Enoch Turner School
Encyclopedia
Enoch Turner Schoolhouse is a historic site and museum owned by the Ontario Heritage Trust
. The school was built in 1848, when it was known as the Trinity Street School. The building is located at 106 Trinity Street between King St. E. and Eastern Ave in Toronto, Ontario Canada
.
and philanthropist, to educate the children in the poor neighbourhood surrounding his brewery. Because many of the area's immigrant families were from County Cork
in Ireland, the neighbourhood became known as Corktown
– a nickname it still carries today.
Turner supplied the funds to construct the Schoolhouse and the land was donated by the adjacent Little Trinity Church
. In 1849, the school opened with space for 240 pupils and Turner paid for its operation for three years. It was the first free school in Toronto.
Enoch Turner founded his free school following the Common Schools Act of 1846. After the act was passed, municipalities had the power to raise funds for public education through taxation. However, city officials were unwilling to introduce such taxes, and as a result, all schools that benefited from any kind of public support were closed for a year. This prompted Turner to establish the school, which was as a critical catalyst in the development of a provincially supported free school system.
In 1850, school trustees were elected by the public to oversee educational funding. Free public education officially began at the Trinity Street School in 1851. Daily class size ranged from 80 to 90 students of varying academic levels. There were several different instructors employed by the school trustees - most notably Mrs. Jane Henderson, a Scottish immigrant who taught from 1858-59. In 1859, classes were relocated to the nearby Palace Street School at Palace Street (now Front Street East) and Cherry Street. The Trinity Street School and property were returned to Little Trinity parish, and from the 1860s to the 1960s the school served as a parish hall and Sunday school
for the church. In addition, the School and hall served as a recruiting station during the Second Boer War and the World War I, and a soup kitchen during the Great Depression
. By the late 1960s, the building had fallen into disrepair and was threatened with demolition.
To protect the building and raise funds for its restoration, the Enoch Turner Schoolhouse Foundation was established in 1971, and the former Trinity Street School was renamed Enoch Turner Schoolhouse. After extensive interior and exterior renovations, the Schoolhouse opened as a living history site and conference and reception centre. In March 2008, the ownership and operation of the Schoolhouse were transferred to the Ontario Heritage Trust from the Foundation. The Enoch Turner Schoolhouse Foundation continues as an independent charitable organization, working with the Trust to support the programming and operation of the Schoolhouse. The museum is open for education programs by appointment and open to walk-in visitors during regular business hours.
. In 1869, the building was expanded to the west with an addition designed by noted Toronto architectural firm Gundry and Langley. The addition is a particularly early work by Henry Langley
, who opened his own practice that same year, following the death of Thomas Gundry. Langley went on to become one of the most influential 19th-century architects in Ontario, designing important Toronto landmarks such as the Metropolitan United Church
(56 Queen Street East), McMaster Hall (273 Bloor Street West) and the Bank of British North America (49 Yonge Street).
, CHIN
, and Virtual Museum of Canada
.
Ontario Heritage Trust
The Ontario Heritage Trust is a non-profit agency of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Culture, responsible for protecting, preserving and promoting the built, natural and cultural heritage of Canada's most populous province. It was initially known as the Archaeological and Historic Sites Board...
. The school was built in 1848, when it was known as the Trinity Street School. The building is located at 106 Trinity Street between King St. E. and Eastern Ave in Toronto, Ontario Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
History
The original one-room school was established in 1848 by Enoch Turner (1792-1866), a wealthy brewerBrewing
Brewing is the production of beer through steeping a starch source in water and then fermenting with yeast. Brewing has taken place since around the 6th millennium BCE, and archeological evidence suggests that this technique was used in ancient Egypt...
and philanthropist, to educate the children in the poor neighbourhood surrounding his brewery. Because many of the area's immigrant families were from County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
in Ireland, the neighbourhood became known as Corktown
Corktown
Corktown can refer to:* Corktown, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, a neighborhood* Corktown Historic District, Detroit, Michigan, United States...
– a nickname it still carries today.
Turner supplied the funds to construct the Schoolhouse and the land was donated by the adjacent Little Trinity Church
Little Trinity Anglican Church
Little Trinity Anglican Church, formally Trinity East, is a parish of the Anglican Church of Canada located at 425 King Street East in the Corktown neighbourhood just east of downtown Toronto, Ontario....
. In 1849, the school opened with space for 240 pupils and Turner paid for its operation for three years. It was the first free school in Toronto.
