Otterbury School House

The Otterbury Schoolhouse is a one-roomed gable roofed building overlooking the harbour and located on Water Street in Harbour Grace, NL. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

The Otterbury Schoolhouse has been designated a Municipal Heritage Structure because it holds historic and aesthetic values. This building stands in an area once known as Otterbury, hence the name for the schoolhouse. It now sits within the municipal boundaries of the Town of Harbour Grace. The historic value of the Otterbury Schoolhouse lies in its age. Run by the Roman Catholic Church in Harbour Grace this school was first listed in 1884 with forty five students registered in attendance. The school continued to operate until sometime in the 1960s, when it was closed permanently.

Otterbury Schoolhouse achieves its aesthetic values through its vernacular architectural style. This one room building has a steep, gable roof and is built with narrow wooden clapboard. The school also features wide corner boards and a wide water table. The windows, of which there are three on the main façade, are 6/6 double hung type. They have plain moulding with a small, eared raincap over top. The main door is wood plank construction and the trim is comprised of plain, flat mouldings with a small, eared raincap above the door. A small porch extends from the rear of the building.

Source: Passed by a motion of Harbour Grace Town Council, held January 10, 2006

All those elements that speak to the nineteenth century, vernacular schoolhouse style, including:

-steep gable roof;

-narrow wooden clapboard;

-wide cornerboards and wide water table;

-6/6 windows with plain, flat mouldings and small rain caps;

-small porch extension at rear of building;

-window and door openings;

-location, orientation and dimensions; and

-one storey construction.