Buildings

Context photograph of side entryway of Glenwood School at 51 Blenheim Avenue
Image of entryway to Glenwood School at 51 Blenheim Avenue
Image of 51 Blenheim Avenue.
Image of 51 Blenheim Avenue.
Image of 51 Blenheim Avenue.

Glenwood School

Formerly:École Glenwood
Address:51 Blenheim Avenue
Use:Education
Constructed:1910
Other Work:1913 addition, Samuel Hooper
1928 addition, Alexander Melville
1954-1956 additions, Smith Carter Katelnikoff
Architects:Samuel Hooper (1910, 1913)
Alexander Melville (1928-1929)
Smith Carter Katelnikoff (1954, 1956)
Contractors:J.H. Tremblay (1910)

More Information

A fragmented complex, Glenwood Elementary School had seen much growth and change in its 100+ year history.

The original school on the two-acre site at 51 Blenheim Avenue was a single-storey four-classroom design by Provincial Architect Samuel Hooper. Following its opening in 1911, the school saw a steady increase in enrolment rates and sought expansions accordingly. The first addition to the school was the construction of a second storey with four more classrooms in 1913. The following addition in 1928 saw the construction of an almost completely separate annex designed by Alexander Melville. The new annex brought the classroom total up to 18, much needed for the school's still rapid growth. However it was still not enough and more classrooms were added in 1929, still leaving the school teaching some of its students in the basement and hallways. These original buildings followed the typical style of other schools in the province constructed at the time, and typical of the kinds of designs hailing from the Provincial Architects' office. A key indicator of this is the building's exterior clad in rough-hewn, random-patterned limestone and brick which has since been painted.

The annex was joined to the school by a link which was itself added to the 1954 portion designed by local firm Smith Carter Katelnikoff. The 1954 portion is obvious as a small one-storey brick school of modern design facing the street on the west side which was expanded upon with a larger two-storey addition in 1955 continuing the brown brick face and window design of the first portion. These additions were followed by the erection of a new gymnasium in 1956, tying the whole complex together. Underground tunnels run between the original building and its more recent expansions. Glenwood School shares its yard space with Glenwood Community Club and Arena, faced by a mural on the school's eastern wall.

In 1990, the school changed its name to École Glenwood but soon reverted back to its original name.

Design Characteristics

Style:Modern
Suburb:Glenwood
  • Rough-hewn, random-patterned limestone runs along base of original buildings, the rest of the exterior in painted brick
  • Brown brick exterior on modern additions
  • Underground tunnel access connects various sections of school complex
  • Mural by Mandy van Leeuwen and Jennifer Johnson (2003) on the eastern exterior wall