Landmark Building
ALEXANDRA SCHOOL
922 - 9 Avenue SE, Calgary
Designed By: William Dodd
Built in 1902
','Alexandra School', 'Source: Calgary Atlantic Avenue Inglewood Historical Walking Tours <br />(© Alberta Culture and Community Spirit)'); "Alexandra School")
Inglewood’s first school, the East Ward School, was built in 1892. It was located near 10th Avenue and 13th Street SE and had 27 pupils. Miss Anne Foote taught there from 1893 to 1912 and then became the first woman member of the Calgary Public School Board. In 1899 the East Ward School was moved to this site on 9th Avenue.
There was already talk about building a completely new school in 1900. It was finally constructed in 1902 to plans by architect William M. Dodd, who later designed the old Calgary City Hall. Opened in January 1903 as the New East Ward School, since the original East Ward School was still there, it was doubled in size to eight rooms in 1907. At the same time, it was renamed in honour of Alexandra, Queen Consort of King Edward VII. This was Calgary’s second sandstone school. The old East Ward School was sold in 1906 and became the East Calgary Baptist Church of Heath Baptist, and after being moved to 1307 – 10 Avenue SE, near its original location.
In 1910, William Aberhart became principal of Alexandra school. Later, “Bible Bill” Aberhart became widely known as an evangelist, created the Social Credit Party in 1935, and was Premier of Alberta (1935-1943). In 1913-14, the top floor of the school housed a branch high school composed of three classes from Central High School.
The architecturally unsympathetic cement block gymnasium was built onto the front entrance in 1956, prior to the school’s closure in 1962. In 1975-76 the school was rehabilitated with federal Neighbourhood Improvement Program (NIP) funds to function as a multi-service centre with a daycare, health centre, and seniors’ service centre.
A.W. McVittie’s cabin, built in 1882 and now at Heritage Park, was on this site until the 1930s alongside Alexandra school. It was McVittie who surveyed the original CPR townsite of Calgary and signed the plans in January, 1884. He was a founding partner in the architectural firm of McVittie, Childe, and Wilson. Wilson designed the A.E. Cross House.
The Landmark Buildings and Places Database draws on the series of walking and/or driving tour booklets produced by Alberta Culture (now Alberta Culture and Community Spirit). The Heritage Community Foundation gratefully acknowledges the support of the Ministry through permission to reprint these materials online. Extracted from Calgary: Atlantic Avenue Inglewood: Historical Walking Tours. Heritage Inventory Program, Alberta Community Development, and the Old Town Calgary Society, 1999, with permission from Alberta Culture and Community Spirit. Visit the Alberta Culture and Community Spirit for more information.