Enoch Turner founded his free school following the Common Schools Act of 1846. After the act was passed, municipalities had the power to raise funds for public education through taxation. However, city officials were unwilling to introduce such taxes, and as a result, all schools that benefited from any kind of public support were closed for a year. This prompted Turner to establish the school, which was as a critical catalyst in the development of a provincially supported free school system.
In 1850, school trustees were elected by the public to oversee educational funding. Free public education officially began at the Trinity Street School in 1851. Daily class size ranged from 80 to 90 students of varying academic levels. There were several different instructors employed by the school trustees - most notably Mrs. Jane Henderson, a Scottish immigrant who taught from 1858-59. In 1859, classes were relocated to the nearby Palace Street School at Palace Street (now Front Street East) and Cherry Street. The Trinity Street School and property were returned to Little Trinity parish, and from the 1860s to the 1960s the school served as a parish hall and Sunday school
Sunday school
Sunday school is the generic name for many different types of religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations.-England:The first Sunday school may have been opened in 1751 in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham. Another early start was made by Hannah Ball, a native of High Wycombe in...
for the church. In addition, the School and hall served as a recruiting station during the Second Boer War and the World War I, and a soup kitchen during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. By the late 1960s, the building had fallen into disrepair and was threatened with demolition.
To protect the building and raise funds for its restoration, the Enoch Turner Schoolhouse Foundation was established in 1971, and the former Trinity Street School was renamed Enoch Turner Schoolhouse. After extensive interior and exterior renovations, the Schoolhouse opened as a living history site and conference and reception centre. In March 2008, the ownership and operation of the Schoolhouse were transferred to the Ontario Heritage Trust from the Foundation. The Enoch Turner Schoolhouse Foundation continues as an independent charitable organization, working with the Trust to support the programming and operation of the Schoolhouse. The museum is open for education programs by appointment and open to walk-in visitors during regular business hours.
Architectural Style
The design of the one-story Gothic Revival style brick schoolhouse is attributed to architect Henry Bowyer LaneHenry Bowyer Lane
Henry Bowyer Joseph Lane was an English architect who worked in Toronto from c. 1841 to 1847.Lane's education included time at Blundell's School in Tiverton and subsequent professional training in England before he emigrated to Canada in 1841, living first in Cobourg, Upper Canada, and then in...
. In 1869, the building was expanded to the west with an addition designed by noted Toronto architectural firm Gundry and Langley. The addition is a particularly early work by Henry Langley
Henry Langley (architect)
Henry Langley was a Canadian architect based in Toronto. He was active from 1854 to 1907. Among the first architects born and trained in Canada, he was a founding members of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts in 1880 and was instrumental in establishing the Ontario Association of Architects in 1889...
, who opened his own practice that same year, following the death of Thomas Gundry. Langley went on to become one of the most influential 19th-century architects in Ontario, designing important Toronto landmarks such as the Metropolitan United Church
Metropolitan United Church
Metropolitan United Church is a large neo-Gothic church in downtown Toronto, Canada. It is one of the largest and most prominent churches of the United Church of Canada. It is located on Queen Street East at the corner of Church Street in Toronto's Garden District.-History:The congregation,...
(56 Queen Street East), McMaster Hall (273 Bloor Street West) and the Bank of British North America (49 Yonge Street).
Affiliations
The Museum is affiliated with: CMACanadian Museums Association
The Canadian Museums Association is a national organization for the promotion of museums in Canada.The Canadian Museums Association is the national organization for the advancement of the Canadian museum sector, representing Canadian museum professionals both within Canada and internationally. The...
, CHIN
Canadian Heritage Information Network
The Canadian Heritage Information Network is a Canadian government-supported organization that provides a networked interface to Canada's heritage, largely through the World Wide Web. It aims to give access to Canada's heritage for both Canadians and a worldwide audience, by supporting the...
, and Virtual Museum of Canada
Virtual Museum of Canada
The Virtual Museum of Canada is Canada's national virtual museum. With a directory of over 3,000 Canadian heritage institutions and a database of over 600 virtual exhibits, the VMC brings together Canada's museums regardless of size or geographical location.The VMC includes virtual exhibits,...
.
External links
- Enoch Turner Schoolhouse - Enoch Turner Schoolhouse Foundation
- http://www.heritagefdn.on.ca/ - Ontario Heritage Trust
- Ontario Heritage Plaque - Enoch Turner School