Municipally Registered Property
Old New Town School
Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
Also known as School Annex, Arts and Crafts Building
Old New Town School, New Town Lunenburg, front and northwest facades, 2004
Photo: Heritage Division, NS Dept. of Tourism, Culture and Heritage, 2004
- Built
- 1883
- Recognized
- 2000
- By
- Local government
The register’s text, word for word
Description
The Old New Town School is a one-and-a-half storey wooden structure, simple in design and rectangular in form with a protruding enclosed porch. The building is located in the New Town area of Lunenburg, NS, with substantial green space surrounding the building. Designation covers both the building and the surrounding land.
Heritage value
The Old New Town School is valued as a reminder of the era of one-room school houses in Nova Scotia. These schools were eventually supplanted by the Academy system, a new academic system implemented province-wide, and consequently the Lunenburg Academy replaced this building. The building was built in 1883 and remains in excellent condition. It retains many original features, including the windows and entrance. The school remains in use by the modern Lunenburg High School located across the road as extra classroom space, making it a rare example of continuous use of a one-room school building from the nineteenth century to the present day.
SourceHeritage Designation File 66400-40-53, Town of Lunenburg.
Character‑defining elements
Character-defining elements of the Old New Town School relate to its architecture and use as an educational facility, and include:
- original enclosed porch, with transom and sidelight windows, and original six-over-six windows;
- simple, symmetrical design, augmented by a steeply pitched gable roof, cornerboards, and simply detailed fascia and eaves;
- location at a central junction in New Town with green space surrounding the building on all sides;
- interior layout of the building into two classrooms reflecting its continued use as an education facility.
End of the register’s text
Location
17 Tannery Road, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, B0J, Canada
44.37585° N, 64.31904° 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.