Landmark Building
BOWMAN SCHOOL, 1912
811 – 5th Avenue South, Lethbridge
Built in 1912
'); "Bowman School")
In 1911, the Provincial Department of Education allotted funds for the construction of a Manual Training School in Lethbridge, the first in the province. C.B. Bowman, its namesake, was an early Lethbridge businessman who served as Secretary-Treasurer of the Board of Trustees of Lethbridge School District 51 from 1905 to 1912. Architects H.M. and WA. Whiddington designed the school. Construction costs totaled $40,000 with an additional $20,000 for equipment.
On August 21, 1912 the Minister of Education, the Honorable John R. Boyle, laid the cornerstone for the new school, and on October 10, Canada's Governor-General, the Duke of Connaught, officially opened the building. The school was described as "one of the best in Canada" and offered adult night classes in addition to manual training courses for grades six to ten. The two storey building also accommodated the school board offices and board room. In 1915, the school's funds and teaching staff were reduced and vocational classes were cut. The building was then converted to a high school and used as such until 1928. From 1929 to 1963 it served as the Bowman Elementary School.
The City of Lethbridge purchased the building from the School Board in 1963, and currently leases it to the Allied Arts Council. The building is home to a considerable number of community arts organizations and contains a gallery that features regional artists.
The Bowman Arts Centre was declared a Provincial Historical Resource in March 1982.
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 Lethbridge Historical Walking Tour. Alberta Community Development and the Sir Alexander Galt Museum & Archives, n.d., with permission from Alberta Culture and Community Spirit. Visit the Alberta Culture and Community Spirit for more information.