the school. One famous teacher was Mrs. Jane Henderson, who taught from 1858 to 1859.
Changes Over Time
In 1859, classes moved to the Palace Street School nearby. The Trinity Street School building was given back to Little Trinity Church. From the 1860s to the 1960s, the old school building was used as a parish hall and a Sunday school for the church.
The building was also used for other important things. It was a place where soldiers signed up during the Second Boer War and World War I. During the Great Depression, it even served as a soup kitchen, giving food to people who needed it.
In 1961, a bad fire happened at Little Trinity Anglican Church. The church could no longer afford to take care of the school building. The building started to fall apart. By the late 1960s, there were plans to tear it down.
Saving the Schoolhouse
To save the building, a group of people and church members started the Enoch Turner Schoolhouse Foundation. This happened on October 8, 1970. The old Trinity Street School was then renamed the Enoch Turner Schoolhouse.
After a lot of work to fix up the inside and outside, the schoolhouse opened again. It became a "living history" site. This means visitors can experience what school was like long ago. It also became a place for meetings and events. In 2008, the Ontario Heritage Trust took over the ownership and running of the schoolhouse. The Enoch Turner Schoolhouse Foundation still works with the Trust to support the school's programs.
Today, you can visit the museum for special education programs by booking ahead. You can also visit during regular business hours.
Schoolhouse on Screen
Did you know that the Enoch Turner Schoolhouse has been in movies? One film shot there was Down the Road Again in 2011.
Building Style: What it Looks Like
The schoolhouse is a one-story building made of brick. It is built in the Gothic Revival style. This style often has pointed arches and fancy details. An English architect named Henry Bowyer Lane likely designed it. He also designed the nearby Little Trinity Church in 1845.
The building has unusual windows that look like exclamation marks. They are on either side of the front door. In 1869, the building was made bigger with an addition to the west. This part was designed by Henry Langley. He became a very important architect in Ontario. He designed famous Toronto buildings like the Metropolitan United Church. In 1910, another addition was built on the south side.
Who the Museum Works With
The Enoch Turner Schoolhouse Museum works with other groups. These include the CMA, the CHIN, and the Virtual Museum of Canada.
See also
