Municipal Heritage Property
Luther Academy
Melville, Saskatchewan
Also known as St. Paul's Lutheran Home
Front view of Luther Academy, 1984.
Photo: Government of Saskatchewan, F. Korvemaker, 1984.
- Built
- 1913
- Recognized
- 1981
- By
- Local government
The register’s text, word for word
Description
Luther Academy is a Municipal Heritage Property which occupies 5.64 hectares of land on the outskirts of the City of Melville. The property features a three-storey brick building constructed in 1913.
Heritage value
The heritage value of Luther Academy lies in its connection to the development of religious education in Saskatchewan. Constructed in 1913, Luther Academy was the second Lutheran College to be built in Western Canada and the first to be built in Saskatchewan. The building was designed to serve as an educational facility to prepare young men for the ministry and to teach Christian leadership by the Lutheran Church. Initially all classes were taught in German, reflecting the roots of many of the settlers in the region. By 1926, however, because of the growing demand for educational services, the school had outgrown the building and a new facility was constructed in Regina. In 1927, the structure became one of Saskatchewan's first facilities for seniors and was renamed the St. Paul's Lutheran Old Folks' and Children's Home. The building continued to act as a seniors' complex until 1973. In 1983, the building became the Melville Heritage Museum.
The heritage value of Luther Academy also resides in its architecture. Constructed in 1913, Luther Academy is characteristic of the two-to three-storey educational buildings constructed in Saskatchewan at this time. Situated on a large lot, the building, with its tan coloured brick exterior and mansard roof with projecting eaves, is an imposing structure.
Source:
City of Melville Bylaw No. 17/81.
Character‑defining elements
The heritage value of Luther Academy resides in the following character-defining elements:
-those elements reflecting the building's function as an religious educational institute, including the signage, religious ornaments, dormitories, blackboards and shelving;
-those elements reflecting the building's architecture, including the interior pressed metal ceiling, original windows, wooden staircases, mansard roof with projecting eaves, and tan coloured exterior brick with design work; and -the building's location on a large lot on the outskirts of Melville.
End of the register’s text
Location
920 9th Avenue W, Melville, Saskatchewan, S0A, Canada
50.93919° N, 102.81956° W
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From the Canadian Register of Historic Places, as last updated on December 12, 2025. The register’s text is shown word for word.