Sitting at the top of the embankment leading down to Bowmanville Creek, is a red brick building, with windows covered by plywood. Once a house of knowledge and learning, it now sits unused, save for some use as a training facility by local police.
Location | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada | ||||||
Built :: Closed | Status | Difficulty | ||||
1929 :: 2007 | Demolished | ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ | ||||
Hazards Risk | Security Risk | AUE Rating | ||||
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ | ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ | ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ | ||||
Hazard Observations | Security Observations | |||||
None Specified | None Specified |
The building, the former home of Bowmanville Senior Public School, was originally built in 1921 as the high school for the community. At least one expansion to the building occurred, judging by the slight difference in exterior brick as one moves further from the front of the building, but no record of such an expansion can be located. What is known, though, is that the building housed only Grade 7 and 8 students for the last 30 years of it's life.
Sadly, not much information can be found on the reasons for closure, either. It is likely that the school was closed simply due to the fact that senior public schools, housing only older elementary school students, having been falling out of favour in the province. The school still lives on in name - it is now housed with the Bowmanville High School a few blocks to the east.
Looking at the school profile website, it mentions that it serves students in French Immersion. I noticed during my visit the predominance of french in the building, and had wondered if the school housed either french enrichment or immersion. It would appear, by all counts, that it had.
These days, the old school doesn't see much use, outside of that of training grounds for Durham Police Services, or local taggers. A good number of windows on the building have been smashed - some obviously through the police training, and others not so much. Very little equipment remains on the grounds, although some can be found in the gym located in the bottom of the old building, which had served as the girl's gym. Here we found some desks, old computers, and a washing machine.
All in all, it made for a new exploration in a region that I have found to be lacking in opportunities outside of houses, so I have no regrets about making the drive to the east.
MARCH 21, 2019 UPDATE
Not sure when the actual demolition happened, but she's gone now. The site has become home to a new building for retired seniors.