First Avenue Public School, Public school and heritage building in Glebe, Canada
First Avenue Public School is a three-story red brick school building in Glebe featuring tall stone lintels, a symmetrical facade with arched entryways, and decorative terra cotta detailing. The structure expanded in 1907 with an additional floor and gymnasium to serve the growing student population in the neighborhood.
Architect E.L. Horwood designed this school in 1898 during a period when Ottawa was building seven elementary schools to manage population growth across the city. The building underwent major expansion in the early 1900s to meet changing educational needs.
The building demonstrates late Victorian school design through its Richardsonian Romanesque style, with layered brick patterns that reflect educational construction practices of that era.
The school is located in an accessible residential neighborhood and stands out clearly from the street. Visitors can examine the exterior brickwork and architectural details from the outside to appreciate the construction style of that period.
The building is protected under the Ontario Heritage Act and has served as an elementary school continuously for over 125 years. This unbroken history of educational use makes it a rare example of a school building that has maintained its original purpose throughout its existence.
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