Uigg School

The Uigg School building is a rare example of a well preserved rural school house in PEI. It was opened on November 3, 1877, in the same year PEI passed the controversial Public Schools Act which established a provincial board of education and a non-sectarian school system across the province. It included the main classroom on the ground floor and a hall with an arched ceiling on the second floor. The contractor for the new school was Peter Martin. A school had first been established in Uigg as early as 1829 when the first Scottish settlers arrived. This new building was considered a First Class school by the provincial Department of Education because it prepared students for college/university studies. Many former students excelled in their chosen professions and were successful at prestigious institutions like McGill in Montreal. Both the author, Sir Andrew Macphail and PEI Lieutenant Governor, Donald MacKinnon had attended Uigg School. Enrollment peaked in 1890 with over 100 students. By the 1950s, outmigration saw its attendance dwindle. With school consolidation in 1970, it closed only to be resurrected in 1973 during the PEI Centennial. Due to the effort of the local Women's Institute, it was refurbished as a community centre for the Uigg area.